The standards apply to an international student’s living arrangements where:
- the student is aged under 18
- the school has arranged or accepted responsibility for those living arrangements i.e. under options three or four below.
International students aged under 18 can only enter Australia on
Student Visas (subclass 500) where:
- they will be living with a parent residing in Australia during their enrolment (usually on a Guardian Visa), or
- they will be living with a close relative (aunt, uncle, grandparent, sibling aged 21 or over) approved by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, or
- the CRICOS registered education provider issues a Confirmation of Appropriate Accommodation and Welfare (CAAW) letter as part of the student’s enrolment or
- a registered Student Exchange Organisation (SEO) issues an Acceptance Advice of a Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form.
CRICOS registered schools that issue a CAAW letter are accepting responsibility for the student’s ‘accommodation, support and general welfare’ arrangements, and must approve the student’s accommodation in either:
- a school boarding facility
- a placement with a local homestay family
- placement with distant relatives or family friends nominated by the parents of the student.
In Victoria, the student must be at least 13 years of age for a CAAW letter to be issued.
A CAAW letter retains responsibility for the student’s accommodation, support and general welfare from the student’s arrival in Australia until either:
- the student turns 18 years of age
- the student ceases their enrolment and departs Australia
- the student ceases their enrolment and comes under a CAAW letter issued by another education provider.
VRQA approved SEOs that issue an AASES form are accepting responsibility for the student’s ‘accommodation, support and general welfare’ arrangements for the duration of the secondary student exchange program, and must approve the student’s placement in a local host family.
CRICOS registered schools and VRQA approved SEOs can engage commercial agencies and third parties to assist the school in exercising its responsibilities – but education providers and SEOs
cannot delegate their CAAW or AASES responsibility to a student to any other entity.
Further information is available on the
VRQA website at: