Student studying outside Australia 102-07020170

If the customer is:

• receiving ABSTUDY, see ABSTUDY student or Australian Apprentice going overseas. Procedure ends here
• receiving or claiming:
• Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC), refer the customer to the relevant AIC Smart Centre. Look up local Processing Service details for: Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC). Procedure ends here
• Austudy, see Austudy customer going overseas. Procedure ends here
• Youth Allowance (YA) student, see Youth Allowance (YA) customer going overseas. Procedure ends here

Note: for AUS or YA, the Service Officer in the service centre or Smart Centre is responsible for assessing the customer's eligibility for payment while outside Australia.

If the customer has recently claimed a payment, and will not become qualified and payable until after they leave Australia, overseas study provisions do not apply. Do not run the script in such cases. Procedure ends here.

The customer may contact after using the Travelling outside of Australia service within their Centrelink online account. If the online service has already coded the absence, details are recorded in a DOC. The online service may refer the customer to contact to:

• have their absence coded, or
• explore further portability for their situation

Is the customer leaving Australia to live in another country?

• Yes, overseas study provisions do not apply to a person leaving Australia to live in another country. Follow normal portability procedures for the relevant payment. Go to Leaving Australia and portability of payments
• No, go to Step 4

Temporary absences for payments allowing extended portability for approved study (other than YA (Student), Austudy, ABSTUDY and AIC must be referred to Centrelink International Services (CIS).

Carer Payment (CP), Disability Support Pension (DSP), and Parenting Payment (PP) can be paid for the period of approved study or work placement for units being undertaken as part of an Australian course or for periods of work or training that count toward their Apprenticeship. Customers must provide proof of the reason for their absence. Customers must also advise travel dates so the period of approved portability, including any additional travel time can be assessed, and an overseas contact address.

Note: generally, a customer studying externally (for example, by correspondence or online) will not have to attend a campus overseas to complete units of their approved course. However, external students can access extended portability under 'overseas study provisions' if they can demonstrate their primary reason for going overseas is to undertake studies that form part of the course. This could be a residential component at an overseas institution or an overseas work placement, provided it is part of the Australian course.

Is the Service Officer performing the portability interview in the International Smart Centre?

• Yes, see Step 1 in Table 2
• No, refer the case to Centrelink International Services (CIS) for assessment. Go to Step 4

• Transfer the call to Centrelink International Services (CIS) and explain the customer's circumstances. The CIS Service Officer will take over and complete the portability interview with the customer. Once transferred, record details on a DOC advising what action has been taken (such as, the call has been referred to CIS, details of travel, especially the reason and if evidence provided/scanned onto customer's record)
• If the customer has documents proving their overseas study or work forms part of their approved Australian course, scan the documents onto the customer's record and store the original document
• If it is not possible to refer the customer immediately to CIS:
• create a Fast Note. Use Fast Note - select Auto text > Centrelink International Services > Portability > CIS Restricted Portability referral
• record the travel details including dates, reason for travel and current telephone contact details
• tell the customer an officer from CIS will contact them as soon as possible

If the customer has provided proof of the reason for their absence, this can be scanned to the customer record with classification code UNS006. This will ensure the document will be assessed by CIS. Do not scan to store.

Procedure ends here for Centrelink Service Centre and Smart Centre Call staff.

Centrelink International Services (CIS) staff only

Has the customer been granted an approved overseas period and are they leaving Australia again within 6 weeks to resume the study?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 3

If payment has continued while the customer is studying or working outside Australia, and they return to Australia for less than 6 weeks during the approved period, no new decision will be required when they depart again to continue their overseas activity.

For example, a student receives a 6 month approved study period overseas. They return after 3 months for a 2 week break in Australia. When they depart again, they are still within the original approved study period therefore no new portability decision is required.

See the Resources page for more information about the return to Australia rule.

Is the customer returning overseas to continue the same units of study for which portability was already granted?

To check the end of their original portability period, check the date recorded on the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen.

• Yes, advise the customer their payment can continue to the end of the original portability period. Go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 3

The approved study period may include additional travel time to allow them to prepare for the study and/or to finalise their affairs and return to Australia. These periods do not count as a holiday.

Is the customer intending to combine a holiday overseas with their approved study period?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 7

Is the customer receiving Parenting Payment and did their payment cease for a portability treason during their previous absence?

• Yes, return rules apply, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 6

PP customers are not payable if they lost payment for a portability reason and have been in Australia for less than 6 weeks since the last return.

If the holiday is:

• before starting study, payment will cease on departure (but may still be paid for the approved study period)
• after the end of the approved period, payment stops at the end of the approved study period
• during the approved period (for example, the customer has approved study of 1 semester and there is a mid-semester break), payment will continue

The Resources page contains further information and examples on holidays combined with approved study overseas.

Go to Step 7.

For DSP customers, if the holiday is:

• before starting study, payment will continue for up to 4 weeks in a rolling 12 month period (and will continue/resume during the approved study period, provided payment is still current or suspended)
• after the end of the study, payment will stop (or continue until the total period of absence from Australia, including the approved study period, has exceeded 4 weeks in a rolling 12 month period)

For all other customers assessed by CIS, if the holiday is:

• before starting study, payment will continue for up to 6 weeks (and will continue/resume during the approved study period, provided payment is still current or suspended)
• during the approved study period (for example, the customer has approved study of one semester and there is a mid-semester break), payment will continue
• after the end of the approved study period and any holiday before the approved study period has:
• not exceeded 6 weeks, payment will continue until the combined holiday period(s) total 6 weeks
• already exceeded 6 weeks, payment will stop when the holiday period(s) total 6 weeks

The Resources page contains further information and examples on holidays combined with approved study overseas.

Has the customer provided evidence of their study?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, advise the customer to provide proof of the reason for their absence to their local Service Centre or send to Centrelink International Services. Customers must also advise travel dates so the period of approved portability, including any additional travel time can be assessed, and, an overseas contact address. Advise a final decision cannot be made until the evidence is provided. Record details in a DOC including advice given. Procedure ends here

Discuss the verification provided by the customer for studying units of their Australian course outside Australia. Keep a copy of the verification on file.

Is the Service Officer satisfied the evidence verifies the overseas study or work?

• Yes, determine the start and end dates of the overseas activity. The approved study period may include additional travel time to allow them to prepare for the study and/or to finalise their affairs and return to Australia. Advise the customer payment can continue until the approved end date (or longer depending on any holiday period/s for payments with general portability)
• No, advise the customer the evidence has not been accepted and why. Advise the customer they can obtain further evidence if they wish. Also advise that if they do not provide further adequate evidence but they still leave Australia, payment will only continue for a maximum portability period, generally 6 weeks (4 weeks in a rolling 12 month period for DSP)

• Advise the customer of the portability decision

Ask the customer if they have a contact address or phone number while outside Australia

• If they do, check if they want their mail to go to their overseas address or continue to their normal Australian address. Note: ensure the customer is aware payments may be delayed if any forms are not returned
• Ask the customer if they wish to nominate an agent to act on their behalf while they are overseas. If so record the details in a DOC. Advise the customer, provided they remain qualified to receive them, add-ons can remain payable. For details, see Portability of Add-ons

Check if the customer has income from employment or is a stimulus customer

• Check if the customer has income from employment or is a 2WE reporter. If yes, see Recording and correcting employment income details

Check the Future Activity List (FAL) screen

Are any reviews due before the expected date of return? Action and finalise if possible, or advise the customer they must reply to any Services Australia mail while they are overseas.

Finalise interview

• record all details of the decision on a DOC
• determine if the customer has to contact when they have returned to Australia and discuss this prior to the customer's departure to correctly assess the customer's ongoing entitlements
• advise the customer about the continuation of payment on their return to Australia or to contact the agency if their plans change, or they are delayed overseas
• advise CIS contact details, for contact with the agency while overseas
• check if the customer has any further queries
• if the customer requests written notification of the decision, issue the customer with a Pre Departure Interview-Portability Decision (XOB101) letter

Departure date changes

• Ensure the customer is aware that if the departure date changes by more than 3 days, the approved reason for travel will no longer apply and payments may cease on departure. The customer must advise the agency of the change and the reason for the travel must be reassessed

• Record the change of address on Address Details (AD) screen if the customer has provided new address details. Note: it is not mandatory for the customer to provide an address outside Australia
• Record the overseas telephone number if available

Go to the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen.

Is the customer travelling for overseas study or work and have they provided acceptable supporting documentation?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, they are not travelling for overseas study or work (or reason/evidence does not support payment under OFS provisions):
• Update the RSCD screen with the travel details
• Go to Step 3

• Update the Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen. Use Overseas Full Time Study (OFS) as the Portability Reason:
• If the customer is combining overseas study with a holiday after the course ends, check if they have used any holiday period before study start date and that any such holiday did not exceed 6 weeks (42 days). Note: DSP is not payable outside Australia after the overseas study period unless the total period of absence is less than 4 weeks in a rolling 12 month period
• If the customer has any holiday period remaining (for example, 42 days not used yet), add a new entry for the holiday period. Leave the Portability Reason blank

Note: the approved study period may start several days (or weeks) after departure. If there is a holiday period before the approved study, reflect this from departure date and OFS is coded on a new entry from the approved start date. There is no additional travel time allowed where study follows a holiday or a holiday follows study.

• Code the RSCD screen with the expected date of return to Australia
• Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen and finalise the activity

Note: the reassessment will occur once the customer actually leaves Australia and the immigration datalink verifies the departure.