November 2009
Student Visa Living Costs and Evidence of Funds
The Migration Regulations require international students to show evidence of funds to contribute to the cost of living and studying in Australia. This helps to ensure students are better able to make the most of their studies and have a safe and enjoyable experience in Australia.
While international students are able to supplement their income with money earned through part-time work in Australia, the ‘living costs’ requirement helps to support the success of students in their studies by ensuring that they do not to rely on such work to meet all their expenses.
Legislation changes are being pursued to increase the basic rate of living costs under the Migration Regulations from the previous rate of $12 000 per year. Subject to approval by Parliament and the Governor-General, it is proposed that these changes will come into effect from 1 January 2010. Under the proposed new regulations, prospective Student visa applicants and their family members must have access to the following funds to meet the living costs requirements:
•$18 000 per year for the main student
•$6300 per year for the student’s partner
•$3600 per year for the student’s first child
•$2700 per year for every other child; and where required
•demonstrate that the funds they are relying upon to meet the costs of studying in Australia will be genuinely available to them during their stay in Australia.
What must students do to show that the funds are genuinely available?
Also under the changes proposed for 1 January 2010, officers of the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) assessing Student visa applications will have the discretion to consider a Student visa applicant’s circumstances to determine if the student genuinely holds the funds to which they claim to have access. This includes checking:
•a prospective student’s previous financial and immigration history
•the employment history of the student or the person providing the student with financial support
•the source of the income used (for example, cash assets or a bank loan).
Where there is doubt about the student’s ability to access their claimed funds in Australia, the prospective student may be requested to provide further information in support of their application. For example, students relying upon a bank loan may need to show that these funds have been deposited into a bank account to which they have unrestricted access, and that they have the financial capacity to service the loan both before they depart for Australia and once they arrive.
Why does the Government propose to increase the living costs?
The living cost requirement of $12 000 per year was first introduced in 2001. While this amount was an immigration integrity measure and was not intended to be indicative of the real cost of living in Australia, concerns have been expressed that this figure did not adequately prepare students for the realities of moving to Australia to study. By increasing the living costs requirement students will be better prepared to live and study in Australia.
The support that is currently available in Australia to domestic students and estimates made by Australian Education International (AEI), suggest $18 000 per year more accurately reflects the real costs of living in Australia. However, international students are encouraged to undertake their own research into the cost of living in Australia, taking into consideration their own circumstances before making a decision on whether to study in Australia. Prospective students should refer to the AEI ‘Study in Australia’ website for more information on the cost of living in Australia. See: http://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au

    澳大利亚留学专家分析，以前担保金只要每年12000澳元，而且是2001年规定的，表面上移民局说是通货膨胀指数计算在内，应该调整了，实际上的背景是鉴于去年很多来自印度、巴西、毛里求斯等地的留学生因为打工太多原因，移民局发现大量的印度留学生在澳洲留学是完全依靠打工来赚生活费和学费，实际上其国内的家庭收入无法负担澳洲的生活费和学费，所以为了减少这些没实际留学能力的学生来钻空子，移民部修改了相关条款。
    那么对我们中国学生影响有多大呢？留学专家认为影响主要有2个方面：
    1.留学签证的影响：对签证影响肯定是有的，因为担保金提高了，家长要调配额外的资金来做担保金。主要对于选择TAFE专业家庭收入不高的中国家庭。不过鉴于中国留学生70%以上是攻读高中、本科和硕士的，所以影响是比较有限的。毕竟出国留学大部分家庭的存款和收入都是比较高的，而且签证下来后，这个存在国内银行的担保金就可以随时动用了。
    2. 实际留学费用的影响： 基本上没影响。而实际的生活中，大部分“普通留学生”的消费不到18000澳元每年的，大部分学生消费是在12000澳元左右，而且按照本科硕士上课期间36周每周20小时打工，休假期间16周每周40小时，每小时10澳元计算，是可以打工赚到这个生活费的。
    要特别指出，说担保金的提高，对于2010年初办理的签证的留学生来说，包括在澳洲续签，就要格外小心了，很多人是采用半年存款模式的，所以到时候必然出现担保金不够的现象。留学专家建议大家赶快和专业顾问联系，重新核算担保金，然后对于额外增加部分，采用留学贷款的方法，就可以有效规避拒签风险。
    另外，移民局对担保人的时间工作、资金来源、留学贷款将进行更严格的检查，希望广大留学生朋友做好相关的准备，因为如果移民局要调查，中间往往会出现很多误解而导致拒签，如一个电话没回答好，一个文件前后有矛盾等。在本次政策修改中，移民局特别提到了对留学贷款的使用要求，要求办理签证期间贷款的钱不可以被冻结，需要可以随时动用。

    总之，澳大利亚由于留学生不断增加，已经开始提升要求，对于数量已经不再重视，更加看重留学生的质量，留学生和家长们无需担心，只要及时更新留学知识，寻找真正的留学移民专家就可以顺利拿到心仪的签证。