Pre-departure - Before your arrival in Australia
Preparing to leave your home country
We hope that you are as excited as we are that you will be commencing your HELI studies in June 2024!
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The below information will assist Internatinal students who are offshore to prepare for your departure from your homeland to Australia following receipt of your student visa.
Student Visa
If you are offshore, once you have accepted your offer and been issued with your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) you then need to apply for your Student Visa. Students are encouraged to lodge your application as soon as possible after receiving your CoE to allow enough time for your visa to be processed and you to arrive in Australia in enough time to attend Orientation.
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Student visa applicants must satisfy all visa requirements and processes for obtaining your student visa. It's highly recommended that you take the time to understand the requirements of the visa you are applying for or have been issued.
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If you have questions about your visa application the Department of Home Affairs Contact us webpage provides responses to popular questions, and guidance on how to check the status of applications that have been lodged online via ImmiAccount. If your Education Agency/Consultancy has lodged your visa application on your behalf, they may be able to provide you with an update.
After your Student Visa has been granted
Book your Flight/s and arrange your Accommodation
After your visa has been issued, you'll need to book your flight/s to Melbourne, Australia, and arrange your accommodation in Melbourne.
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Ensure you arrive in enough time to attend your orientation week, and allow enough time to recover from your travels, begin to adjust to your new accommodation and settle into life in Australia.
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Don't forget to arrange transport from the airport to your place of accommodation.
Living Costs in Australia
Have you familiarised yourself with the overall cost of living in Australia and set yourself a realistic daily budget? It suggested that you created a financial plan to cover your living costs and tuition fees.
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Study Australia's cost of living calculator has been designed to help you think about how you spend money and to give you an estimate of how much it would cost to have the lifestyle you choose in Melbourne. You can compare accommodation arrangements, transportation options, entertainment activities and much more.
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How are you feeling?
You might be excited, feeling a little nervous, sad to be leaving your family and friends, or overwhelmed with everything that needs to be organised before you travel to Australia. You might be experiencing all of these feelings (or more) at once, if so, that's okay, relax it's only natural! HELI suggests talking to your family and/or friends about how you are feeling.
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Plan to bring some things with you that will help you feel close to your family and friends, such as photos or special items. Spend some time with your family to learn to cook (or perfect) your favourite family meals and bring the recipes (not the ingredients) with you.
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If you are concerned about experiencing homesickness after your arrival in Australia, please know that following enrolment that HELI students have access to a free, professional and confidential counselling service which can assist students with strategies to combat homesickness and help with the transition to study and life in Australia.
What you can and can't bring into Australia
The Australian Border Force's (ABF) Can you bring it in? webpage provides a guide to what you can and can't bring into Australia.
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The Australian Government's Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) is responsible for protecting Australia from biosecurity risks that have the potential to harm our essential and valuable agricultural industry and unique environment. Please visit their Studying in Australia webpage for information on what you can and can't bring to Australia, they have a Guide to travelling to Australia for study, along with a short video that provides biosecurity information for international students travelling to Australia.
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Pay close attention to information related to declaring certain items, including large sums of cash (which is not recommended) upon your arrival in Australia, so that you are prepared.
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It's recommended that you bring enough cash with you to cover your living costs for the first few days after your arrival. There are money exchange counters in most international airports, however it's best to have some Australian currency with you when you land in Australia. If you are carrying more than AU$10,000 in cash upon your arrival in Australia, you must declare this on your Incoming Passenger Card.
Pre-departure Checklist
Check out Study Australia's Travel and pre-departure checklist webpage here: https://www.studyaustralia.gov.au/en/plan-your-move/preparing-to-travel
Mail and parcels from home - tell your family and friends!
Incoming international mail and parcels are screened for biosecurity risks. It's a good idea to tell ask you family not to send you food items, plant materials or animal products via mail to Australia, and that goods sent to Australia must be accurately described on the postal declaration label.
Offshore International Students Awaiting their Visa Decision
If you are an overseas student who is offshore awaiting your visa decision, please note that if you don't receive your visa decision and are not able to travel to Australia before your course commencement date you will need to lodge an application to defer your studies to HELI's next intake/study period.
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If you find yourself in this situation towards the end of January 2024, your Education Agent/Consultant will be able to provide assistance with lodging a deferral application on your behalf should that be your preference. If you decide to lodge a deferral application yourself, please ensure that you keep your Education Agent/Consultant updated. HELI's online deferral application can be accessed via the Forms page of HELI's Student Hub.
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HELI wishes students who are awaiting their visa decision all the best.
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Orientation for New Students
Save the dates: Monday 3 - Friday 7 June 2024
HELI’s Orientation week is the week before classes commence. Orientation is an opportunity for you to learn about your requirements as a student, the support services HELI provides, and to connect with your Educators and classmates. Orientation provides all the information you need to prepare to commence your HELI course!
We look welcoming you to Australia and HELI at Orientation.
Classes Commence
11
Tuesday
Classes Commence from Tuesday 11 June 2024
Please note that Monday 10 June 2024 is a Public Holiday and HELI will be closed. Classes commence from Tuesday 11 June 2024.
Classes scheduled on a Monday will commence from 17 June 2024.