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Family crisis or medical treatment
You may get ABSTUDY for up to 6 weeks, if you’re travelling outside Australia for one of these approved reasons:
- to attend an acute family crisis - for example, to visit a family member who is critically ill
- to get eligible medical treatment that isn’t available in Australia.
Secondary school student
If you’re a secondary school student studying an approved course overseas, you may get payments for one of these periods:
- up to 12 months
- the duration of the study if you’re doing an approved international educational exchange program
- the duration of your parent’s posting if the Commonwealth of Australia employs your parent and they’re posted overseas.
Approved study or work
If you’re doing approved study or work outside Australia, you may get payments for the duration of the activity. But you must be one of the following:
- a secondary non-school student
- a tertiary student
- a master’s student
- a doctorate student
- an Australian Apprentice.
Evidence we need
We need evidence that your overseas work or study counts towards your Australian course. If you don’t give us the evidence before you leave Australia, your payment will stop when you depart.
If we’ve stopped your payment, we’ll reassess it once we get your supporting documents.
If you’re travelling for an approved reason you’ll need to meet specific criteria for payment. We will assess your payment when you give us evidence. If you’re eligible, we’ll restore your payment and pay you any missing payments.
Students
If you’re a student studying outside Australia, you need to give us a written statement from your Australian educational institution. It must be on their official letterhead and confirm all of the following:
- that you’ll stay enrolled with your Australian educational institution
- the name of the overseas education institution
- your study load while overseas
- the duration of your overseas study, including the start and end dates for your overseas study
- that your overseas study will count towards your Australian course.
Australian Apprentices
If you’re an Australian Apprentice working or training outside Australia, you need to give us a written statement. This can be from either your:
- employer
- State Training Authority.
The statement must be on their official letterhead and confirm all of the following:
- you’re working or studying outside Australia
- your overseas work or study counts towards your apprenticeship
- your Commonwealth Registration Number will remain current.
Defence training
If you’re attending an Australian Defence Force Reserves training camp, you’ll get your payment for the duration of the training.
Evidence we need
You need to give us a written statement from the camp commander or the person in charge. It must show all of the following:
- camp details
- duration of the camp including the start and end dates of the camp
- camp location.