Fitzroy Student Hub: International students

Residential address

Your residential address is the place where you live. You must:

• Let us know your residential address in Australia within 7 days of arriving in Australia.
• Let us know your new residential address within 7 days if you move.

Contact Student Services to update your address.

Health care

• You must maintain adequate arrangements for Overseas Student Health Cover during your stay in Australia.

Work

• You cannot work until you have started your course in Australia.
• You cannot work more than 40 hours per fortnight during a Study Period
• No work limits apply during college or university breaks.

For a full list of Student Visa Conditions, please see Department of Home Affairs - Student Visa Conditions

Leave of Absence

Taking a Leave of Absence means taking a break from study while remaining enrolled. It is also called deferring.

International students cannot take a Leave of Absence unless there are compassionate or compelling circumstances.

These are generally circumstances that:

• Are beyond your control; and
• Have an impact upon your course progress or wellbeing

For a full list of limited circumstances please refer to the Enrolment and Attendance Policy. 

You'll need to complete the appropriate Application for Leave of Absence (Deferral) form below:

• Torrens Students
• THINK Students

Overseas student transfer

International students may transfer to another Australian institution. Generally you cannot transfer between colleges or universities before completing 6 months in your principal course.

• See the International Student Transfer Procedure for more information on how to transfer.

Transferring in your first six months

There are situations where a transfer request will be granted because it is in your best interest,or due to compelling circumstances. You will need to seek approval for release in your first six months, and have a valid enrolmentoffer from another registered provider.

We can only approve the request in limited circumstances as outlined in the following documents:

• Torrens:
  • International Student Transfer Procedure and
  • Section 15.1 of the Enrolmentand Attendance Policy.
• THINK:
  • International Student Transfer Procedure and
  • Section 15.1 of the Enrolment and Attendance Policy

Will this affect my Student Visa?

We advise you to contact Immigration (Department of Home Affairs) for advice on if you need a new student visa. See more information at:

• For student visa conditions and regulations about changing courses, see the Department of Home Affairs - Changing Courses website.

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)

This insurance helps you meet the costs of medical and hospital care you may need while in Australia such as:

• Visiting the doctor
• Ambulance and emergency treatment in hospital
• Some hospital treatment
• Some medicines

You must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of your visa at the time of admission into your course.

OSHC must be purchased from an approved Australian insurance provider.

Different insurers may offer different levels of cover, so compare policies to choose the one that is right for you.You may want to take out extra insurance such as dental, physiotherapy and optometry services.

For more information and a list of insurance providers visitthe OSHC page on the Department of Health website.

In an emergency, call 000 and ask for an ambulance.

You can also visit the emergency department at your nearest public hospital.

You will not have to pay for most emergency services in public hospitals when you show your OSHC card.

Some private hospitals also offer emergency services but require an up-front payment before treating you.

For emergency and safety information, please visit your campus page or the Study in Australia website.

Emergency+ app

This official app from the Triple Zero Awareness Working Group for iOS, Android and Windows devices to help you

• know when to call Triple Zero
• know who to call in non-emergency situations and how to get help

Download it now

iOS app | Android app | Windows app

When you study in Australia, accommodation options include:

• Student apartments (see Urbannest or UniLodge)
• Residential colleges (in Adelaide, see below)
• Private rentals - use real-estate websites Realestate.com.auor Domain.
• Home stay - the Australian Homestay Network (AHN) gives you the chance to live with a local family

You can look for accommodation on foreign language websites such as:

• Jams (Japanese)
• Nichigo (Japanese)
• Oz YoYo (Chinese)

Find out more about international student accommodation at www.studyinaustralia.gov.au.

Residential colleges in Adelaide:

• Lincoln College,
• St Marks College and
• St Ann’s College

Tips for finding accommodation

• Don’t rely on photos on a website, make sure you visit the accommodation
• Avoid paying a deposit on a place you have never seen
• Never give out personal details to someone you’ve never met in exchange for more information about a property
• Be aware of your rights as a tenant and get advice from the proper channels

If you need additional assistance,Student Services on your campus can help you with further resources.

Work conditions for student visa holders

The key things to remember are:

• You cannot work until you have started your course in Australia.
• You cannot work more than 40 hours per fortnight during a Study Period
• No work limits apply during college or university breaks.

More information about working on a student visa

English language courses

We offer two types of English courses for international students.

English for Academic Purposes (EAP)

Improve your academic English skills before beginning your main course.

You can start this course on any Monday and continue until you have reached your goals.

General English

Study a General English course to become more confident with English and learn more about Australian culture, customs and speech before you start to study.

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The student counselling service is freeand confidential.

We can help you with:

• Confusion and anxiety from being in a new and unfamiliar environment
• Balancing commitments, goal setting
• Stress or anxiety
• Homesickness or understanding Australian culture
• Depression
• Any other personal topics or issues to help you succeed
• Other special needs that may impact on your studies

Visit the Counselling page to get in touch.

Find information on travelling from the airport and around your new home city below:

Sydney

Sydney Airport is about 8km from the city. Travel options include train, shuttle bus/mini-van, taxi or car.

• Sydney airport transport options- Find public transport, shuttle and taxi information here.
• Airport Link rains travel to the city every 10 - 15 minutes. You will need to buy an Opal card at the train station.
• Taxis - the airport taxi rank is outside the arrivals hall. Get a fare estimate here.
• Uber has a pick up zone at the airport
• Transport NSW- Find timetables and maps.You will need to buy an Opal card to use public transport.
• Transport Apps - download an app like TripGo to plan your journey and get real time traffic and timetable information

Melbourne

Tullamarine, Melbourne's main airport, is 23km from the city. There is no train to Tullamarine.

• Melbourne airport - taxis and ride share(including Uber)
• Skybus runs from the Airport to:
  • Melbourne City (30 - 45 min, $18)
  • Southbank & Docklands (40 - 80 min, $18)
  • St Kilda (60 - 75 min, $37)
• Public Transport Victoria (PTV)- find timetables, maps and journey planner tool to plan your trips around Melbourne and Victoria. You will need a Myki card to use public transport.
• Transport Apps - download an app like TripGo to plan your journey and get real time traffic and timetable information

Brisbane

• Brisbane Airport - find public transport, taxi, ride share and other transport options here
• Brisbane Airtrain - trains to the city leave every 15 - 30 minutes. The trip takes 20 minutes.
• Taxis are available outside the Domestic and International Terminals. At peak times, Kerbside Officers are on hand to assist.
• Uber picks up from Brisbane Airport
• Brisbane Public Transport - translink.com.au

Adelaide

• Adelaide Airport transport options -find public transport, shuttle and taxi information here
• Adelaide Metro - maps and journey planner tool to plan your trips around Adelaide
• Transport Apps - download an app like TripGo to plan your journey and get real time traffic and timetable information

Student Concession prices

International students are not usually entitled to student travel concessions (discounted city public transport tickets)

If you arrive before your course start date or orientation day, please feel welcome to visit the campus and make contact with your International Student Advisor or Campus Student Services team.

We'll check in with you in Week 1, Week 4 and Week 7 of your first trimester. It's our chance to chat with you and for you to ask any questions.

If you have any problems with your home stay, study or life in Australia you can get help from any of the following people:

• During usual business hours: Your International Student contact person is your campus life coordinator and their team of customer support officers
• Outside of usual business hours in case of an emergency or a critical incident your contact is the Campus Director
• Success coaches
• Academic learning support and learning advisors
• Student counsellor