Family and travel

Bringing your family as dependents

As holders of student visas, Australia Awards scholars are able to nominate eligible family members to join them in Australia, either for short-term visits or long-term.

Eligible family members include:

• A partner (spouse or de facto)
• Dependent children who are unmarried and under 18 years of age.

Having your family with you can be a wonderful opportunity for them to share in your experience. However, you will need to be prepared to accommodate their needs.

The University strongly recommends to plan the arrival of family members after you have started your main course (i.e. after completion of the Introductory Academic Program or pre-course English language program). This will allow you sufficient time to focus on adjusting to your new environment and getting ready for your studies.

The contribution to living expenses (stipend) you will receive fortnightly as part of your scholarship is not sufficient to cover the cost of living for a family in Australia. You should have another source of income or sufficient savings if you intend to bring your family to Australia.

For more information about bringing your family to Australia with you, see the University's bringing your family page.

Child Care Subsidy for awardees

The Australian Government provides assistance with the cost of child care services through the Child Care Subsidy (CCS). You can only apply for this only when your child is in Australia, and you will also need an Australian Tax File Number (TFN) to complete your application.

Unlike most international students, Australia Awards Scholars are eligible for CCS. This is referenced in Section 2.6.2.20 CCS - Australian Residency Exceptions of the Family Assistance Guide. The relevant circumstance is: "The person is undertaking a course of study in Australia for which they receive direct financial assistance from the Commonwealth".

Soon after your arrival in Australia, accompanied awardees will receive a CCS guide with helpful information on the application process. Please contact  aus-awards@unimelb.edu.au if you haven't received this guide.

Please note:

• There can be significant delays in processing CCS applications.
• The CCS is variable depending on your income.

Changing your accompanied status

Changing to 'accompanied' status

If you arrive in Australia as an unaccompanied awardee and subsequently decide to bring your family, please contact the AAS team to arrange for a ‘No Objection Letter’ to support your family’s visa application.

In changing to an ‘accompanied’ status, you will waive any reunion travel entitlement.

Changing to 'unaccompanied' status

If you initially declared that your family will accompany you in Australia but this is no longer the case, you may claim reunion travel if you are eligible for this. Refer to the Australia Awards Scholarships Handbook for further details regarding eligibility.

The AAS team will contact you when your status has been changed to ‘unaccompanied’ and a reunion travel entitlement has been granted.

Bringing your family or friends for short term visits

In most cases, relatives or friends who wish to visit you in Australia will need to apply for a visitor visa.

For more information, see our visas for your family page.

Travel for awardees

Travel booking information

All final departure, reunion and fieldwork travel bookings must be made through UniTravel.

UniTravel

Phone: 03 9035 5666 (available 24 hours/7 days)
Email: unitravel.au@atpi.com

Travel should be booked at least two weeks before the intended departure, by submitting the travel booking form along with a copy of your passport photo page. UniTravel will forward your proposed itinerary to the AAS team for approval.

Travel booking form (PDF 267.8 KB)

Travel conditions

Bookings must comply with the conditions that apply to travel, which are outlined in the Scholarships Handbook. Approved travel is via the most economical of the direct routes available on the day of departure. Travel is via economy class, and budget airlines are not used.

Travel is via the route with the fewest transit points and then the shortest transit durations on the nominated day of departure. Where there is more than one such route, with comparable times, the most economical is chosen. Stopovers are not permitted, unless unavoidable (i.e. there is no other route departing on the nominated date).

Requests to book a specific airline or flight, such as due to personal preference or luggage allowance, cannot be accommodated if this differs to the most economical and direct route.

Changes to itineraries

Once an itinerary is approved and the E-Ticket has been issued by UniTravel, changes to any component of the itinerary must be via UniTravel (not directly with an airline). If the change is approved, the awardee is responsible for bearing any additional costs and paying these directly to UniTravel.

Changing an itinerary such that it deviates from the conditions that apply to travel may constitute fraud in the context of Australia Awards (even if the awardee self-funds the change).

Reunion travel

Travel must be timed so as not to compromise the your academic commitments.

Refer to the Scholarship Handbook for complete information on the reunion airfare entitlement.

Overseas fieldwork

Financial support is available for overseas fieldwork if:

• You are enrolled in either a Masters by Research program or PhD, and
• Your study program requires overseas fieldwork for first-hand observations or data collection.

Application process

1. Familiarise yourself with the University's policy on study away from the University.
2. Forward email confirmation that your Request to Study Away is approved and email to aus-awards@unimelb.edu.au
3. We'll put you in touch with the University's travel agent for your flight.

Independent travel

As long as your academic commitments are not impacted, independent travel abroad and within Australia is fine, but please contact us in advance to advise of your plans and travel dates.

Final departure

You must depart Australia within 30 days of your scholarship end date. The scholarship end date is whichever occurs first:

• The official result release date or submission of your thesis
• Your date of final departure from Australia
• The end date of your scholarship contract.

You can stay for your graduation if it is held within these 30 days. The AAS team will email you regarding when to book completion travel with UniTravel.

We strongly recommend waiting until your travel itinerary has been approved and finalised before booking travel for your family members. Completion travel must comply with the conditions above and in the Scholarships Handbook.

Contact us

Email: aus-awards@unimelb.edu.au

Australia Awards Scholarships Handbook