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Return to compliance by 30 June 2023
The Australian Government has announced that all providers are expected to return to full compliance with the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code) by 30 June 2023.
This means temporary measures introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic providing student visa holders with the flexibility to study their course online, will end on 30 June 2023.
The change will affect the amount of face-to-face learning that international students with a student visa (subclass 500) will be allowed to study.
We strongly encourage offshore students continuing studies in Quarter 3 and Spring Term 2023 and beyond, to arrange to travel to Australia as soon as possible.
If there is a reason you are unable to return to Australia, or you need help to transition to face-to-face learning in Quarter 3, Quarter 4 or Spring term 2023 and beyond, please contact your Western Success Advisor.
After 30 June 2023, there will be implications for your Student Visa and the Australian Study Requirement (ASR) eligibility for Post-Study Work Visa (subclass 485) if you do not study in Australia. If you have any queries, please contact the Department of Home Affairs.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), which regulates higher education in Australia, has advised that the requirements for international students to attend face-to face learning are being re-instated. As a result, universities in Australia will be expected to resume classes to on-campus delivery for all international students who have student visas, or who intend to have student visas, by 30 June 2023.
We strongly encourage international students on student visas to travel to Sydney, Australia for their study as early as possible.
By 30 June 2023, student visa holders will be required to undertake study in Australia via a face-to-face learning mode as follows:
- Study at least two-thirds of a program’s subjects face-to-face in Australia
- Study at least one subject face-to-face in each study period, with the exception of the last subject of a program if it is only available online.
Please see the following resources for further information:
Provisions to allow student visa holders to study online and offshore were introduced due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and as a result of border closures preventing students to travel to Australia to study.
The change has been made to return rules to pre-COVID settings.
You must return in time to commence on-campus study for Quarter 3 or Spring Term 2023 and beyond.
If you have a student visa, we strongly encourage you to make travel plans to arrive in Sydney as soon as possible.
If you do not have a student visa, we strongly advise you to apply as soon as possible so that you arrive in time to commence Quarter 3 or Spring Session 2023.
If you only have one final subject to complete after 30 June, you may be allowed to study your last subject online if it is only available online.
Please contact your Western Success Advisor via email, WhatsApp +61 2 9852 5155, or call +61 2 9174 6930 (9am-4pm AEST) to discuss your circumstances.
The University will work with you to determine what alternative arrangements can be made.
In some cases, if you have only one term remaining of your degree and all subjects required for completion continue to be available online, you may be allowed to continue to study offshore. However, this may only be available as an option if all subjects have been formally approved by the University for offshore online delivery in your final term. You will also be required to change your enrolment status to study offshore without a student visa.
Please note, if this option is approved, you may not be eligible to meet the Australian Study Requirement (ASR) for Post-Study Work Visa (subclass 485). If you have any queries, please contact the Department of Home Affairs.
Please contact your Western Success Advisor via email, WhatsApp +61 2 9852 5155, or call +61 2 9174 6930 (9am-4pm AEST).
The University will work with you to determine what alternative arrangements can be made.
In some cases, this may mean applying for leave of absence until you are able to return.
Another option may mean changing your enrolment status to ‘external’ to study offshore without a visa. This would only be possible if the subjects you are required to complete are available in an ‘online’ mode*. Please note this option has implications for your student visa and you may not be eligible to meet the Australian Study Requirement (ASR) for Post-Study Work Visa (subclass 485). If you have any queries, please contact the Department of Home Affairs.
*Due to strict accreditation and assessment requirements (e.g lab work, field work, placements etc), some degrees require in person attendance and will not be available to study online in 2023.
No. After 30 June 2023, the Australian Government will cease to allow student visa holders to study offshore. This means that, as a student visa holder, you are required to travel to Sydney to undertake your studies at the commencement of your term in Quarter 3 or Spring Term 2023 and beyond. If you are intending to return, you may consider applying for leave of absence for the full term, until you arrive in Australia to study in a later term.
You may consider applying for leave of absence until you arrive in Australia to study in a later term. If you are unable to return in a later term, please contact your Western Success Advisor via email, WhatsApp +61 2 9852 5155, or call +61 2 9174 6930 (9am-4pm AEST).
Please contact your Western Success Advisor via email, WhatsApp +61 2 9852 5155, or call +61 2 9174 6930 (9am-4pm AEST).
Please contact your Western Success Advisor via email, WhatsApp +61 2 9852 5155, or call +61 2 9174 6930 (9am-4pm AEST).
Yes. We highly encourage students to return as soon as possible.
We strongly advise that you make arrangements to apply for your passport and visa as soon as possible.
If you do not receive your visa by the commencement date of an upcoming term (i.e. a term that commences after 30 June 2023), you may need to apply for a leave of absence and return to your studies in a later term.
You will need to apply for an extension of your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) to apply for a new student visa. The Student Services Hub can assist you in this by issuing you a new Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) if eligible.
Your new CoE can take up to 10 working days to process. We recommend you apply for a new CoE within 3 months of your current CoE or Student Visa’s expiry date.
Submitting this application for a CoE does not guarantee your application will be processed. Applications missing documentation will also likely result in delays for processing and possible rejection.
If you have a question about your visa or your visa application, please contact the Department of Home Affairs.
As per your student visa obligations, you must attend campus to study at least two-thirds of your program’s subjects face-to-face, and study at least one subject face-to-face in each study period. Therefore, you will need to be physically present in Sydney to attend classes at a Western Sydney University campus.
An exception can only be made if you have one final subject to complete and if that subject is only available online.
From 1 July 2023, the Australian Government will also re-introduce limits on the number of work hours allowed for student visa holders. The number of work hours allowed during study terms will be capped at the increased amount of 48 hours per fortnight, during study terms. Further information is available in the International Student Working Hour Cap factsheet.
