Student visas - rights and responsibilities

The ESOS framework—providing quality education and protecting your rights

 
The Australian Government wants overseas students in Australia to have a safe, enjoyable and rewarding place to study. Australia’s laws promote quality education and consumer protection for overseas students. These laws are known as the ESOS framework and they include the Education Services for Overseas (ESOS) Act 2000 and the National Code.

Protection for overseas students

As an overseas student on a student visa, you must study with an education provider and in a course that can be found on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) at http://cricos.dest.gov.au. CRICOS registration guarantees that the course and the education provider at which you study meet the high standards necessary for overseas students.

Please check carefully that the details of your course - including its location - match the information on CRICOS.

Your rights

The ESOS framework protects your rights, including:

• your right to receive, before enrolling, current and accurate information about the courses fees, modes of study and other information from your provider and your provider’s agent. If you are under 18, to ensure your safety, you will be granted a visa only if there are arrangements in place for your accommodation, support and welfare.
• Your right to sign a written agreement with your provider before or as you pay fees, setting out
  the services to be provided, fees payable and information about refunds of course money. You should keep a copy of your written agreement.
• Your right to get the education you paid for. The ESOS framework includes consumer protection that will allow you to receive a refund or to be placed in another course if your provider is unable to teach your course.
• Your right to know:
   *  how to use your provider’s student support services;
   *  who the contact officer or officers are for overseas students;
   *  if you can apply for course credit;
   *  when your enrolment can be deferred, suspended or cancelled;
   *  what your provider’s requirements are for satisfactory progress in the courses you study;
   *  if attendance will be monitored for those courses;
   *  what will happen if you want to change providers; and
   *  how to use your provider’s complaints and appeals process.

Your responsibilities

As an overseas student on a student visa, you have responsibilities to:

• satisfy your student visa conditions
• maintain your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the period of your stay
• meet the terms of the written agreement with your provider;
• inform your provider if you change your address;
• maintain satisfactory course progress;
• if attendance is recorded for your course, follow your provider’s attendance policy; and;
• if you are under 18, maintain your approved accommodation, support and general welfare arrangements.