International Students
Leaders Institute is fully accredited with the national higher education regulator, the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), to whom we report regularly. Thus, our standards are equivalent to those of any other duly authorised higher education provider in the nation.
Many of you will be making multiple transitions. You will be moving away from home, moving to a new country, coming to terms with a new culture, making the transition from school or vocational education to higher education and grappling with the English language as spoken by Australians. Each one of those changes is challenging. To face all simultaneously is a mark of great courage and preparedness to invest in your future. We honour you for that.
Leaders Institute offers opportunities for connection with other students and staff. Apart from outstanding academic staff whom you will meet regularly at class and online, we have specialists who can help with a range of issues including study skills, English language, academic writing, and personal challenges such as homesickness and stress associated with assimilating into a new culture.
As an international student, you can look forward to a range of e-support programs, and a smooth transition into life and study in Australia. You are an international student if you are not:
1. An Australian citizen;
2. A New Zealand citizen;
3. A dual citizen of any country with Australia or New Zealand; or
4. A permanent resident of Australia.
If you meet any of these categories, you are a domestic student. You are an international student if you hold a permit for temporary entry to Australia.
International students who have not completed an Australian qualification must have appropriate education qualifications, deemed equivalent under NOOSR guidelines. Applicants who do not meet the requirements for admission may be considered for admission to micro-credentials or single units.
International students must hold a valid student visa and meet numerous conditions of the Australian government. For example, a holder of a student visa may not work, paid or unpaid, for more than 48 hours in any fortnight during semester time. Where Work Integrated Learning is integrated into a course, it does not count towards the 48 hours.
Students enrolling from non-English speaking countries are required to undertake an English language test and demonstrate English proficiency.
Your Rights and Responsibilities
All institutions offering education services to international students in Australia must follow the ESOS Act. Institutions must also be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS). Registered institutions are given a CRICOS number. The CRICOS number for LI is 03732F.
Australian government legislation ensures international students receive a high-quality education. This includes the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS Act), and National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018.
Other useful information for international students can be found at the following sites: Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs, Study Australia, and Tuition Protection Services.
International students on a student visa must study in CRICOS-registered institutions and programs.
Your rights
International students in Australia have rights while they study. Under the ESOS framework, you have the right to:
receive current, accurate information about courses, tuition fees, study options, and other information relevant to you;
sign a written agreement with your institution that outlines the services provided and fees payable, and includes information about refunds;
receive a refund or be placed in another course if your provider is unable to deliver the course.
You also have the right to be informed about:
orientation and access to support services to help you adjust to life in Australia;
applying for cross credit or Recognition of Prior Learning;
deferring, suspending, or cancelling your enrolment;
your provider’s requirements for satisfactory progress in the courses you study;
academic support in case you are not progressing as expected;
your provider's complaints and appeals process;
your provider's attendance policies.
Your responsibilities
You also have responsibilities while you study in Australia. As an international student, you must:
satisfy the conditions of your student visa
maintain Overseas Student Health Cover for the period of your stay
meet the terms of your written agreement with LI;
inform LI if you change your address;
maintain satisfactory course progress;
follow LI’s attendance policy if relevant.
Contact
If you have questions about your ESOS rights and responsibilities contact the ESOS helpline on: +61 2 6240 5069
For questions about LI policies that affect you, contact the Registrar, Mrs Kasia Duch: admin@leaders.edu.au.