How the COVID-19 is shaping our customer services and support for international students.
As we all continue to live and study through COVID-19, many students find it challenging to be students in Australia. We have received many calls and messages from students, and we have always supported one another in times of need. IStudentPlus personally would like to say thank you for our students’ patience and positivity. International students’ health, safety and wellbeing are on our highest priority lists.
#InThisTogether
The changes
It’s time for us to think about whether any adjustments in our work and services offers are the most needed and helpful. Despite the closed border limiting student numbers in Australia, we work longer hours than before. Being available for our students is our priority. Working from home allows us flexibility, enabling us to put in more effort answering student questions. We want our students to avoid feeling lonely studying overseas and aim to provide continuous support.
The ability to work while studying is powerful
How secure do they feel?
The COVID-19 crisis has made international students are often less financially secure because their families are having financial hardship in their home countries due to the slowdown of the economy.
The chart below shows eight measures of financial stress adapted from the Australia Bureau of Statistics.
We are fortunate enough that there is some temporary relaxation of working hours for student visa holders.
You can work for more than 40 hours a fortnight if you are employed:
- by an aged care Approved Provider
- by a registered National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) provider
- enrolled in a healthcare-related course, and you are supporting the health effort against COVID-19, as directed by health officials
- in the agriculture sector
- in the tourism and hospitality sector
- in a supermarket, or associated distribution facility, located in an area impacted by COVID-19 lockdown restrictions for the duration of the lockdown.
How do we help?
Being aware of this, IStudentPlus has done some works to ensure our students are taken care of. The COVID-19 has shaped us.
- We provide information about work and part-time employment opportunities.
- We have partnered with an accommodation provider agency to offer a better deal for student accommodation.
- We offer tuition fee instalment plans.
Before you go…
We hope you’re safe wherever you are. You can email us at [email protected] or call us at (02) 8283 2032 if you need help during your study journey in Australia. IStudentPlus
