We recommend that you get informed about the prerequisites for entry into Australia with the relevant authorities, because the following information can change without notice.
For more detailed information on the available visas for Australia, visit the Australian Immigration Department website: http://www.immi.gov.au/students/

To study in Australia, you will need to make a visa request. There are 3:

• Student visa: a student visa is required if you want to study for 12 weeks or more. You must be a full-time student and a medical insurance is mandatory. This visa allows you to make a request for work which, if accepted, will let you have a job for a maximum of 20 hours per week. For certain nationals, an interview is required in order to obtain a student visa. In addition, the nationals of most countries must pass a medical examination. Ask your nearest Australian Embassy for all the details.
• Tourist visa: this visa is issued for stays of 6 months or less, and it gives the right to study for a maximum of 12 weeks.
• Working Holiday visa: This visa is offered to the 18 to 30 years old originating from certain countries. It is valid for one year and lets you study for a maximum of 12 weeks.

Ask for a visa at the Australian Embassy or Consulate.
Upon receiving your request, the school will emit a registration confirmation.
If you are asking for a student visa, you will have to deliver your registration confirmation to the Australian Embassy or Consulate.
Please give us notice as soon as possible about any eventual change relating to the starting date of your lessons.

As an alternative to the visa, you can ask for an ETA (Electronic Travel Authority):
http://www.eta.immi.gov.au/

Before you leave

• Have a valid passport and make at least two copies of it. Give one copy to someone you know who is not leaving with you and hide the other one inside your luggage. (Visit http://www.ppt.gc.ca/index.aspx to get the forms related to a passport request.)
• Youths under 18 years old need a certified document signed by both parents allowing them to travel alone.
• Also, keep a copy of all your important documents: traveller’s checks (serial n.), credit cards and identification papers. Have with you the necessary phone numbers to cancel your credit cards in case of loss or theft.
• Airports establish a maximum global weight per person for luggage as well as a limit of two suitcases per person. Choose your luggage in function of your travels. Make a list of the clothes and things you would like to bring with you according to the activities that you’ll take part in and the climate of your destination. Then, eliminate what you feel is less important.
• On the plane, you will be allowed to carry a hand baggage fitting under your seat.
• On the plane:
  

 - Never store your valuables in your checked luggage. Keep them with you, in your hand baggage.
 - Keep all medication, prescriptions, glasses and contact lenses with you.
 - Keep your passport, wallet, identification papers and airplane ticket on you or in your hand baggage.
 - When checking-in your luggage, you will receive a receipt. Do not lose track of it, it represents your sole proof of checking-in.
 - Prepare a change of clothes in case your luggage is delayed.

• We recommend that you carefully read all the forms contained in your final file concerning the responsibilities of the student and the school recommendations.
• Australia has a 220-240 volts, 50 Hz electrical current. You will therefore need an adaptor to run your appliances that usually function on 120 volts.

Health

• Take out a travel insurance matching your needs. Outside Québec, health insurance only covers a part of the medical expenses. It does not cover you outside of Canada. We recommend that you take out a complementary insurance offering a comprehensive coverage. Study Abroad VTE offers insurances on request.
• Do not forget your prescriptions if you have to bring medication. It will keep you clear of complications if your luggage should be searched by the customs officers.
• To the parents of the travelling students, we recommend that they inform us of any health problems – past or present – that could occur during the study abroad trip, so that we can inform the school in advance.
  

Money

• For Australia, it is preferable to have Australian dollar traveler’s checks and cash money for your purchase in restaurants and shops. You will then be able to easily change your traveler’s checks at the American Express or Thomas Cook (which do not retain any commission on their own checks) foreign exchange offices or at banks.
• Do not forget to leave a copy of your serial numbers to someone before leaving. In case of theft, it will be easier to make a claim.
• You can also use your debit card at the identified machines bearing the Cirrus or Plus logos, depending on the origin of your card. On the other hand, be prepared to pay the exchange rate since your money will first be converted into American dollars before being converted into the local currency.
• If you prefer using your credit card, visit your bank to ask for a cash advance and get a personal identification number. This way, you will be able to withdraw money from the ATM at lesser fees than with your debit card.
• Think of different places where you could keep your money safe, this way you will avoid losing everything in case of theft. Use your imagination to create small pockets inside your clothes. Also keep your airplane tickets, your itinerary and their copies separately.

Communications

• Before you leave, find out the phone numbers and addresses of your country’s consulates in the regions that you plan to visit. Consular services represent your first recourse in case of natural disaster.
• An emergency transferred cost phone number is available (through Canada Direct services): 613 996-8885. Canada Direct covers a majority of countries and, with a local number, lets you reach directly a receptionist in Canada. This automatic international access service lets you call Canada or any other country while paying Canadian overseas long-distance fees instead of those of foreign countries.

Bon voyage!

The Study Abroad VTE team.