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The Community Support Program (CSP) is a refugee resettlement program in Australia that helps refugees start a new life in the country. The CSP provides support through Australian supporters, who can be relatives, community organizations, or businesses, and employers who offer sustainable employment opportunities. To apply for the CSP, applicants must meet eligibility criteria, including demonstrating their capacity to satisfy Class XB Subclass 202 Global Special Humanitarian Visa requirements, being between 18 and 50 years old, having adequate English skills, and showing a pathway to financial self-sufficiency within 12 months of arrival. Australian supporters and employers are assessed through an Expression of Interest, and visa applications are drafted and finalized with the support of registered migration agents.
On the other hand, CSP can also refer to Commonwealth supported places, which are government-subsidized university places for eligible citizens or permanent residents of Australia or New Zealand. Students enrolled in a CSP pay a reduced fee for their courses, with the government subsidizing the remaining cost.
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What You'll Learn
Eligibility criteria for CSP applicants
The eligibility criteria for a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) in Australia are as follows:
Firstly, applicants must meet the academic entry requirements set by their chosen course provider. This includes considerations of an applicant's citizenship, visa status, and where they plan to live while studying. To be eligible for a CSP, applicants must fall into one of the following categories: an Australian citizen studying at least one unit of their course while living in Australia; a New Zealand citizen studying the entire course while living in Australia; an Australian permanent visa holder studying the entire course while living in Australia; or an eligible former permanent humanitarian visa holder studying the entire course while living in Australia.
Additionally, applicants must have a Unique Student Identifier (USI) before the first census date of their course, possess sufficient Student Learning Entitlement (SLE), and not undertake more than two years' worth of higher education study within 12 months (unless approved by the provider). Applicants must also submit a request for Commonwealth assistance via an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) by the census date.
CSP applicants are also required to satisfy the Class XB Subclass 202 Global Special Humanitarian Visa criteria, which includes demonstrating substantial discrimination or gross violation of human rights in their home country. Applicants should be between 18 and 50 years old, have an offer of employment or a pathway leading to employment, and possess adequate English skills to be demonstrated at a visa interview.
CSP applicants must also exhibit personal attributes that will enable them to become financially self-sufficient within 12 months of their arrival in Australia. This includes aligning with the regional, global, and settlement priorities of the Australian government and, if applicable, having sourced an organization or individual to act as an Australian supporter.
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Requirements for Australian supporters
To apply to be an Australian supporter for someone overseas, you must submit a preliminary assessment form to the International Organization for Migration (IOM). If the assessment is positive, the IOM will invite the applicant to provide an Expression of Interest.
Australian supporters can be relatives, community organisations, businesses, or registered charities that support applicants and usually finance the costs relating to the service. They would provide support in the following ways:
- Demonstrating the ability to provide adequate support to enable new arrivals to achieve financial self-sufficiency within their first year in Australia.
- Assisting with the costs of medical checks, airfare, and other miscellaneous costs.
- Employers can also act as Australian supporters by introducing clients to IOM and providing sustainable employment to create a pathway to financial independence within 12 months.
If you do not have a particular applicant identified, you can still contact the IOM to discuss how you could get involved.
Please note that the process of applying to be an Australian supporter involves a non-refundable fee of $275, and AMES Australia is not currently accepting Expressions of Interest from Australian supporters outside of Victoria, New South Wales, and South Australia.
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Visa application process
The Community Support Program (CSP) is a humanitarian initiative by the Australian government to help refugees settle in the country. The visa application process for the CSP can be outlined in the following steps:
Step 1: Check Eligibility
The primary applicant must meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Be between 18 and 50 years of age.
- Live outside their home country and face substantial discrimination or human rights violations.
- Have an offer of employment or a pathway leading to employment.
- Have adequate English skills, demonstrated at a visa interview.
- Possess attributes to become financially self-sufficient within 12 months of arrival.
Step 2: Identify Australian Supporters
Australian supporters can be relatives, community organizations, businesses, or registered charities that agree to support and typically finance the applicant's costs. Applicants may require one or more supporters, depending on their family size.
Step 3: Submit Preliminary Assessment
If an applicant has already identified an Australian supporter, they can submit a preliminary assessment form to the IOM (International Organization for Migration). This form assesses the applicant's eligibility and their supporter's ability to provide adequate support.
Step 4: Expression of Interest
If the preliminary assessment is positive, the IOM will invite the applicant to provide an Expression of Interest (EOI). This step involves assessing the Australian supporters, employers, and applicants. The IOM will assist with registered migration agents throughout the process.
Step 5: Draft and Lodge Visa Application
Based on the information provided by the applicant, the IOM will draft a visa application. The IOM will then communicate with its missions in the applicant's country of residence to arrange health assessments, departure formalities, transportation, and pre-embarkation orientation.
Step 6: Monitoring and Settlement
The IOM will monitor the progress of each CSP entrant throughout their settlement journey, including conducting interviews at the 6 and 12-month marks. The orientation session covers housing, physical and mental well-being, money management, community participation, and networking.
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CSP availability for university courses
A Commonwealth supported place (CSP) is a place that you can secure in a university course if you want the government to cover part of your fees. When you secure a CSP, you don’t pay the full cost of the course, but only part of it. The government pays the rest. Most undergraduate degrees available through Open Universities Australia offer CSPs, and some postgraduate courses do too.
Most domestic students undertaking a bachelor degree course at a Table A provider are enrolled in a CSP. Students are generally also required to pay a student contribution and may be eligible to defer the payment of their student contributions. This takes place through a HECS-HELP loan from the Commonwealth, who will pay the provider those fees on behalf of the student. The amount of subsidy the Commonwealth contributes for each student is based on the units of study the student chooses for their program. Different units of study attract different rates of funding.
A person is only eligible for a CSP if they meet the citizenship or residency requirements set out in HESA. To meet the citizenship or residency requirements, the person must be: a New Zealand citizen who will be resident in Australia for the duration of their unit of study; or the holder of a permanent visa who is resident in Australia for the duration of their unit of study.
CSP availability varies depending on the university and course. If you want to study an undergraduate course with a public university and you meet all the entry requirements, then it’s very likely you’ll land a CSP. However, some undergraduate courses (and most eligible postgraduate courses) have a quota on the number of CSPs they can offer. Places can be more competitive in those cases.
You can check CSP availability for a course on its course description page under 'CSP availability'.
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CSP vs. fee-paying place
CSP, or Commonwealth Supported Places, are subsidised by the Commonwealth. Students enrolled in a CSP are required to pay a student contribution, which may be deferred through a HECS-HELP loan. The amount of subsidy provided by the Commonwealth depends on the units of study chosen by the student.
To be eligible for a CSP, one must meet the citizenship or residency requirements set out in HESA. This includes being a New Zealand citizen who will reside in Australia for the duration of their study or a permanent visa holder who is an Australian resident for the duration of their study.
On the other hand, a fee-paying place does not receive any government funding or subsidy. Students in a fee-paying place are responsible for the full cost of their course. If you are not eligible for a CSP, you will be offered a fee-paying place. The tuition fees for fee-paying places depend on the enrolled units, the course, and the commencement year.
As a domestic fee-paying student, you may be eligible for a low-interest FEE-HELP loan from the government to defer your fees. Similar to the HECS-HELP loan, the FEE-HELP loan is paid directly to the university, and repayments are automatically applied through the taxation system once your income reaches a certain level.
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Frequently asked questions
CSP can refer to the Community Support Program, which is a program to help refugees start a new life in Australia. CSP can also refer to Commonwealth supported places, which are government-subsidized university places.
If you are applying for the CSP, you must satisfy the eligibility criteria. This includes being between 18 and 50 years old, having an offer of employment, and demonstrating adequate English skills. You will also need to find an Australian supporter, who can be a relative, community organization, business, or registered charity. They will need to fill out a preliminary assessment form and submit an Expression of Interest.
Check that the course you are interested in offers CSPs. Apply for the course and select that you would like to apply for a CSP. You will need to submit supporting documentation, including proof of your citizenship status. Then, wait for the university to confirm whether your application has been successful and if you have been offered a CSP.
