COVID-19: Assistance for International Students in NSW

Support for International Students

The Australian Government is providing support for international students in NSW who are impacted by the current lockdown. For more information, please visit: http://www.study.sydney/programs/covid-19-help-hub

1. COVID-19 Disaster Payment

Eligibility

you’re an Australian resident or hold a visa that gives you the right to work in Australia
you’re 17 years or older
you’re not getting an income support payment, ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Dad and Partner Pay or Parental Leave Pay
you’re not getting the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment (see part 2), a state or territory pandemic payment or a state small business payment for the same period
you’ve lost income and don’t have any appropriate paid leave entitlements

How much and when to claim

Dependent on the Local Government Area (LGA) you live in or work in – Find your council here if unsure https://www.olg.nsw.gov.au/public/find-my-council/ and refer to tables below.

How to claim

Australian Residents (Australian Citizen, Permanent Residence Visa Holder, Protected Special Category Visa Holder)

· Apply though MyGov (https://my.gov.au/LoginServices/main/login?execution=e2s1)

Eligible Working Visa Holder (visa that gives you the right to work in Australia)

· Call Emergency Information Hotline Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm (180 22 66) [English]

· Multilingual Phone Service Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm (131 202)

Parts of Sydney – Bayside, City of Sydney, Canada Bay, Inner West, Randwick, Waverley, Woollahra LGAs

Period	Claim Submission Dates	Payment Received
1 July – 7 July 2021	1 July 2021 – 28 July 2021	Only eligible if you have liquid assets of less than $10,000. Lost less than 20 hours work in the week – $325 Lost more than 20 hours work in the week – $500
8 July – 14 July 2021	8 July 2021 – 4 August 2021	Lost less than 20 hours work in the week – $325 Lost more than 20 hours work in the week – $500
15 July – 21 July 2021	15 July 2021 – 11 August 2021	$375 per relevant period if you’ve lost: · between 8 and less than 20 hours of work per week · a full day of your usual work hours per week* Lost more than 20 hours work in the week – $600
22 July – 28 July 2021	22 July 2021 – 25 August 2021
29 July – 30 July 2021	29 July 2021 – 25 August 2021

Greater Sydney (Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Burwood, Camden, Campbelltown, Canterbury-Bankstown, Central Coast, Cumberland, Fairfield, Georges River, Hawkesbury, Hornsby, Hunters Hill, Ku-ring-gai, Lane Cove, Liverpool, Mosman, North Sydney, Northern Beaches, Parramatta, Penrith, Ryde, Shellharbour, Strathfield, Sutherland, The Hills, Willoughby, Wollondilly, Wollongong LGAs)

Period	Claim Submission Dates	Payment Received
4 July – 10 July 2021	4 July 2021 – 31 July 2021	Only eligible if you have liquid assets of less than $10,000. Lost less than 20 hours work in the week – $325 Lost more than 20 hours work in the week – $500
11 July – 17 July 2021	11 July 2021 – 7 August 2021	Lost less than 20 hours work in the week – $325 Lost more than 20 hours work in the week – $500
18 July – 24 July 2021	18 July 2021 – 14 August 2021	$375 per relevant period if you’ve lost: · between 8 and less than 20 hours of work per week · a full day of your usual work hours per week* Lost more than 20 hours work in the week – $600
25 July – 30 July 2021	25 July 2021 – 21 August 2021

All other areas of NSW (where you meet general eligibility rules, live or work in any area of New South Wales and were unable to earn your usual income of 8 hours or more or a full day’s work because of the restricted movement order in parts of Sydney and Greater Sydney)

Period

Claim Submission Dates

Payment Received

18 July – 30 July 2021

18 July 2021 – 21 August 2021

$375 per relevant period if you’ve lost:

· between 8 and less than 20 hours of work per week

· a full day of your usual work hours per week*

Lost more than 20 hours work in the week – $600

* A full day of your usual work is what you were scheduled to work but could not because of a restricted movement order. This includes not being able to attend a full time, part time or casual shift of less than 8 hours.

For more information, please refer to: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/covid-19-disaster-payment

2. Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment

Eligibility

You may be eligible if NSW Health has told you to self-isolate or quarantine. They need to give you these directions for any of the following reasons:

you have coronavirus (COVID-19)
you’ve been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19
you care for a child, 16 years or under, who has COVID-19
you care for a child, 16 years or under, who’s been in close contact with a person who has COVID-19.

You may also be eligible if you’re caring for someone who has COVID-19.

You must also meet all of the following:

you’re at least 17 years old and live in New South Wales
you’re an Australian Resident or hold a visa that gives you the right to work in Australia
you’re unable to go to work and earn an income
you have no appropriate leave entitlements, including pandemic sick leave, personal leave or leave to care for another person
your period of quarantine is after 17 September 2020.

How much you can get

$1500 for each 14-day period you’ve been told to self-isolate or quarantine

How to claim

· Call Emergency Information Hotline Monday to Friday 8am to 5pm (180 22 66)

· Print and complete the Claim for Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment – New South Wales form and fax it to 1300 727 760.

For more information, please refer to: https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/individuals/services/centrelink/pandemic-leave-disaster-payment-new-south-wales

3. Food Assistance

Study NSW has partnered with Foodbank NSW & ACT to provide free food hampers to international students in NSW.

The hampers will be distributed at locations in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Armidale, Lismore, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour.

Delivery locations and/or access to the food hampers might be different in the event of a lockdown, or when there are under stay-at-home orders in specific areas.

Order your hamper by following these steps:

Call Food Bank on (02) 9756 3099 or complete this Foodbank form for international students
State that you are an international student and your suburb, then ask for the distribution point closest to you
Have your student visa and student card with you when you collect the hamper

For more information, please visit: www.study.sydney/programs/food-assistance