澳大利亞將於7月份開放小學生簽證

From July 1, pupils can apply to study in Australia with a streamlined visa application, and their parents can apply to accompany them, according to the latest policy announced by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in Australia.

根據澳大利亞移民和邊境保護局宣佈的最新留學生簽證政策，自7月1日起，年滿6歲的中國小學生可申請赴澳大利亞留學，其父母可申請陪讀。

The Streamlined Student Visa Framework permits students to apply for all elementary schools in Australia with a two-year valid term. Under the Framework, all international students, no matter what courses they choose, will apply for the same student visa and submit their applications online.

"簡化學生簽證框架"允許學生申請澳大利亞所有小學有效期爲兩年的學生簽證。根據該框架，無論選擇就讀哪一類課程，所有國際學生都將申請同一種學生簽證且申請需在網上遞交。

As for parents applying for student dependent visas, they should provide a certificate showing they have an annual income of more than $51,548 or a deposit certificate showing an annual living expense of $14,728, when they submit visa applications.

申請陪讀簽證的家長在遞交簽證申請時，需提供能表明其年收入在51548美元以上的證明或每年14728美元的生活費存款證明。

Besides, parents accompanying their children in Australia cannot work; however, they can apply for immigration if they meet certain requirements, said Pan Miaoxia, who is in charge of overseas study in EIC Education.

啓德教育集團負責海外留學的潘妙霞表示，此外，在澳大利亞陪讀的家長不能打工；不過，如果符合特定條件，他們可以申請移民。

Pan said: "As the elementary schools just recently decided to enroll international students, many schools haven't announced tuition fees for international students. But if we go by the tuition fees in high school, the fees in public elementary schools will be between 50,000 yuan ($7,610) and 60,000 yuan. So if every child will be accompanied by one parent, then a family will spend around 240,000 yuan on tuition fees and living expenses in a year."

潘妙霞說："由於小學剛剛決定招收國際學生，許多學校還沒有公佈國際學生的學費。但如果我們參照高中的學費，那麼公立小學的學費將會在50000元（摺合7610美元）到60000元之間。因此，如果每個孩子都會有一個家長陪同，那麼一個家庭將在一年內花費240000元左右的學費和生活費。"

This is a new step from 2014 when Australia opened the application of overseas study for junior high school students.

這是2014年澳大利亞對海外初中生開放申請之後的又一新舉措。

"Nowadays, only a handful of countries are granting student visa application. Given that there are few Chinese students in New Zealand and Singapore as well as difficulty in getting Canadian visas, Australia with a suitable weather and mature international student market will be welcomed by parents in South China's Guangdong province," said Zou Zhaohuang, head of international student center at a Guangzhou-based travel agency GZL.

廣州廣之旅國際學生中心總經理鄒肇煌表示："如今只有少數幾個國家給予學生簽證申請。相比於新西蘭和新加坡的中國學生很少，獲得加拿大簽證又很困難，澳大利亞有着適宜的天氣和成熟的國際學生市場，使得其將受到中國南方廣東省的家長們的歡迎。"