Rights and obligations

From 1 January 2018, the National Code 2018 (legislation regulating the provision of education to onshore international students) took effect. The National Code 2018 is part of the ESOS Act (Education Services for Overseas Students Act). This Act governs the provision of education to onshore international students in Australia.

National Code 2018 Fact Sheets

For more information, visit: ESOS Framework: Australian Government information website

From 1 January 2018, the following applies to all new and continuing onshore international students studying on a student visa.

International students are required to complete their study within the expected program course duration.

The expected duration is given on your eCoE (Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment). To complete your program in the expected duration, you would normally need to be enrolled in a 100% load each Trimester (T1 and T2).

You can, however, enrol in a less than full-time load:

• as part of a documented intervention strategy under the UNE Course Progression Rule;
• when you have Compassionate and Compelling circumstances; or when you complete and return the Non-Standard Enrolment form to International Services.

For more information, email askUNE or if on the Armidale campus come and talk to UNE International (Building C30).

Students are restricted from transferring to another Australian education provider if they have not yet completed 6 calendar months of study in their principal program. (If you are here to study a single program, that program is the principal program. If you are here to study more than one program, the principal program is the final program of a packaged offer.)

Students who wish to transfer before they have completed 6 calendar months of study in their principal program, must apply in writing to the Manager International Services and Compliance. The grounds for a release are as follows:

• UNE has cancelled/ceased to offer the program (letter from UNE required)
• Government sponsor considers the change to be in my best interest (letter from sponsor required)
• Unable to meet academic requirements for entry into program
• Exceptional circumstances (documentation required)
• For others circumstances see International Transfer Policy

Students who wish to transfer after they have completed 6 calendar months of study in their principal program, can do so freely however must notify International Services.

For more information, email askUNE.

To apply for Leave of Absence, you must show that you have "compassionate or compelling" circumstances. Your leave needs to be approved by International Services and Research Services (for postgraduate research students).

Please note: If you are away for more than six months, your visa may be cancelled. Please contact the Department of Home Affairs for information about your visa before submitting a Leave of Absence application.

For further information regarding compassionate and compelling circumstances, please refer to the UNE Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances for Full-Time International Students (Irrespective of Study Location in Australia) - Guidelines

If you have any questions please contact UNE International or visit International Services on campus (building C30).

International students can enrol in units by online/distance study modes, when such modes are offered as part of CRICOS-registered programs. However, there are limitations:

• Online and distance courses can only make up one third of your total program; and
• In each compulsory Trimester, you must be enrolled in at least one unit that is delivered face-to-face.
• If you have one unit left to complete your course, you may enrol in the unit by online/distance mode.

In a non-compulsory Trimester (Trimester 3), you may enrol full-time in online/distance courses. However, these will be counted towards your one third limit.

For more information, email askUNE.

The Disability Standards for Education 2005 and the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 only apply to students while they are in Australia. For students studying overseas, it's up to the host institution to provide adjustments according to the regulations and laws appropriate for a particular country.