Study In Australia

Student Orientation and Support Services

We are committed to ensuring that you get all the support you need to adjust to life and study in Australia and to be successful in your studies.

Prior to commencing your studies, you will be required to participate in a compulsory orientation program that will include information on:

The enrolment form you complete will also help us to identify any support you need and depending on the course you are enrolling in and your support needs can also be discussed during the orientation.

Services that we can offer you include:

Contact our office at any time on to discuss your support needs.

Arranging Travel and Documents to Bring

Costs of traveling to Australia are not included in your course fees and you will need to arrange and pay for your travel to Australia. You should plan to arrive in Melbourne at least 2 weeks before your course orientation in order to give you time to settle in.

The nearest airport for you to arrive at is Melbourne Airport, Tullamarine, Victoria.

You will need to prepare a folder of official documents to bring with you to Australia including:

If you are travelling with your family, you will need to include their documents as well. Keep all documents in your carry-on luggage. In case you lose the originals, we recommend that you make copies of all your travelling documents that can be left behind with family, and sent to you if required.

Entry Into Australia

When you arrive in Australia, you will need to show your passport and incoming passenger card at a Customs and Immigration checkpoint. You may be asked questions about your stay before your passport is stamped and handed back to you.

Once you have passed through the Immigration checkpoint, you should collect your bags ensuring that you check your baggage and check that nothing is missing or damaged. If something is missing or you notice damage, go to the baggage counter and advise them of your problem. Staff at the “Lost Property” counter within the airport will help you find missing baggage or lodge a claim for damage to your belongings.

Once you have your luggage you will go through customs where your luggage may be checked. Australia has strict quarantine laws to stop people from bringing in certain food and plant items. You should declare any items that you are bringing in on the form given to you on the airplane. If customs officers decide that the item you are bringing in are not safe, they will be confiscated and destroyed. If you fail to declare or dispose of any quarantine items, or make a false declaration, you may receive a fine or be prosecuted. All international mail is also screened and checked by customs.

For further information, visit www.australia.gov.au and select the Passports and Travel option.

Arriving In Australia

Travelling from Melbourne Airport to your accommodation

Airport buses:               https://www.ptv.vic.gov.au/getting-around/airport-buses/

Taxis:                           http://melbourneairport.com.au/to-from-the-airport/taxis/overview.html

Keeping in contact

Before you leave home, you should provide your family and friends, Educational Agents and Course Provider in Australia, with details of your flights to Australia and where you will be staying when you arrive. (Do not change these details without informing them). Once you have arrived in Australia, you should then let your family and friends know that you have arrived safely. For safety reasons, always inform your family members where you are. 

Arranging your finances

The currency of Australia is the Australian Dollar. Ideally, you should change your money into Australian dollars before you arrive but if you haven’t you will need to change some money once you land in Australia. There are money exchange facilities within the airport for you to use.

Once you have arrived into Melbourne you can also change more money into Australian dollars at any bank or currency exchange facility. Note, that opens on Saturday for limited services and regular transactions

You should not carry large sums of money with you and it is best to only have the money that you will need for the first few days and then arrange to have the rest of the funds transferred to you in Australia.

The amount you will need to bring with you will depend on whether you have already paid for your accommodation before you arrive. Think about how much money you will need to last you for a couple of weeks.

Find out more about money matters by visiting:
http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/en/Living-in-Australia/Money-Matters.

Bring Your Family With You

If you intend to bring your family with you, they will also need to have a visa and be covered by health insurance. Family members include your partner (married or de facto) and your children under 18 years of age. You will need to provide proof of your family relationships with official documents including birth certificates and marriage certificates. For more details, visit www.homeaffairs.gov.au.

Where you have dependent children that need to attend childcare or school, you should be aware of the following potential costs:

Typical approximate childcare costs in Melbourne are as follows:

Find out more at:

http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/living-in-victoria/education-and-childcare/childcare#.V7EKu49OKUk

For children who are aged 4-5 please check the information about kindergartens: http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/living-in-victoria/education-and-childcare/kindergartens#.V7EL5o9OLQs

If you have children who are school age (ages 6-17), please find out about school types, costs and application processes on the following sites:

Primary Schools:
http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au/living-in-victoria/education-and-childcare/primary-schools#.V7ELF49OLQs

Secondary Schools:
https://liveinmelbourne.vic.gov.au/live/education-and-childcare/high-schools

You should also be aware that the above costs for childcare and schooling are in addition to any day to day living costs in Australia. Please refer to the section in the handbook titled Living Costs in Australia for additional information.