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Australia
When applying to attend school in Australia, first the student must find a school that they can attend. Each of Australia’s six states and two of their territories have their own education system. Schools are divided into two categories: government schools, which are operated by the state or territory; and non-government schools, which are operated independently. Non-government schools are further broken down into catholic/religious institutes and independent schools. For all schools across Australia, the education system is 13 years and is divided into primary school (from Kindergarten to the 6th grade), secondary school (from 7th to 10th grade) and senior secondary school (from 11th grade to the 12th grade).
Each school will have their own separate application process for international students. The student should contact their intended school for the application process, and additional documentation the school will require. After successfully applying to the school of the student’s choice, they must receive a letter of offer back from the school, and send an acceptance of the offer back to the institution before applying for a student visa.
Canada
When applying to attend school in Canada, first the student must find a school that they can attend. For help finding the right school, refer to the following link: https://www.cicic.ca/868/search_the_directory_of_educational_institutions_in_canada.canada
Elementary schools in Canada run from kindergarten to 8th grade, while secondary schools run from the 9th to 12th grade. For students interested in studying in Quebec, please take note that secondary schools run from 7th to 12th grade instead. International students may apply for either public schools or private schools, and may stay at the school for multiple years.
Each province and territory in Canada are responsible for their own education system, and certain admission standards may differ between each. The standard most schools will require include: school results or report cards, some form of language test to prove proficient language skills in English or French, and proof of finished grades that precede the intended grade the student would like to study in Canada.
Upon contacting the student’s school of choice, the school will send either an application form or other means of applying to the school. They will also inform the student of the cost to apply, tuition fees, housing options and cost. Public schools in Canada will often have a fee for international students, which can range from approximately CAD8,000 to CAD14,000 per year. Private schools will have their own tuition fees.
New Zealand
When applying to attend school in New Zealand, the student must first find a school that they would like to attend. In New Zealand, there are both public (state-funded) and private schools. School years in New Zealand are broken down into the following; contributing primary schools
which take students ages 5 to 11 years old, intermediate schools for students 10 to 13 years old (or 7th and 9th grade), and secondary schools for grades 9 to 13, or students from 13 to 18 years old. To find a school that best fits, refer to the following link: https://www.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz/study-options/schools.
Each school will have their own separate application process for international students. The school websites will either have an online application, or provide an email for the student to contact the school directly to proceed with their application. After reviewing and accepting the application, the prospective school will send an admission offer, along with further information such as tuition fees and homestay options. The student will need this admission offer, along with guaranteed accommodation proof (if the student chooses to stay with the school provided accommodation) in order to apply for a visa.
For more information about studying abroad in New Zealand, please refer to the following link: https://www.studyinnewzealand.govt.nz/
United Kingdom
When applying to attend school in the UK, the student must first find a school that they may attend. The UK education system consists of either state-funded schools or independent schools. Primary schools are for students from ages 3 to 11 (1st to 6th grades), secondary schools are for students from ages 11 to 16 (7th to 11th grade), while college (or sixth form) is for students from ages 16 to 18. Each school will have their own separate application process for international students depending on the student’s interested course of study, and length of time they would like to study in the UK.
When the student has successfully applied and been accepted to a school in the UK, they will receive a reference number called a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) from the education provider. This number is needed before the student can proceed with the visa application.
United States
When applying to attend school in the United States, first the student must find a school that they can attend. When looking for a school, they must find a school that is SEVP-certified and can accept international students. For help finding the right school, refer to the following link: https://studyinthestates.dhs.gov/school-search. When submitting an application to the school of their choice, the standard materials required for entrance include: financial statements to ensure the student is able to pay for the program, TOEFL scores (or a similar english language exam), transcript of student’s academic record, a copy of the student’s passport, and letters of recommendation from school teachers. Certain schools may require additional materials such as essays or immunization records, or may ask the student to participate in an entrance exam or interview. Contact the school when applying for entrance for what they will require to apply.
Students wishing to attend school from kindergarten to the 8th grade will have to apply to a private school, which will require a tuition. Students across all grades who are interested in attending a US private school will not have a limit on the length of time they can attend the school.
For students wishing to attend high school will have the additional option to attend a public school in the US. If choosing to attend a public school, the student will only be allowed to attend for a maximum of twelve months, and will be required to pay the school district the full cost of attending school for one year. The costs are based upon tax revenue, and will vary from district to district. After the student has applied and been accepted to their chosen school, and has received a I-20 Form from the school, they must pay this cost to attend the public school along with the I-901 SEVIS fee. These payments are required before applying for a student visa.
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