Student Exchange Program

Embark on an exhilarating journey with our student exchange program to France and unleash a lifetime of unforgettable memories and cultural wonders!

As a renowned student exchange organization accredited in Victoria, we are excited to open up a world filled with enriching experiences. 🇫🇷

In this unique student exchange program available to students from Victoria, you’ll have the incredible opportunity to live with a French host family and attend a local school, immersing yourself completely in the French way of life. Unlike our linguistic immersion program, in this exchange, you might be hosted by a family with or without a student of the same age, offering a diverse cultural experience.

✨Plus, it’s a requirement for our Australian students to attend school for a minimum of 28 days, ensuring you get a full educational experience along with your cultural immersion. Get ready to embrace a whole new world of learning and discovery with AFX! 🏫🇫🇷✨

🎉🌟 Ready for an unforgettable journey? With AFX, each day is a new opportunity for discovery and adventure. ✈️ Join us on this remarkable adventure, where educational exploration and cultural experiences blend beautifully.

In our quest to orchestrate the most enriching French student exchange program, AFX meticulously adheres to the National Guidelines for the Operation of International Secondary Student Exchange Programs in Australia, along with VRQA standards. Here’s a glimpse into our diligent process:

In-depth Dialogues: Engaging in comprehensive interviews with potential host family, and visiting their home, we ensure an optimal and harmonious match.
Rigorous Vetting: We undertake exhaustive background verifications for all adult members in the host domicile, prioritizing your security.
Dual Placement Protocol: Our protocol mandates unanimous consent for our distinctive double placement system, guaranteeing a smooth integration.
Enhanced Scrutiny for Singular Households: We apply an augmented review process for single adult households, ensuring a robust safety net.

Prepare to be immersed in a transcendent journey with a family meticulously selected to enrich your cultural odyssey! Vive la France! “

WHAT IS A STUDENT EXCHANGE PROGRAM ?

An exchange student is a secondary school student undertaking an international exchange program that is between 4 and 52 weeks, and is arranged by a VRQA-approved student exchange organisation (SEO) like AFX Student Exchange. Inbound exchange students (that is, studying in Australia) must hold a subclass 500 student visa, and must present an Advice and Acceptance of a Secondary Exchange Student (AASES) form to the school on arrival. Does a principal need to seek approval to enrol an exchange student? No. The Victorian Department of Education supports the secondary student exchange program. Schools just need to check that the request to enrol an exchange student is from a VRQA-approved SEO. Is a school obliged to accept an exchange student? No. The decision to accept or decline an exchange student is at the principal's discretion. Principals may consider issues such as availability of student places, appropriate timing of the program, support required, and whether resources are available to ensure that a satisfactory program can be offered.

SCHOOLS

AFX student exchange programs comply with the NCCISSE whereby the Australian student enrolls in a full-time school program in France for a minimum period of three months or one school term, whichever is shorter. Note that in Victoria, the minimum period is 28 days due to the requirements for the enrollment of overseas students in Victorian government schools. Inbound exchange students participating in programs of more than 28 days duration in Victoria must obtain a student visa. Under similar conditions, students from France undertake study in Australia.
Inbound students must obtain overseas student health cover (OSHC) for the full period of the student welfare dates in their AASES form. An SEO must ensure that the student exchange programs it provides to outbound Victorian students comply with all relevant visa and health insurance requirements of the host country.

ENROLMENT

What is the process for accepting and enrolling an exchange student? An SEO will contact a school to request permission from the principal to enrol an exchange student for a specific exchange program (advising of the proposed start and end dates). Where a school agrees to an enrolment for that period, the SEO will provide the relevant information about the exchange student, the student's host family in Victoria and the contact details for the organisation's local coordinator. On arrival at the school, the exchange student (and, or the representative of the organisation) will provide a copy of the student's AASES form (Acceptance Advice of Secondary Exchange Student). The school completes Part D of the AASES form, keeps a copy of the AASES form on the student's school file, and provides a copy to the exchange organisation. What is an AASES form? AASES stands for 'Acceptance Advice for Secondary Exchange Student'. The form is the official student exchange visa or immigration document. It is generated by the VRQA and issued to each exchange student through their SEO. The AASES form is used for the processing of student visas and for the enrolment of exchange students in Victorian schools. Without an AASES form a student cannot be considered a bona fide exchange student, and should not be enrolled under this category. The principal must complete and sign Part D of the AASES form. A copy of the completed AASES form must be kept with the student's school file, and a completed and signed copy returned directly to the SEO. The AASES form is evidence that the student's parents have authorised their child's participation in the exchange program and enrolment at the school. It also confirms that the SEO has accepted responsibility for the welfare of the exchange student while they are in Australia.

VISA & INSURANCE

To be sure that student visa requirements are met, application forms for inbound and outbound student exchange program participation must ask for every citizenship held by the student. Inbound exchange students Students living overseas who hold Australian citizenship cannot participate in secondary student exchange programs to Australia. Inbound exchange students must enter Australia on a Student Visa (subclass 500) issued through an AASES form. Australian citizens are ineligible for an Australian visa. Australian citizens attending school overseas have a right of entry to Australia and are eligible to enrol in Victorian Government schools at any time. Their parents can arrange a period of school enrolment in Australia through another mechanism. Student exchange program applicants who hold multiple citizenships (other than Australian citizenship) must clearly state which passport they will use to enter and exit Australia. Applicants must declare all nationalities they hold in their application for an Australian student visa. Outbound exchange students Outbound exchange students who have Australian citizenship must travel as an Australian citizen only, and only use their Australian passport for exiting and entering Australia. Students who hold Australian citizenship may be refused entry to Australia if their Australian passport is lost, stolen or expired – even if their other national passports remain valid. If an outbound exchange student is an Australian permanent resident (that is, not a citizen) the student must travel on the passport of the nationality under which they were granted their Australian permanent residence visa. An SEO may choose to require its outbound students to only travel with their nominated passport during the exchange program.

Those travelling as part of a group are escorted by an AFX representative or chaperone on the flights. Upon arrival in Paris, students are greeted at the airport by a member of our French team and any host families located close to Paris.

For students hosted by families in regional France, we’ll help with transfers once you reach Paris. One of our representatives will also be present at the airport upon departure.

We can organise chaperones from other departure cities (Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide) but these are subject to group numbers.

If needed, you can also choose to travel to France with the group and return on a different date. Or vice versa.

PRICES

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