澳大利亚将于7月份开放小学生签证

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.

根据澳大利亚移民和边境保护局宣布的最新留学生签证政策，自7月1日起，年满6岁的中国小学生可申请赴澳大利亚留学，其父母可申请陪读。

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.

"简化学生签证框架"允许学生申请澳大利亚所有小学有效期为两年的学生签证。根据该框架，无论选择就读哪一类课程，所有国际学生都将申请同一种学生签证且申请需在网上递交。

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.

申请陪读签证的家长在递交签证申请时，需提供能表明其年收入在51548美元以上的证明或每年14728美元的生活费存款证明。

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.

启德教育集团负责海外留学的潘妙霞表示，此外，在澳大利亚陪读的家长不能打工；不过，如果符合特定条件，他们可以申请移民。

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."

潘妙霞说："由于小学刚刚决定招收国际学生，许多学校还没有公布国际学生的学费。但如果我们参照高中的学费，那么公立小学的学费将会在50000元（折合7610美元）到60000元之间。因此，如果每个孩子都会有一个家长陪同，那么一个家庭将在一年内花费240000元左右的学费和生活费。"

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

这是2014年澳大利亚对海外初中生开放申请之后的又一新举措。

"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.

广州广之旅国际学生中心总经理邹肇煌表示："如今只有少数几个国家给予学生签证申请。相比于新西兰和新加坡的中国学生很少，获得加拿大签证又很困难，澳大利亚有着适宜的天气和成熟的国际学生市场，使得其将受到中国南方广东省的家长们的欢迎。"