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Settling In

Issues to Consider

Rather than bringing your family together with you to Australia, some students may find it useful to arrive first, settle into studies, find appropriate accommodation, adjust to living in Australia and then arrange for their family to join them.

Before making a decision to bring your family to Australia it is important to consider the following issues:

  • The cost of airfares for your family to and from Australia;
  • Possible higher rent for a larger home;
  • Limited employment opportunities for your spouse;
  • Extra costs for food, clothing and other necessities;
  • The effect on you and your studies if your family is not happy in Australia;
  • Whether your children will adjust to school in Australia;
  • Waiting lists for child care centres; and
  • Whether to come alone to Australia first and arrange things for your family, or to all come at the same time.

If your family will be accompanying you to Sydney you may find it useful to contact real estate agents from before you arrive to find suitable accommodation.

For more information visit: www.immi.gov.au

Child Care

Finding suitable childcare in Australia requires patience and planning. Waiting lists for places in most childcare centres are long.

Many schools offer before and after school care programs (usually 7:30am - 8:45am and 3:30pm - 6:00pm). Children who need these programs must be registered with the school.

Two child care centres that are closest to Wesley Institute are:

Drummoyne Early Childhood Centre‎
Marlborough St, Drummoyne NSW 2047‎
+61 2 9181 2619‎

Crowded House Children's Centre
Rawson Ave, Drummoyne NSW 2047
+61 2 9819 7476‎

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Schools

If you would like to bring your children to Australia with you, you must be aware of the following schooling issues:

  1. It is an immigration policy that school-age dependants of international students undertake formal schooling while they are in Australia.
  2. Children who have their fifth birthday on or before 31 July of that calendar year are eligible to start school
  3. You will need to provisionally enrol your child in a school before you leave your home country and you will normally have to pay the school fees one semester in advance. The school will issue an electronic Confirmation of Enrolment Form (eCoE) stating the program and its duration, so that you can obtain the appropriate visa for your child.
  4. The Diplomatic Mission in your country can tell you which State schools are registered to take international students. Fees are payable by international students at all State schools unless you:
    - Are in receipt of sponsorship or scholarships from the Australian Government (e.g. the Australian Development Scholarship, IPRS);
    - Hold a higher institution or approved non-government scholarship. These scholarships must be approved by the State government for the dependants to be exempt from school fees.
  5. You will be responsible for school fees and other costs including school uniforms, books, excursions and stationery.
  6. When choosing the most appropriate school for your child, it is best to ask questions about the school's curriculum, size, extra-curricular activities and the size of individual classes.
  7. You should also take into consideration the distance from the school to your education institution, the suburb in which you intend to live and the method of transport you plan to use.

For further information, please contact www.schools.nsw.edu.au
There are two types of schools in Australia – State schools and independent schools.

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State Schools

To find out information on State Schools click here http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/index.php

Independent Schools

If you would like to send your children to a Christian or Independent School, the following links may be helpful:
Independent Schools http://www.aisnsw.edu.au/Main/SchoolFinder/tabid/649/Default.aspx
Christian Schools Australia www.csa.edu.au  
Christian Education National www.cen.edu.au/SchoolList.aspx    
Anglican Schools Corporation www.sasc.nsw.edu.au
Catholic Schools www.catholicschools.nsw.edu.au

Living Expenses

The cost of living in Sydney will vary depending on your choice of accommodation and the suburb. You may choose to live in our Student Housing accommodation or rent with other students in a nearby suburb. You should budget to spend between $300 - 350 per week if you’re living in student housing and between $350 - 650 if you’re renting a rental property. The ‘Important Information for Students’ provides an indication of the costs you may incur. Please note: It’s only a guide.

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