Notice to all international students travelling to Australia

On 20 July the Australian Government announced a number of changes to student visa arrangements to support international students.

The changes are:

The Government will recommence granting student visas in all locations lodged outside Australia. This means when borders re-open, students will already have visas and be able to make arrangements to travel.

Eligibility requirements for a post-study work visa (Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) will be relaxed for applicants who are enrolled with an Australian education provider and have been impacted by COVID-19 and associated travel restrictions.

Under these arrangements:

1. Existing and new student visa holders who undertake online study outside Australia because of COVID 19 will be able to count this towards the Australian Study Requirement.

2. Eligible graduates affected by travel restrictions will also be able to apply for and be granted a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa outside Australia.

3. Additional time will be given for applicants to provide English language results where COVID-19 has disrupted access to these services. Additional time will also be provided to undertake biometric collection and health checks where COVID-19 has disrupted access to services.

Australia prides itself on being a welcoming nation with a world-class education system and some of the lowest rates of COVID-19 in the world. These changes will help give international students confidence in their visa arrangements so that they can make plans to study in Australia when it is safe to do so.

We are here to help you make informed decisions about studying and living in Australia. No matter where you are in Australia or around the world, we are all #InThisTogether.

We encourage international students to visit the Department of Home Affairs website for visa updates and http://australia.gov.au for the latest news, updates and advice from government agencies across Australia (English and in-language).

If you are leaving, staying or coming to Australia and want information on your visa and travel restrictions:

1. Visit the Department of Home Affairs website for updates to Australia's immigration and border arrangements during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak (https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/student-visa)

2. If you still have questions, visit here for contact information if you’re in Australia, here if calling from Americas, Europe, South Korea or Japan or check the contact list of locations for other Home Affairs overseas offices.

The Smartraveller website contains information about:

1. What to do if you are considering travelling to any destination with detected cases of the novel coronavirus.

2. What to do while you are away.

3. What to do if returning from a destination and you feel unwell.

4. What to do if returning from a destination with reported cases.

Q1. Complete the sentence with appropriate details from the passage:

The notice impacts ___________________________

A) only new students who have applied for study in Australia.

B) all existing and new international students applying for visa to study anywhere in Australia.

C) existing students whose visas have expired.

D) international students looking for employment.

Q2. According to the information conveyed in the notice, examine the following statement and choose one of the options:

Students/applicants affected by the COVID-19 travel restrictions will get more time to complete their compulsory English language test and submit marks.

A) False

B) True

C) Not given

D) Cannot say

Q3. Complete the following information from your reading of the notice:

International students are advised to look for current news, updates and advice from the government agencies across Australia in the __________________________________

A) individual emails

B) Smartraveller website

C) Department of Home Affairs website

D) University website

Q4. According to the passage,

The type of visa granted to international students who want to continue their stay post completion of their courses to look for work opportunities is referred to as _________________________

A) Work visa

B) Temporary visa (subclass 485)

C) Temporary Graduate visa

D) Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)