Have you recently become an
Australian Permanent Resident or New Zealand citizen?
If you are a commencing UNSW student who holds an international student visa and you are granted Australian citizenship or Permanent Residency (PR), or New Zealand citizenship you are required to notify UNSW within 7 days.
How and when do I notify UNSW?
You must complete and lodge a Change of Residency Status form (PDF) within 7 days of the date you are granted Australian or New Zealand citizenship or your Australian PR visa. Forms are also available at The Nucleus: Student Hub.
You should include with your application evidence of your change of residency status. The following documents will be accepted:
- Australian or New Zealand passport
- Australian or New Zealand citizenship certificate
- Australian Permanent Resident visa label or a copy of your e-visa
All documentation must be correctly certified as a true copy of the original.
Letters confirming Permanent Residency or citizenship will not be accepted.
What happens next?
This depends on when your residency status changes and whether you are an undergraduate or a postgraduate student:
Undergraduate students
If your residency status change is dated prior to 1 January for Term 1 commencement or 1 May for Term 2 commencement or 1 July for Term 3 commencement:
Your offer as an international fee-paying student will be withdrawn. You will need to apply for a Commonwealth Supported place via the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). See “How Do I Apply For A CSP?”.
If your residency status change is dated on or after 1 January for Term 1 commencement or 1 May for Term 2 commencement or 1 July for Term 3 commencement:
You will be transferred to a domestic fee-paying place. To apply for a Commonwealth Supported place you will need to apply via UAC in the next intake of domestic students. See “How Do I Apply For A CSP?”.
Postgraduate students
If your residency status change is dated prior to 1 January for Term 1 commencement or 1 May for Term 2 commencement or 1 July for Term 3 commencement:
You will be transferred to a domestic fee-paying place.
If Commonwealth Supported places (CSP) are offered in your program you will need to apply for one of these in the next available intake. See “How Do I Apply For A CSP?”.
If your residency status change is dated on or after 1 January for Term 1 commencement or 1 May for Term 2 commencement or 1 July for Term 3 commencement:
You will be transferred to a domestic fee-paying place.
If Commonwealth Supported places are offered in your program you will need to apply via UNSW’s Apply Online or, for a small number of programs, UAC Postgraduate in the next intake of domestic students. See “How Do I Apply For A CSP?”.
Am I eligible for a Commonwealth supported place?
A Commonwealth Supported place is a higher education place for which the Australian Government makes a contribution towards the cost of your education. Commonwealth Supported places are offered in all undergraduate programs and in a limited range of postgraduate coursework programs. Because CSP’s are limited, eligibility is not automatic and, like other domestic students, international students who receive Australian permanent residency are required to compete for a place based on merit.
How do I apply for a CSP?
Undergraduate programs
You must apply for admission via the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Final applications close in late January for Term 1, mid-May for Term 2 and mid-August for Term 3 each year.
Further information about the UAC application procedure is available at www.uac.edu.au
Postgraduate programs
Most postgraduate coursework programs at UNSW are fee-paying. A limited number of programs offer Commonwealth Supported places.
All applications are direct to UNSW via Apply Online except for the Juris Doctor, Master of Teaching (Secondary), Master of Teaching (Primary) and all programs offered by the School of Population Health for which you must apply via UAC Postgraduate at www.uac.edu.au
Please note that only a small number of postgraduate programs offer CSPs and these places are limited. As a result, the likelihood of receiving a CSP in a Postgraduate program is relatively low.
What happens if I am successful in obtaining a CSP?
- Complete a Request for Commonwealth Support and HECS-HELP by the relevant census date
- Arrange payment of your student contribution.
Australian Permanent Residents and New Zealand citizens must pay their Student Contribution charges upfront. Only Australian citizens and holders of an Australian Permanent Humanitarian visa may elect to defer their Student Contribution payments.
Further Details on Commonwealth Support and HECS-HELP are available at the Australian Government's Study Assist website.
What happens if I am not successful in obtaining a CSP?
See next
Domestic students
Information for local students: Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents or New Zealand citizens.
International students
Information for international students on getting started and settling in to life at UNSW Sydney, Australia.