Australia 482 and New Zealand Work Visas: Families and School Fees

This guide is for parents preparing a family move on an Australian 482 visa or a New Zealand work visa who are worried about school fees for their children. Everything below summarises official guidance (as of 2026-10-29). Rules can change and can differ by region and school, so confirm with the official body and the school before you decide.

Australia: the state, not the visa, sets fees

Australia's Department of Home Affairs describes the subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa as a temporary visa that lets an employer sponsor a skilled worker for a role it cannot fill locally. The same guidance says public school fees for accompanying children are set by each state's education department, not by the visa. So holding a 482 visa alone does not tell you what you will pay. Start with the rules of the state you are moving to.

What NSW does

As one example, the NSW Department of Education's Temporary Residents Program says:

• Most children of temporary visa holders, of international students and of visitors accompanied by a parent pay an application fee and tuition.
• Exemptions can be requested, for example where a parent is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, or for low-income families.
• If the visa changes to an exempt category, a pro-rata refund of the remaining tuition may apply.
• Applications are accepted through the online portal only.

This is NSW only, and other states may have different rules. See the NSW Department of Education page and the Home Affairs page on the 482 visa.

New Zealand: domestic or international student

New Zealand's Ministry of Education says every student enrols as either domestic or international. Citizens, residence-class visa holders and dependent children of some student and work visa holders are treated as domestic students. International students pay tuition and other fees, and the school must be a signatory to the 2021 Code of Practice for international learners. Visitors may attend for up to two weeks without enrolling, with the principal's permission. See the Ministry of Education page.

New Zealand: the Dependent Child Student Visa

Immigration New Zealand says children of parents with an appropriate work visa can get a Dependent Child Student Visa and attend primary or secondary school as domestic students without tuition fees. There are conditions:

• Some work visas, such as seasonal and working holiday visas, do not qualify.
• For the AEWV, it depends on the parent's earnings or job, among other things.
• The child must be 19 or under and plan to attend school.
• Children under 5 cannot attend school and get a visitor visa instead.
• Parents show living funds (NZ$17,000 a year or NZ$1,417 a month, waivable for some) and agree to cover health costs.
• The visa usually ends on the same day as the parent's visa.

Whether your family fits is something to confirm through the Immigration New Zealand page and a professional.

If a child stays after the parents leave

If the parents move home and the child stays to study, guardianship becomes an issue. Both countries have rules worth reading early.

• Australia: Home Affairs says student visa holders under 18 must have either welfare approved by the school (a CAAW) or a nominated guardian. The guardian can be a parent, a custodian, or a relative aged 21 or over nominated by a parent. Parental consent (Form 1229) is needed, and welfare must last until the student turns 18 or the enrolment ends plus 7 days. The Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) lets a guardian stay up to 5 years. See the Home Affairs page.
• New Zealand: Immigration New Zealand says a parent or legal guardian of a child aged 17 or under (or in Years 1-13) who holds a student visa can get a Guardian Visitor Visa. Only one parent can hold it at a time, and it lasts as long as the child's visa. Holders generally cannot work (remote work for an overseas business is allowed) and can study up to 3 months in 12. Partners and other children need their own visas. See the Immigration New Zealand page.

Checklist

• Decide on your state (Australia) or region (New Zealand) and find that education authority's fee rules.
• In Australia, remember that fees are set by state education rules, not by the visa.
• In a state such as NSW, check the exemptions and refund conditions separately.
• In New Zealand, check whether your child enrols as a domestic or an international student.
• On a New Zealand work visa, review the Dependent Child Student Visa conditions: visa type, the child's age and the living funds.
• Allow for the fact that children under 5 cannot attend school and get a visitor visa.
• If a child may stay after the parents leave, read the guardianship rules early.
• Note the as-of date on each official page and recheck the latest version just before you apply.

Ask the school

• Ask whether your child's visa status means paying fees, and if so, how much the application fee and tuition are.
• Ask whether exemptions or refunds apply, how to apply and which documents are needed.
• (New Zealand) If your child must enrol as an international student, ask whether the school is a signatory to the Code of Practice for international learners.
• Ask whether you can visit before enrolling and for how long without enrolling.
• Ask whether your child can continue after the parents leave, and what guardianship arrangements the school would require.

Always confirm your own situation with the official authority or an immigration professional.