International Student Policy
| Policy name | International Student Policy |
| Policy number | ACA005 |
| Date approved | 7 June 2023 |
| Approving body | Academic Board |
| Responsible officer | Chief Executive Officer & Provost |
| Implementation officer | Dean |
| Next review date | June 2025 |
| Linked policies |
|
| Related forms and documents |
|
1. Purpose of this policy
1.1 The Cairnmillar Institute (the Institute) is bound by the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code) under its registration on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) and the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act).
1.2 This policy clarifies special conditions, additional supports, and variations to standard policy which apply to international students who study with the Institute on an international student visa.
2. Exceptions
2.1 In some cases, an exception to some or all of these requirements may be granted where a student does not meet the requirements for domestic fees, see Tuition Fees Policy, but also does not require an international student visa and is therefore not required to meet those conditions.
2.2 In such instances, the student or applicant will be required to submit a copy of their visa whereby the visa conditions are checked for any work or study restrictions. An alternative is for the student to provide a VEVO conditions online check.
3. Approach to International Student Recruitment and Education
3.1 The Institute is committed to providing high quality education and meaningful qualifications to all students and graduates. The Institute is committed to meeting its obligations under the National Code of Practice 2018 and ESOS Act.
3.2 The Institute acknowledges the significant financial commitments and/or additional personal challenges faced by international students studying in Australia and is committed to providing appropriate support; acknowledging this, the Institute will only accept students with demonstrated genuine ability, English proficiency, and intention to succeed in a course of study.
4. Marketing and Recruitment
4.1 Standard 1 of the National Code of Practice 2018 includes direct reference to Australian Consumer Law. It sets out that registered providers must uphold the integrity and reputation of Australia’s education industry by ensuring the marketing of their courses and services is not false or misleading.
4.2 The Institute must:
- Ensure that the marketing and promotion of its courses and education services is not false or misleading; and
- Include the CRICOS registered name and registration number in all written and online marketing materials.
4.3 The Institute must not:
- Provide false or misleading information in relation to course requirements when seeking to enter into a written agreement.
- Commit to securing migration or education assessment outcomes for overseas students; and,
- Recruit students if it conflicts with its obligations under Standard 7 (Overseas Student Transfers).
4.4 All marketing and recruitment activities for international students must be ethical and compliant with Standard 1 and Standard 2 of the National Code of Practice 2018.
4.5 The Provost and the Faculty Dean will ensure ongoing ethical conduct and compliance with these standards in all marketing and recruitment activities.
5. Education Agents
5.1 The Institute is committed to only engaging and working with Representatives who help enhance the Institute's international reputation as well as that of the Australian higher education sector generally, have appropriate knowledge and understanding of the international higher education system in Australia, provide international students with accurate and up to date information about study in Australia and at the Institute and act honestly and in good faith in their dealings with students.
5.2 The Institute will not continue working with particular representatives if the Institute considers that to do so would be contrary to that commitment.
5.3 The terms of this Agreement, including the Institute's right to terminate the Agreement, are to be read and construed against that background. Commission is payable as per Cairnmillar’s Agent Agreement.
6. Younger Students
6.1 The Institute does not enrol any international students who are under 18 years of age.
7. Admission of International Students
7.1 International student applications will be considered in line with the requirements of the Student Selection Admission and Enrolment Policy, along with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy.
7.2 International students who require a student visa can only be admitted to CRICOS registered courses.
8. English Language Competency
8.1 English language competency must be demonstrated as part of the admissions process.
8.2 The admissions standards for a course, including the minimum English language competency standards will as per the Student Selection Admission and Enrolment Policy.
9. Assessment of Overseas Qualifications
9.1 Any applicant with overseas qualifications may need to have these assessed externally prior to being made an offer of study (e.g., as per 9.2 and 9.3). Applicants are responsible for all associated costs for external assessment or translations of overseas qualifications.
9.2 For APAC accredited courses in psychology, all overseas qualifications in psychology will need to be assessed by the Australian Psychological Society (APS).
9.3 For other disciplines, e.g., Counselling and Psychotherapy, an applicant may be requested to obtain further review of equivalency from the Department of Education and Training (DET) or similar suitable service. This will be requested if the Institute is not already familiar with the educational system and equivalency of the relevant overseas qualification(s). The applicant will be advised of any further assessment and any cost that may be required and will have the opportunity to opt-out (e.g., cancel their application) instead of obtaining the additional assessment if they choose.
10. Transfer Between Registered Providers
10.1 As a registered provider, the Institute must not knowingly enrol a student visa holder wishing to transfer from another provider prior to the student completing six months of their principal course.
10.2 The Faculty Dean will assess requests from international students for a transfer to another registered provider if the students have not completed six months of their principal course of study.
10.3 Requests will be assessed in accordance with Standard 7 of the National Code and the Institute’s documented International Student Transfer Process and any other relevant policies and procedures.
11. International Student Enrolment Agreements
11.1 International students who have indicated they wish to accept an offer of study and will require an international student visa, will be issued with an International Student Agreement in accordance with Standard 3 of the National Code.
11.2 In addition to the requirements under section 47B to 47H of the ESOS Act, the written agreement must explicitly include the key details listed under 3.3.1 to 3.3.8 of the National Code.
11.3 The written agreement must:
- Advise the student of his or her obligation to notify the provider of a change of address while enrolled in the course.
- Identify the course or courses in which the student is to be enrolled and any conditions on his or her enrolment (Examples of conditions on enrolment are when acceptance of the student is conditional upon the student completing a pre-requisite course or on attaining a certain level of English language proficiency; or eligibility for provisional AHPRA registration for APAC accredited Masters programs).
- Contain a link to the Course Handbook for the course or courses offered.
- Include an outline of all tuition fees per teaching period with expected payment due dates.
- Include advice about any non-tuition fees and a guide to additional external costs such as textbooks.
- Give students a clear guide to the range of fees they may incur throughout the course, to assist overseas students in budgeting for the payment of those fees.
- Include detailed information about the current refund policy and link to general enrolment conditions.
- Set out the circumstances in which personal information about the student may be shared between the registered provider and the Australian Government and designated authorities and, if relevant, the Tuition Protection Service. This information includes personal and contact details, course enrolment details and changes, and the circumstance of any suspected breach by the student of a student visa condition; and
- A link to the Student Grievance Policy and a statement that “This agreement, and the availability of complaints and appeals processes, does not remove the right of the student to take action under Australia’s consumer protection laws”.
11.4 Students should not pay any tuition fees or money to the Institute until they have signed their written agreement.
11.5 The student must sign each page of the agreement and return the agreement before an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) will be issued in the Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS).
12. International Student Agreement and Payment Records
12.1 The Institute will retain of all written agreements, as well as receipts of payment made under the written agreement, for at least two years after the overseas student ceases to be an accepted student. This is consistent with the record keeping requirements under section 21 of the ESOS Act and 3.04 of the Education Services for Overseas Students Regulations 2001.
13. Tuition Fees and Refunds
13.1 Tuition fees and refunds for international students are managed as per the Tuition Fees Policy.
14. Student Support Services
14.1 The Institute has important responsibilities to provide access to support services and support staff to meet the needs of the students enrolled in their courses. The support services and orientation programs provided to students help them to adjust to study and life in Australia and improve the quality of their educational experience.
14.2 Information is readily available to students about living in Australia and safety on campus and whilst living in Australia on the student website (my.CMI).
14.3 International students are able to access a range of support services and processes as per the Learning Environment and Student Wellbeing Policy and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy. This includes, but is not limited to, applying for reasonable adjustments for assessment items.
14.4 The range of student services offered includes individual counselling, English language assistance and support, orientation, social inclusion support, academic and writing skills, career advice, cultural and other issues of a personal nature.
14.5 Students have access to the Critical Incident Policy.
14.6 In addition, the Institute maintains an active relationship with the Study Melbourne International Student Centre and promotes relevant external events and services specifically for international students.
14.7 The Institute recognises that the support needs of international students may be unique to their situation as international students including experiences of social isolation, lack of local knowledge and limited family and friend group support networks.
14.8 Support services provided by the Institute must recognise and accommodate cultural and religious diversity (see Learning Environment and Student Wellbeing Policy and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Policy).
15. Orientation and Support Plans for International Students
15.1 The Course Coordinator for each course - in consultation with the International Student Support Team - will ensure that international students enrolled in their program receive sufficient and relevant student services such as Course Advise, Census dates, IT and library support at orientation.
15.2 An age and culturally appropriate orientation program and support must be delivered that includes details of support services, legal services, emergency and health services, facilities and resources, complaints and appeals processes, and the student visa conditions relating to satisfactory course progress.
15.3 This may require additional individual meetings with the international student in addition to the standard student welcome and orientation program.
16. Enrolment Plans and Enrolment Advice
16.1 Course Coordinators are responsible for providing accurate and timely enrolment and course planning advice to international students and must ensure that all advice complies with Standard 8 and Standard 9 of the National Code.
16.2 International students who are studying on an international student visa must complete their course in the minimum standard duration and should study full-time unless:
- RPL or credit has been granted and no other relevant units of study are offered in the current period of enrolment.
- An Academic Progress Agreement under the Academic Progress and Review Policy has been implemented which requires the student to study part-time to improve progress.
- The student needs to re-attempt units of study and has less than a full-time load left to complete the course.
17. Academic Progress Monitoring
17.1 Academic progress of international students will be carefully monitored during course ratification meetings (which will be an agenda item) in accordance with the Academic Progress and Review Policy and Standard 9 of the National Code. Feedback from such monitoring will be used to improve support services and admission policies for future international students
18. Staff Training - ESOS and CRICOS
18.1 All teaching staff and staff who give enrolment or admissions advice to international students must be familiar with this policy.
18.2 The Faculty Dean must ensure that all academic staff, marketing and admissions staff, support services staff or contractors, and student administration staff are familiar with this policy and the Institute’s obligations under the ESOS Act and the National Code as it applies to their roles.
18.3 This will take the form of:
- Part of the formal induction processes.
- Online training module for academic staff.
- Part of informal or formal staff performance planning and review processes.
- Email reminders and regular distribution of information to all faculty staff at least once per year regarding ESOS and National Code obligations.
18.4 Course Coordinators are responsible for reminding teaching staff into their programs about ESOS and CRICOS obligations at the start of each teaching period where international students are enrolled in their course or courses.
19. Complaints and Appeals
19.1 The National Code recognises that both internal and external complaints and appeals processes play a role in ensuring that grievances are appropriately heard and addressed for both the student and the Institute.
19.2 Appeals and grievances by international students will be managed in accordance with the Student Grievance Policy which includes provision to ensure international students are aware that they can access the Commonwealth Ombudsman after they have exhausted all internal appeals mechanisms.
20. Prisms and Confirmation of Enrolment (COE)
20.1 The Institute must have at least two trained and active users for the Provider Registration and International Student Management System (PRISMS). The Student Services Manager will normally be the primary PRISMS user and will issue Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) documents for eligible students in accordance with this policy, PRISMS user guides, and the relevant International Student Enrolment Procedures.
21. Reporting Overseas Student Visa Holders
21.1 The Institute must report overseas students who do not meet course progress obligations under Academic Progress and Review Policy.
21.2 If the Institute has assessed that the overseas student is not meeting course progress or attendance requirements in accordance with Academic Progress and Review Policy, the Faculty Dean or Student Services Manager must give the overseas student a written notice of its intention to report.
21.3 The written advice must include advising the student of their right to access a formal appeal under the Student Grievance Policy within 20 working days.
21.4 The Institute must maintain the overseas student’s enrolment by only reporting a breach of course progress or attendance in PRISMS if:
- The internal and external complaints processes have been completed and the breach has been upheld.
- The student has chosen not to access the internal complaints and appeals process within the 20-working day period.
- The student has chosen not to access the external complaints and appeals process; or
- The student withdraws from the internal or external appeals process by notifying the registered provider in writing.
21.5 Where this provision applies the Student Services Manager will report the breach in PRISMS within 14 days of the end of the review process as per the above conditions.
22. Student Course Variation (SCV)
22.1 The Student Services Manager will maintain a PRISMS Student Course Variation (SCV) Procedure and ensure that all PRISMS trained staff are aware of the procedure.
22.2 A Student Course Variation (SCV) will only be issued in PRISMS as per the PRISMS Student Course Variation (SCV) Procedure and in accordance with this policy, the PRISMS user guide, and the National Code.