Planning and Arrival Information

Once you have been accepted to study at CIT you will need to start planning to live in Australia. Here are some tips to help you prepare.

Booking your flights

The first thing that you will need to do is book your flight to Canberra. Canberra Airport welcomes international flights from Singapore, so you may be able to fly directly into Canberra from overseas.

It is recommended that you arrive in Canberra at least one week before the International Orientation Day (or two weeks before classes start) so you can familiarise yourself with Canberra. Your CIT course may either begin in early February or mid-July (see your letter of offer for intake dates).

Ensure you book your flights well ahead of your planned departure.

Apply for accommodation

It is recommended that you apply for accommodation at least five months before you arrive (as soon as you receive your letter of offer). This gives you a greater chance of being offered a room at the residence of your choice.

You can still apply even if you are unsure of being offered a place at CIT.

See Accommodation for more information.

Plan your finances

The Department of Home Affairs has financial requirements you must meet in order to receive a student visa. This ensures you have enough money to pay for your course fees, travel and living costs for you and your accompanying family members while you are in Australia.

The Department of Home Affairs has advised that the cost-of-living financial requirements have increased. The new legislative instrument updates the following annual living costs and expenses in line with the Customer Price Index (CPI) increases from June 2017 to June 2019:

1. for a primary applicant: an increase from AUD20,292 to AUD21,041
2. for a spouse or de facto partner of the primary applicant: an increase from AUD7,100 to AUD7,362
3. for a dependent child: an increase from AUD3,040 to AUD3,152
4. annual school costs: an increase from AUD8,000 to AUD8,296
5. personal annual income if there is no secondary applicant: an increase from AUD60,000 to AUD62,222
6. personal annual income where there is a secondary applicant: an increase from AUD 70,000 to AUD72,592

For more information visit the Department of Home Affairs website or see Living Costs and Banking.

Before you arrive

Overseas Health Cover (OSHC)

You must arrange your OSHC BEFORE you arrive in Australia.

See Overseas Health Cover for more information.

Australian Government Unique Student Identifier (USI)

You are required to have an Australian Government Unique Student Identifier (USI) number to enrol and Graduate from a CIT Program. This can be organised after you have received your visa to come to Australia.

To apply for your USI, you will need the following documentation:

• A current Australian visa
• A current passport (Please note that your name must be entered as it is shown in your passport fields)

See the USI website for more information.

What to bring with you

• Passport: You will need a current and valid passport for the entire duration of your stay in Australia.
• Student Visas: See Australian Student Visa for more information
• Essential documents:
• Letter of Offer (LoO)
• Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
• Receipts of payment (for Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) and tuition fees)
• Your Australian Government Unique Student Identifier (USI) number
• Previous academic transcripts (if applicable)
• Portfolio of your work (if applicable)
• Personal information (driver’s license, photo identification etc.)
• Australian currency: We recommend bringing some Australian currency with you (approximately $300 AUD) when coming to Australia for transport, food and emergency purposes. You can change money in your home country or at an Australian airport.
• Immunisation record, including proof of COVID-19 vaccinations.
• Prescriptions for medications:  In Australian pharmacies' (chemists or drugstores) pharmacists can only fill prescriptions written by Australian doctors, but your prescriptions may still be useful in determining your medical history. Visit the Department of Home Affairs website for more information.

Arriving in Canberra

See our Pre and Post Arrival Guide for information about transport from the airport, taxis and buses.

• Pre and Post Arrival Guide PDF (1.2Mb)

Pickup from Airport

Canberra Airport is located approximately 15 minutes from the city so you will need to organise transport to your accommodation. You can arrange airport pickup through CIT.

See Transport in Canberra for all your transport options.

Opening a Bank Account

In Australia, most income including salary or wages and government benefits are paid directly into a bank account. You can open an account at any bank you prefer.

See Living Costs and Banking for more information.

CIT International Orientation Day

It is important to attend an orientation session before you commence your studies at CIT. The sessions are delivered in either February or July and provide you with all the essential information you need about studying at CIT and living in Canberra.

See CIT International Orientation for more information.

More information about living and studying in Australia can be found on the Insider Guides website.