International Student Program (ISP)

3. Admissions

The section covers: accepting students.

Purpose

DE International Education Division (IED) is required under the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (Cth) (the National Code) to assess whether prospective international students have an appropriate academic background and level of English language proficiency to participate actively and successfully complete their course. Entry requirements are set to ensure that an international student can complete their course without relying unduly on ongoing English language or learning support.

Important requirements

Admission requirements

• DE (IED) sets admission requirements for prospective international students and assesses all applications from overseas students for admission to a Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) registered Victorian government school.
• Schools cannot directly or indirectly offer an international student a place in their school.
• With the exception of the audition/interview for Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (VCASS), schools are not to impose additional entry requirements on international students. Schools are still encouraged to conduct a welcome video conference interview with the student to ensure the student is suitable for the school and the program, however schools must not conduct any additional academic assessments, tests or screening.
• International students progressing from Year 6 to Year 7 (from primary school to secondary school) must submit a new application to be enrolled in Year 7 (except if students are already enrolled in a P to 9 or P to 12 college). Students must complete at least half of the last academic year and cannot skip 1 year level entirely.

School responsibilities and guidance

Responding to a Request to Place from DE (IED)

1. Assess the school’s approved ISP student cap to check that there is a place available for the student.
2. Decide whether the school’s teaching and support resources are suitable for the student’s needs. Interviews with prospective students are encouraged for this purpose.
3. Determine the appropriate year level for the student. Note that students cannot skip an entire year level. They must complete at least half of their current academic year.
4. Assess the student’s preferred welfare and accommodation arrangement. For students seeking to stay in a DET-approved homestay arrangements (this includes option 3: Parent-nominated homestays and option 4: School-arranged homestays), school staff must ensure that the school can appropriately support the homestay arrangements and acknowledge that the school will conduct a homestay check prior (minimum of 6 weeks, maximum of 6 months) to the student’s date of commencement at the homestay accommodation. Please refer to Section 4 for further information on homestay checks.
5. Provisional acceptance of care and welfare arrangements should be secured by the student and their family before accepting the student.
6. Respond in writing to DE (IED) within 48 hours if possible but no later than 5 days, whether the school is accepting or declining the RTP.

Compliance evidence

In relation to this section, schools must ensure that they use the following documents and retain them for audit purposes:

• Request to Place email from DE (IED)