Travel outside Australia

If you live overseas for a period of up to 2 years

If you live overseas for a period of up to 2 years, we can continue to pay you. The student must continue to meet an isolation condition and you’ll need to meet all the following:

• remain an Australian Citizen or an Australian Permanent Resident or a New Zealand Citizen who is permanently settled in Australia
• normally otherwise live full time in Australia
• provide evidence your absence is temporary and you intend to return to Australian within 2 years
• have a principal family home in Australia.

If the student travels for a short term

If the student travels for a short term vacation, you’ll continue to get paid during this time, if all the following apply for the student:

• their principal family home is in Australia
• continues to meet an isolation condition
• returns to school or study within 14 days of the next term.

If the student is studying through distance education methods and travels overseas for a longer period than school vacations, you’ll continue to get paid if all the following apply:

• the student is overseas for less than 12 months
• the student remains enrolled at an approved Australian distance education institution
• you give us assurance that the student will carry out the required school work on a full time basis.

You can get the payment for a student if they’re participating in an international student exchange. They must also meet all the following:

• remain enrolled at an Australian education institution and the institution credits the overseas study to their Australian studies
• continue to incur study costs in Australia
• continue to meet all other eligibility criteria.

Assistance for Isolated Children Pensioner Education Supplement (PES)

If the student is receiving Assistance for Isolated Children PES payments that’s paid in advance alongside their Disability Support Pension (DSP) or Parenting Payment Single (PPS), the overseas travel payment rules are based on these primary payments. If the DSP or PPS payment is suspended due to excess overseas travel, your Assistance for Isolated Children PES will also be suspended for the time the student is away.

If you or the student leave to live in another country

If you or the student leave Australia to live in another country permanently, your payment will stop when you depart.