Skip to content | Change text size
 

Information for international students in final semester

Finishing university

Returning home

Extending your stay

Graduation

Graduation is not automatic when you finish your course. You must apply to graduate. You can attend a graduation ceremony in Australia, South Africa, China or Malaysia.

 

Important:

  • You must apply to graduate before your exam results have been released. You can defer your application if necessary
  • If you choose to attend a ceremony, a fee applies (except for South Africa) 
  • No fee applies if you choose not to attend a ceremony, ie. in absentia

 

For more information, or to apply, visit the Graduations website

Career advice

Wherever you are in the world, Employment and Career Development can help you.

Employment and Career Development offer careers resources, services and information. These are free to you for one year after your last exam.

Visit the Employment and Career Development website for more information.

Academic transcript

If you require a formal transcript of your academic results, you can:

A fee applies. You will receive a free copy of your academic record with your testamur when you graduate.

Alumni

When you get your degree or diploma, you automatically become part of the global community of Monash University alumni. You need to register your details to receive information and updates.

 

Alumni can access a wide range of privileges including:

  • Receipt of information about the latest career news and networking opportunities
  • Access to international alumni networks in countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Korea
  • Monash Magazine twice yearly
  • Subscription to free monthly alumni e-newsletter

Visit the Monash University Alumni website

Printable reference guide for students staying in Australia (pdf 153kb)

Pre-departure checklist

There may seem to be a million tasks to complete before you can board the plane for your return trip home!

This list may help you organise your time, and remind you of some things that you may have forgotten.

Printable pre-departure checklist (pdf 164kb)

Start planning early

  • Ensure that your passport and visa are valid
  • If you are stopping over in another country, confirm that you have the correct visa for that country
  • Check if you need to apply for a visa to stay in Australia to attend your graduation ceremony
  • Book your flight home and confirm travel arrangements
  • Allow 6 weeks for sorting through and packing your belongings
  • If you've been earning an income and paying tax, lodge your tax return
  • Apply to graduate
  • If you have children, notify the school or childcare centre of your family's leaving date
  • If you have pets, make a decision about taking them with you or giving them away
  • Advise your landlord/estate agent at least 4 weeks before you intend to vacate your house/flat

About a month before

  • Book professional cleaners or hire carpet cleaning equipment to clean your rented property
  • Arrange for the premises to be inspected before returning the keys and request the return of your bond
  • If renting, arrange to have telephone, gas, water and electricity services disconnected and pay all outstanding accounts
  • Explore the various methods and costs of freight to send your things home
  • Check customs regulations and complete the necessary documents
  • Pay any outstanding University fees
  • Apply to graduate and pay for your ceremony (if attending)
  • Submit any outstanding OSHC claims
  • Postgraduate students, organise how thesis corrections and binding will be handled

Last minute must-dos

  • Inform the University of your overseas address via WES
  • Ask the Post Office to forward your mail
  • If you require an academic transcript prior to graduation, purchase this at the Student Service Centre
  • Register your contact details with the Alumni Relations office
  • Close your bank accounts
  • Return any borrowed items (eg. library books, videos, furniture or household items)
  • Make time to say farewell to friends and University staff

Re-adjusting to your home culture

Are you worried about going home?

Sometimes people who have lived abroad find the adjustment to returning home more difficult than their adjustment to the foreign culture.

While you may know your home, what you may not realise after being gone for a period of time, is that you have changed as a result of your new and interesting experiences. You also need to remember that people at home have changed too.

Here are some things you can do to prepare yourself

  • Be mindful that you are going through two transitions at once: leaving university and returning home
  • Expect an adjustment process. Give yourself time to work through any feelings, especially challenges you may be facing
  • Your family will need time to get to know the new you and to adjust to changes in the home environment
  • Most things will look and feel familiar, yet some things (and even you) may feel out of place. Take some time to explore your surroundings with a fresh perspective
  • You may have a heightened sense of awareness, this usually lasts a short period of time. Write your experience and perceptions down. It will help you reflect later on
  • Re-introduce yourself to family and friends slowly. Your way of life in Australia will have influenced you and it may take time for others to appreciate the impact your experiences have had
  • Look for opportunities to integrate your new knowledge into local traditions - while being respectful of those traditions and peoples' feelings towards change
  • Try not to idealise Australia, or criticise your own country...and vice-versa. Attempt to remain objective. Be careful about how you phrase your comments and criticism about your country. When they come to Australia, many foreigners are shocked about how free Australians are to criticise. It may not be acceptable to do the same at home
  • Embrace returning home, reuniting with loved ones and the opportunity to practise the skills and knowledge you have gained from your studies
  • With the above in mind, don't forget to celebrate all that you've achieved in Australia

Printable guide to preparing emotionally for your return home (pdf 161kb)

Shipping goods home

Allow yourself plenty of time to organise shipping your belongings home and find out what the customs regulations are in your home country. Many companies provide freight services.

Go to the Yellow Pages online directory. Look under shipping companies, baggage agents and air cargo services. Make sure you get a few quotes as the prices and services vary. You will need to consider if you want door-to-door delivery and if the company provides insurance.

Selling your belongings

There are a number of places you can sell your second hand books, furniture and other goods. You can find contact details for second hand book or furniture dealers in the Yellow Pages online directory

Alternatively, your furniture and other goods can be advertised in:

A garage sale may be worth considering. Any usable goods, that cannot be sold, can be donated to charity or given to friends. Some councils have hard rubbish collections for unwanted items. Do not leave items on nature strips unless a collection has been arranged.

Leaving accommodation

If you are renting a unit, flat or house, you may need to move into temporary accommodation for two or three weeks before you leave. This will give you enough time to organise getting your bond back and attend to any other matters that may require more time.

Give reasonable notice of your intention to leave to:

  • Real estate agents
  • Landlords
  • Utility providers
    • Phone
    • Gas
    • Water
    • Electricity

This will allow you to clear any unpaid debts and make it easier for incoming students to get services from these providers. It will also prevent problems if you return to Australia at a later date.

Things to consider:

  • If you  need to break your lease, speak to an Off Campus Housing Accommodation Officer first
  • Make sure the property is properly cleaned for final inspection
  • Organise the final property inspection and return the keys as close as possible to the date you will leave the property
  • Organise final payments
  • Discuss with the agent how to get your rental bond money refunded
  • Contact Consumer Affairs Victoria to gain an understanding or renting rules and regulations for tenants and landlords

If you live in Student Residence or Homestay

In most cases, leaving should be relatively simple.

  • Make sure you discuss your departure with your host or manager with plenty of time to spare
  • One month's notice is recommended to allow time to discuss how you will finalise your responsibilities and get your bond back, if you have one
  • You should have some idea of how much bond you will get back and when. If you can't clarify these details to your satisfaction you may like to contact an Off Campus Housing Accommodation Officer

Cancellation of services

Different companies usually provide telephone, gas, water and electricity services so you will need to contact each of them separately to finalise your accounts. Look at your bills for instruction on how to have your services disconnected.

You should give each service a week's notice. You will need to let them know the date you no longer require the service and where they can send any outstanding bills.

Mail redirection

Your local post office can organise to redirect your mail from your current address to almost any other destination. This means that mail addressed to you at your house can be redirected to another address either within Australia or overseas. There is a fee attached to this service. Check the Australia Post website for further information.

Unfinished business in Australia can be made easier and quicker if you have someone in Melbourne or Australia to have mail sent to, especially if something comes up that requires a response within Australia.

Getting your financial matters in order

Tax return

If you have been earning income in Australia and have been paying tax, the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) will accept early lodgement of returns of your part year tax-free threshold for individuals prior to the end of the financial year (30 June).

If you are a non-resident of Australia and you are leaving Australia permanently you will need to:

  • Obtain a payment summary from each of your employers
  • Obtain a copy of TaxPack and the form 'Taxpayer leaving Australia - Request for early assessment' (NAT 3407). You can get this form from the ATO website or from your nearest ATO office
  • Complete your tax return, attach the completed 'Taxpayer leaving Australia - Request for early assessment' to the front of the return and post both forms to GPO Box 9990 in your capital city

More information can be obtained from the Personal Tax Infoline on 13 28 61.

Health insurance refunds

Check if you have any outstanding OSHC claims. If you are leaving the country more than a month before your OSHC policy expires, you may be eligible for a refund.

If you have insurance with OSHC Worldcare, a refund form is available online. You will need to provide evidence of the day you plan to leave Australia, such as an airline ticket.

Departing Australia Superannuation Payment
Temporary residents of Australia who meet the eligibility criteria can now apply for release of their benefit once they have permanently departed Australia, rather than leaving it in an Australian fund until retirement.

The payment is known as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment and a flat 30% Government tax will be withheld from the benefit when it is paid. The legislation only applies to people who hold and have held a temporary visa, for example, a student visa. Australian and New Zealand citizens and permanent residents who have the option of returning to Australia to retire will not be able to access their benefits until they reach their preservation age.

Visit the Australian Taxation Office website for more information.

The Tourist Refund Scheme

This scheme enables you to claim a refund from the goods and services tax that you pay on goods you buy in Australia.

To claim a refund, you must have spent $300 or more in one store and get a single tax invoice. Goods must be purchased no more than 30 days before departure. You have to wear or carry the goods on board the plane and present them along with your original tax invoice, passport and international boarding pass to a Customs Officer at the airport.

For options about extending your stay in Australia read the DIAC website carefully.

Visitor Visa

You may be able to apply for extension to stay in Australia as a visitor for graduation or sightseeing if:

  • You do not have the condition 8503 (no further stay) on your current visa
  • The application is lodged before the expiry of your current visa

You need to provide the following to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC):

  • Your current passport (make sure your passport has not expired)
  • Form 601 Application for Further Stay as a Visitor. You can download form 601 from the DIAC website
  • Evidence of sufficient funds for living expenses and travel without the need to work while in Australia. Once your visitor visa is granted, you will no longer have permission to work
  • If you want to stay to attend graduation, documentation of your planned attendance is required. You can get a 'Proof of attendance at a future graduation ceremony' online via WES or at a student service centre
  • The application fee

More information about visitor visas

Please note:
If you complete your course one month or more earlier than expected, you need to contact DIAC or leave the country within 28 days, even though your student visa may be valid for a longer duration. As per ESOS requirement, a report is provided to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) regarding your early completion. Please visit your campus hub for more information or advice.

General Skilled Migration

You may be able to apply for permanent residency under the General Skilled Migration Program. Visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website for more information.

Only DIAC and registered migration agents are licensed to provide you with immigration advice. You do not need to use a migration agent to lodge a visa with the DIAC, however if you do please note that all migration agents must be registered with the Office of Migration Agents Registration Authority to provide immigration assistance.