Your visa

As an international student, you are required to maintain a study load that will allow you to complete your course within the duration specified on your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE), which generally requires a full-time study load (12 credit points) each semester. Student visa holders are typically not allowed to study part-time.

If you wish to reduce your study load you can do so under certain conditions. If you are intending to amend your course plan by changing unit selections, withdrawing from units, decreasing the number of units being studied, or changing a unit’s mode of study from internal to external, you must contact your Academic Chair. Learn more about managing your enrolment.

All students are required to make satisfactory academic progress as part of Murdoch University’s Coursework Regulations. If you are not making satisfactory academic progress, there are significant implications for your student visa. Learn more about satisfactory academic progress.

If you are an international student on a student visa and want to change to another education provider, you must let Murdoch know. There are different steps to follow depending on how far you have progressed through your course. Learn more about changing your education provider.

The Australian Government requires that as a student visa holder, you and your dependants must maintain Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the length of your visa. Learn more about OSHC and Murdoch’s preferred provider.

All international students are required to keep Murdoch University informed of their current Australian residential address. You must notify the University of your Australian address within seven days of arriving in Australia. You must also notify the University of any subsequent change of address within seven days. Any changes should be updated via MyInfo, and failure to do this is a breach of your student visa conditions.

Only a student’s home address should be recorded as the residential address. Post office boxes are not eligible. You are also required to provide and maintain your emergency contact details in MyInfo.

You must pay your tuition fees on time to avoid the University cancelling your enrolment. For more information about international undergraduate and postgraduate fees, including what to do if you are having difficulty paying fees, please see fee information for international students.

There may be times when you are not happy with the situation you find yourself in. There are policies, procedures and guidelines in place to make sure that no matter your circumstances, you will find there is always someone you can refer to for guidance. Find out more about the University’s complaints and appeals processes.

The Australian Government’s Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Framework is in place to protect international students. The framework includes the ESOS Act 2000 and the ESOS National Code. You can read about the ESOS framework and how it supports International students in the ESOS Information sheet.

A Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is an electronic document issued to international students which details your course, duration, and institution where you are studying.

You need a CoE to apply for a student visa so the course information on your CoE must be accurate at the time of issue. You should organise any advanced standing prior to obtaining your CoE as it may affect the length of your visa.

You cannot use your Statement of Enrolment from MyMurdoch. A Statement of Enrolment is available to all students and includes basic details of your course.

If your course details change or you need to apply for a new visa you can request a Confirmation of Enrolment.

The University recognises the significant impact these changes have for international students. We have communicated this to the Department of Home Affairs and met with them in early May to discuss concerns and better understand the changes. We continue to communicate with the Department and work with other universities to advocate for the students this change will impact.

University staff members cannot provide immigration or visa advice to students. Only registered migration agents, legal practitioners, or exempt persons can provide immigration assistance.

The University has provided several free sessions from Estrin Saul Lawyers to discuss the proposed changes and provide insights into various alternative visa options. The Department of Home Affairs strongly advises students to consult migration specialists or registered migration agents to explore their options.

More information can be found on the Department of Home Affairs website. 

    

The University must satisfy certain conditions to meet the external requirements for the accreditation and integrity of our courses.

We have identified those students 36 and over who can meet these requirements prior to 1 July 2024. These students have been contacted and advised of the steps they need to take to achieve this. While we would like to extend this to more students, unfortunately any course finishing after July is not able to have components brought forward to enable early completion.

Any student who is unable to complete their course in time for the implementation of the legislation is advised to explore the alternate visa options available.  These can be identified on the Department of Home Affairs webpage or by talking with someone registered to give migration advice.

The University is providing feedback to the Government on the potential impacts of this legislation, both directly and through working with other universities. This has been successful in leading to a change in how this is applied to students studying higher degrees by research and we will continue to make a case for changes for higher degree by coursework students to make this more equitable.

International students have a voice and we encourage you to work with community groups and your embassy to add to the growing list of voices expressing collective concerns about the consequences of this proposed legislation.