Welcome to WA

Yes, returning students will need to hold a valid student visa to enter Australia.

Students can check their current visa status and the expiry date of their visa through VEVO or their ImmiAccount.

Students can also use their ImmiAccount to apply for a new visa if theirs has already expired or is close to expiring.

For further information, please visit the Department of Home Affairs website.

For any visa or overseas health Cover (OSHC) related queries, please refer to the Department of Home Affairs  Immigration and Citizenship.

If you are eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot, you may find a comprehensive list of vaccination providers in Western Australia on the Roll Up WA website.

Vaccines are free for everyone, even for those who do not have Medicare. If this is the case, please visit the Department of Health's Vaccine Clinic Finder to help you find vaccination centres.

Full information regarding proof of vaccination for COVID-19 vaccinations received overseas can be viewed on the WA Government website.

For returning and new students with an overseas COVID-19 vaccination, students need go to a registered vaccination provider in WA (like a GP or pharmacy) and show their foreign vaccination certificate to organise to have their COVID-19 vaccination recorded with the Australian Immunisation Register.

They will then be issued with a COVID-19 Certificate, which will be recognised by the ServiceWA App when they may be able to use it.

Locations of COVID-19 clinics can be found here. There is no cost to the student when taking a PCR test. You can travel directly to and from your closest testing centre by taxi or Uber, noting that you and the driver must both wear masks. You can’t travel by public transport (bus or train). You must return to your self-quarantine premises for the remainder of your self-quarantine period.

Locations of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs) for sale can be found here. You cannot travel to purchase RATs while in self-quarantine, however, a friend or family member that is not in self-quarantine may deliver this to your premise. RATs are freely available and can be purchased in pharmacies and supermarkets, etc. 

Negative RATs do not need to be reported. However, it is recommended you take a photo of the test result.

Positive RATs must be registered here. For the best next steps to take, please see the WA Government's COVID-19 Coronavirus: Testing and isolation guide and corresponding infographics.

International students are required to have health insurance.

However the Minister for Health has confirmed that people in WA who are not eligible for Medicare and who present to Western Australia Government Health facilities for assessment in relation to COVID-19 infection, will be cared for without charge.

Rapid antigen tests (RATs) are now accepted in Western Australia, as long as they are TGA approved. Positive RATs must be registered here.

If you prefer to have a PCR test, locations of COVID-19 clinics can be found here.

If at any point you are required to undertake a COVID-19 test and self-isolate, you may apply for a support payment such as the Western Australia COVID-19 Test Isolation Payment or the Australian Government’s Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment.

Read more about the COVID-19 support available to international students here.

The Australian Government has announced a series of visa measures, which include increased flexibility for international students returning to Australia, refunds of visa application charges, changed visa settings related to the temporary graduate visa, flexibility in working hours for international students across all sectors, and more.

Details about specific visas are listed on the Department of Home Affairs International Student Page.

StudyPerth has also updated our Visa Information webpage to reflect these announcements.