Moving from China to Australia to study
If you’re considering Australia as a destination to continue your studies, here are some things to consider.
Connecting with the Chinese community in Australia
Aside from studying, thousands of Chinese nationals have chosen to make Australia home – in fact after English, Mandarin is one of the most widely spoken language in Australia3. Getting in touch with your local Australia China Friendship Society is a good place to start if you want to get in touch with other local Chinese in Australia; depending on where you study your educational provider may have a Chinese student organisation as well.
Student visas
If you’re planning on studying in Australia, you’ll need to apply for a student visa. It’s important you understand all the conditions attached to your class of visa, such as if you’re able to work while studying and what health insurance cover you’ll need. You can find information about student visas in Australia at the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website.
Factor in the cost of living
Aside from course fees and tuition costs, it’s important to factor in the cost of living while studying in Australia. One of the key requirements of gaining a student visa is being able to show evidence that you’ll be able to financially support yourself (and any dependents) while you’re studying. You can find details of the current financial requirements on the Home Affairs website.
Working while studying
Depending on your student visa, you can work up to 40 hours per fortnight during term time as well as unlimited hours during course breaks. This not only gives you the chance to cover some of your living costs, it can be a great way to make new friends and build contacts as well.
Find out more about student visa work conditions.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC)
As a condition of your student visa, you’ll need to have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) arranged before you arrive in Australia. OSHC provides medical and hospital cover in Australia and can either be arranged through your education provider or you can choose an approved OSHC provider yourself. Your OSHC overage needs to be for the duration of your study visa.
Find out more about health insurance for students.
Student accommodation
Depending on where you study, you’ll likely have a range of different accommodation options to suit both your budget and lifestyle, including on campus accommodation, homestays and shared accommodation. Your university or educational institution may be able to help you with arranging accommodation – it’s worthwhile looking at their website or contacting them directly.
Arranging your banking in Australia
One of the things you’ll need to do is sort out your banking in Australia. The good news is this is likely to be a lot easier than you’d think.
Once you arrive in Australia, you can open an everyday bank account online with Westpac.
Get $50 on us
New arrivals to Australia aged 18 years or older
Simply open a new Westpac Choice account online or at a branch by 31 March 2025, and make a single deposit of $100 within 10 days of opening#.
T&Cs and eligibility criteria apply.
Alternatively, you can open an account in of our one of our local branches.
Find out more about opening an account with Westpac
Want to know more about moving to Australia from China to study?
The Australian government has a dedicated website for Chinese students wanting to study in Australia. For more information, take a look at https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/chinese/china.
Things you should know
This information does not take into account your personal circumstances and is general in nature. It is intended as an overview only and it should not be considered a comprehensive statement on any matter or relied upon as such.
This information is general in nature and has been prepared without taking your objectives, needs and overall financial situation into account. For this reason, you should consider the appropriateness of the information and if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice.
#
$50 Cashback offer: Fees and charges apply. Read the
Deposit Accounts for Personal Customers Terms and Conditions (PDF 645KB) before making a decision and consider whether the product is right for you. To receive AUD$50, you must: open a new Westpac Choice account between 1 December 2024 and 31 March 2025, have never held a transaction account with Westpac before, and deposit a minimum of $100 into the new account within 10 days of account opening. The offer is available for customers who are new to Australia (arrived in the last 12 months) and over 18 years of age. Customers must hold a valid foreign issued identification document in our
identification checklist (PDF 657KB). For joint accounts, both account holders must not have held a Westpac transaction account before. The AUD$50 promotion amount will be paid into the Customer’s Westpac Choice account within 50 days of meeting these Terms and Conditions. The Westpac Choice account must remain open during that period to receive the cashback reward. Limited to only one eligible account per eligible individual (including where it is a joint account) and paid to the Westpac Choice account that was opened first. Not available in conjunction with any other offer unless we determine otherwise. We reserve the right to withdraw, amend or extend this offer at any time. We recommend you seek an independent, professional tax advice to determine tax implications on the cashback based on your personal circumstances.