Support for international students

International Student Support Officer looks after the general wellbeing of all current international students at CDU.  ISS seeks to empower international students to seek out information, resources, supports, and networks on their own, working with other teams to help resolve complex issues.

As an international student, you must hold health insurance in the form of Overseas Student Health Cover. Most CDU international students obtain their OSHC from AllianzCare, which has a variety of services including the ability to see General Practitioners (GPs) through telehealth, accessing on-demand safety and wellbeing services, and gaining skills in building mental health fitness.

Students can also access a drop-in service at CDU with the Allianz OSHC Representative. 

If you are an international student that is covered by another OSHC provider, please refer to your insurance policy and contact them directly.

Remember: If you need the assistance of Police, Fire or Ambulance and are in immediate, life-threatening danger, call Triple Zero (000) now. Do not delay.

Call Triple Zero (000)

The following mental health services are available to support you. A majority of services have 24-hour phone services, with some offering SMS or web-based chats. Note that this is not a list of all support services.

Australia has a strong consumer protection framework to protect the rights of Australian consumers, including international students in Australia. When you are shopping or buying any kind of service in Australia, you have legal rights and protection. There are laws on fair-trading and consumer law guiding businesses and protecting consumers. For information about consumer laws and enforcement where you are living and studying, please visit the websites below.

The Overseas Students Ombudsman (OSO) investigates complaints about problems that overseas students have with private education and training institutions in Australia. The Ombudsman’s services are free, independent and impartial. State and Territory Ombudsmen also provide services at a state or territory level, and may be able to assist in your issue if all other options have been attempted.

When you are studying, you may find a casual or part-time job to help support yourself or make new friends.

In Australia, there are laws that regulate working conditions and entitlements. There are rules in place to ensure you are treated fairly and paid appropriately. When you get a job it’s important to check what the legal wages, overtime and weekend rates are.

The Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) is a government agency that can help you understand your workplace rights and responsibilities and can work with you to fix any workplace problems you’re having. The Fair Work Ombudsman's services are free to all employees including international students.

They have a range of tools and resources about your working rights including:

• a Pay Calculator to help you check how much you should be paid (including rates for working weekends, overtime and public holidays)
• an Award Finder to help you find your 'award' (the legal document that sets your hours, pay rates and other entitlements)
• a Record My Hours app to help you keep a record of your working hours
• information for visa holders and migrant workers to help you understand Australia’s workplace laws.

Fair Work Ombudsman

What to do if you’re having problems at work

We know that students may fear speaking to government agencies because they’re on a student visa, or because they may be paid in cash or have worked overtime. If you’re being exploited, however, you should always go to the FWO to discuss your case.

The FWO has an arrangement with the Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) to support visa holders, including international students, who come to the FWO. Visa holders can seek help without fear of visa cancellation, even if they’ve breached their work-related visa conditions. This arrangement is called the Assurance Protocol.

What is the Assurance Protocol?

Under the Assurance Protocol, Home Affairs usually won’t cancel your visa if you have breached your work-related visa conditions because of workplace exploitation, and:

• you have sought advice or support from them and you’re helping them with their inquiries
• there is no other reason to cancel your visa (for example for national security, character, health or fraud reasons)
• you have committed to following your visa conditions in the future.

FWO can often do more to help when someone contacts them directly, but if you’re concerned about speaking up you can also report an issue to them anonymously in English or in another language.

Australia has a national organisation that advocates for the safety, wellbeing, and education experience of international students. The Council of International Students Australia (CISA) is the national peak student representative body for international students studying at the postgraduate, undergraduate, private college, TAFE, ELICOS or foundation level.

Learn more

Darwin

You can get legal advice from a range of organisations and individuals in the Northern Territory (NT). Some are free and others charge a fee for their services. However, please note that most do not offer advice on immigration matters.

Sydney

Safety should be your first priority. If you think your safety is in danger, please dial 000 and ask for emergency assistance.

Darwin’s tropical wet season (1 November – 30 April) sometimes brings tropical cyclones. Also known as a hurricane, a cyclone is characterised by high winds, thunderstorms, rough seas and heavy rain, all of which can cause damage to property and people. Cyclones develop over large bodies of water (usually over the ocean) and can affect areas within about 50km of the coast. Commons effects of a cyclone are flooding, property damage due to high winds, fallen trees and power outages.

The new construction standards and building codes post-Cyclone Tracy, as well as annual public awareness campaigns, ensure Darwin is a safe place to live. Community cyclone shelters are available if required and brochures with step-by-step advice are readily available and actively promoted. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology provides cyclone information and weather updates and further information about preparing for a cyclone can be found via the Northern Territory Emergency Services. For advice on how to stay safe in an emergency, please visit the CDU Safety and Emergency Advice webpage.