Hi Nat
Our school hosts exchange students and other sister school and short term study abroad programs. These are three distinct programs in Victoria that have different application processes, fees and visa requirements. In Victoria, a sister school program is managed between the schools and a visitor visa will need to be applied for and received for the student to travel to Australia. Our school charges a weekly fee and an accomodation fee for these programs. A student exchange in Victoria is very different and the student needs to be enrolled via a registered student exchange organisation or the school needs to be registered as an exchange provider with the VRQA. There are no fees to be charged for a student exchange and the student receives a student 500 visa.
As you are in Tasmania, I would recommend you check on your states registration website for the differences (if any in Tas) with these programs and modify your enrolment T&C’s accordingly.
We are a CRICOS registered school in Victoria and were picked up on our recent VRQA audit for exchange programs for sister school students without using a registered exchange organsiation. Our school is not a registered exchange provider even though we are CRICOS registered. In future, we need to be very careful how we word the programs to ensure appropriate compliance. A distinction needs to be made in the T&C’s about the name of the program eg student exchange or sister school student program. Our sister school programs are no longer referred to as exchange programs. Our enrolment forms are different with the different program names highlighted. We still require the same information and consent from parents/guardians/host families, but there is a distinction in the enrolment form names and T&C’s.
Here is a link to the VRQA but I would recommend you check your Tasmanian equivalent for any differences:
https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/student-exchange-programs/guidance
I hope this helps.