Imagine stepping off the plane in Australia, your heart full of dreams about your educational journey ahead. The excitement is real, but so are the questions racing through your mind: “What if I get sick? What if I need help? What support systems are available?” You’re not alone. Thousands of international students like you arrive in Australia every year, and understanding the available welfare arrangements is crucial for a successful study experience. As an international student in Australia, you have specific rights protected under the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act. These rights ensure you receive quality education and support throughout your stay. The ESOS framework guarantees:
- Access to orientation programs
- Support services availability
- Accurate course information
- Quality education standards
- Consumer protection
Another necessary welfare arrangement for international students is mandatory health coverage (OSHC, Overseas Student Health Cover), a compulsory requirement for all international students in Australia. The OSHC coverage Includes:
- Public hospital treatments
- Doctor consultations
- Some prescription medicines
- Ambulance services in emergencies
We also have the Student Support Services offered by the Australian government, some of which include:
- Disability Support: It ensures that International students with disability have equal rights to live, work, and study in Australia, prohibiting education providers from refusing your admission as an international student with a disability, not providing support services, requesting you to meet unfair conditions, such as paying higher fees than other students, denying or limiting your access to experiences, such as excursions, or learning spaces you can’t access, like, lecture theatres with stairs and no lift (elevator). However, there are situations where places of study cannot meet every need. This may include situations where the cost of making changes is very high or if a change is hard to make. If this applies, the education provider must talk with you directly about the change, get expert advice, and explain why the requests are impossible.
- Legal Rights and Protections: The Australian Government appoints an independent advocate called an Overseas Student Ombudsman. They can help you with any issues or complaints about private schools, colleges, institutes, and universities in Australia. If you are studying at a public (Government) education or training provider, you can get help from an Ombudsman in the Australian state or territory you are studying. These are independent complaint-handling organizations that will ensure you have a positive study experience in Australia.
- Health and Wellbeing Support: As an international student in Australia, you have access to many health and wellbeing services, such as seeing a doctor for treatment of common illnesses, vaccinations, mental health, etc
- On-campus and Local support: Under Australian law, education providers must offer these free support services, which include academic support like study skills programs, language assistance, and tutorial support—welfare support like personal counseling, health services, housing assistance, and financial advice. You also have access to financial assistance as an international student in Australia, such as tuition protection, institution-specific hardship funds, emergency financial assistance, payment plans for tuition fees, and scholarship opportunities.
As an international student, you have specific work rights, which include:
- Payment of minimum wage
- The right to casual work
- You must receive a payslip
- Up to 48 hours per fortnight during study periods
- Unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks
- Fair work protections
Other welfare arrangements for international students include emergency support services such as 24/7 access to emergency services (000), crisis support, medical assistance, and mental health support. Mental health support like Beyond Blue, (Lifeline), institutional counseling services, and Medicare mental health. As an international student, you always need to keep important documents such as your OSHC card, student ID, emergency contacts, passport, and visa documentation handy, know your institution’s support services, international student office location, student support contact numbers, and after-hours emergency contacts to gain full access to all welfare arrangement for you.
