Change of Citizenship or Residency Status - International Applicants

If a student gains Australian permanent residency status or becomes a New Zealand citizen, they are unable to continue in the UNSW Medicine Program as an international student. This is a requirement of the Australian Government and the University of New South Wales has no discretion in the situation. Federal Government regulations provide:

Overseas students and other temporary residents who are granted an Australian permanent visa after they arrive in Australia must be treated as domestic students. Where the student had previously been offered or held a full fee-paying overseas student place, there is no obligation on the institution to offer the student either a HECS-liable or domestic fee paying place. However, the student cannot continue to be treated as an overseas student. (Paragraph 3.5 of the HECS Loans and Fees Manual 2004)

The University therefore is not obliged to offer such students a transfer to a HECS-liable place (now known as a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)) nor is it obliged to offer a domestic fee paying place (known at UNSW as a Local Fee Place (LFEE)).

Until 2005 the Federal Government did not permitted local fees to apply to courses such as the UNSW MBBS Program. However the Government then lifted that restriction and therefore since 2005 local fees could apply to courses the completion of which would allow provisional registration as a medical practitioner. It therefore became possible for UNSW to consider offering a Local Fee Place to a student who changed their residency status as outlined above.

There was a change of government in November 2007 and it is anticipated that Local Fee Places will, from 2009, no longer be able to be offered. However, it is anticipated that a few exceptions will apply, and one of those exceptions is likely to be for international students whose residency status changes. Therefore, at the current time, it is anticipated that the option of offering Local Fee Places to international students whose residency status changes will remain.

In addition, there are some circumstances in which the University may consider offering a Commonwealth Supported Place to such a student. Of course as already stated it is also possible for UNSW to decide in such circumstances to not offer a place at all.

Further information on this issue is provided on the UNSW International website (Frequently Asked Questions – "What happens to my fees if I gain Australian Permanent Residency?").

The following important information applies specifically to students in the UNSW Medicine Program and should be read in conjunction with the information on the UNSW International Website.

From 2007, the content of the interview for international students became significantly different from the interview for local students. From that time the two interviews can no longer be considered comparable. Therefore, it is not possible for international students who become local students to be considered for a Commonwealth Supported Place if they undertook the international student interview in 2007 or later.

If an international student becomes an Australian permanent resident or a New Zealand citizen the Faculty of Medicine will decide on one of the following:

1.	To offer the student an unbonded Commonwealth Supported Place (students interviewed in 2006 or earlier only)
2.	To offer the student a Local Fee Place
3.	To make no offer of a place and the student will be required to discontinue studies in the Program

When determining the category of place that will be offered to a student, or whether no place will be offered, the following will be considered:

1.	Whether the student would have been offered a place as a local student when they applied for entry into their first year of the Program.
2.	The student’s academic record in the Program to date.
3.	The length of time the student has been in the Program.

Students should note that all local students, whether bonded or unbonded, are considered for placement in a School of Rural Health location for at least 12 months during Years 5 and 6.

Please note that all persons who are not citizens or permanent residents of Australia or citizens of New Zealand and who wish to apply for admission to a UNSW MBBS Program must apply for admission as an international student.