School holidays, your student visa and you!

Most of you will be undergoing your final exams for the study period this week and a lucky few will have finished already (phew!) so its an appropriate time for you to think about how your student visa conditions will affect you over the summer holiday period.

Some of you will be jetting off home to spend the break with your families so we wish you the best of luck for your holdiays and new year. Student visa's are multiple entry so you can leave the country and come back on the same visa if you will still be studying in your course in 2009 but it is important to be aware that if you are completing your final period of study this month and will be applying for a further substantive visa your student visa may cease on the date your application is received by DIAC and an interim "Bridging Visa A" applied. This is fine if you wish to remain in Australia until a decision is made on your new visa application but if you wish to leave the country after you have applied for your new visa you may need to apply for a "Bridging Visa B" which allows you to travel overseas and return at a later date. If you do not apply for a "Bridging Visa B" and you are currently on a "Bridging Visa A", if you leave the country you will not be able to re-enter as the Bridging Visa A is strictly one way, once you leave thats it. So its important to know exactly which visa you are currently holding and its conditions at any one time.

For those of you who will remain in Australia and intend to work over the summer holiday break the standard student visa limitation of no more than 20 hours work per week remains in effect for the entire duration of the study period which for students who started courses in SP5 is between 28th July and 29th November 2008. Even if you have finished all your exams the work limitation will remain in place until the end of semester. The good news is that the limitation only remains in effect during periods of study and from 30th November 2008 student visa holders can work unlimited hours right up until they commence their next period of study.

As always, be aware of the current visa you are holding and its conditions.

And have a great summer holidays!