FAQs

This is the fee paid to us to confirm that a placement is required. The fee is generally paid in conjunction with a minimum period of weekly fees (usually 4 weeks).

On receipt of the Placement Fee, we are responsible for finding and selecting an appropriate screened Host for the student using the available matching criteria.  Once the Supervisor has begun the work to locate a suitable host the Placement fee is not refundable.

The placement fee is fully refundable if: The student’s travel is cancelled or the Students Visa is not approved (upon receipt of the Australian High Commission / DIAC Visa Refusal Notification) and

• A minimum of 2 weeks written notice has been provided to us, or
• Our supervisor has not yet begun the work to find a suitable placement

Under most other circumstances the Homestay Placement fee is non-refundable.

Many students wish to put on hold their homestay placements when they return overseas or go on a holiday. If our Host and we are agreeable the student may choose as follows: pay 50% of Homestay Fee Service (Room is maintained plus storage)

The student is able to leave some of their personal possessions in the room and the room will not be used by the Host for other purposes.

In this case the student agrees to pay to the Supervisor 50% of the normal Homestay Weekly Fee for up to 8 weeks.

If you decide to cancel your application after a placement has been allocated, the placement fee is not refundable except Visa application is declined and 2 weeks notice.  If you decide to cancel your application less than 2 weeks before your arrival date, the placement fee and up to 2 weeks Homestay Fees are not refundable.

If a confirmed placement is cancelled within 14 days of the student arrival, the student will forfeit up to 2 weeks Homestay Weekly Fees.

If a student fails to arrive or decides to not attend the Homestay, the student will be required to give a minimum of 2 weeks’ notice in writing prior to any refund being considered.

The 2 weeks written notice cannot apply to any part of the prepaid 4 week or more initial homestay placement once the student has arrived at the homestay.

Your new Homestay family welcomes you! Do not worry if you cannot remember everyone’s names at first. It usually takes a week to settle in and to get to know each other, so give yourself some time to adjust. Bring lots of photos from home as your host family will be interested in seeing your family and your home town. On your first day at school your host family will make sure you know your way around, to and from school and on public transport.

Hosting students falls under the Children and Young Persons (Care and Protection) Act 1998, NSW and other similar Acts in all Australian States and Territories, a prescribed service provider  takes its legal obligations seriously; therefore we conduct the appropriate Working With Children Checks in each state we operate in and National Police checks on ALL our families. Before we place students or guests with any host family we require the Working With Children Check to be conducted on all persons living at the address who are over 18 years of age.

The biggest adjustment to life in Australia for most students is getting used to Aussie food. Be positive and optimistic about your new food adventure, you may be pleasantly surprised!

Your midday meals are not supplied by your host family, however most schools have a canteen where you can purchase lunch quite inexpensively. If you do require lunches during the week some families are able to supply this for an extra cost. Always let your family know if you have any food dislikes or allergies. You can drop hints about your favorite foods too. If you decide to request lunches, it may be that lunches on the weekend are ‘help yourself’.

Our minimum Homestay is 4 (four) weeks. Beyond first 4 weeks, on leaving Homestay the host must be given 2 (two) weeks notice or paid 2 (two) weeks in lieu of notice. You are able to stay as long as you and the homestay family are in agreement and comfortable.

Be courteous and helpful in your new environment and you will have a happy Homestay experience, being positive always helps. Commonly in Australian families, all family members help around the home. Each morning you should make your bed and tidy your room. You will be helped to change your bed linen. In Australia most families put washing outside to dry and not in dryers, this is due to Australia usually having very hot summers and mild winters. Never hang wet clothes in your bedroom or bathroom. Always look for ways to help your host family and they will appreciate your willingness and consideration to help and be part of the family.

You will need to advise us if you smoke as we will need to ensure you are placed with a family that is okay with you smoking. If you are a smoker, smoking is never permitted inside your bedroom/house as it could cause a fire and will make the house smell. You can often smoke outside the house or on a veranda or balcony if the family is in agreement for you to smoke.

Students will be given house keys, never put your address on the key ring holder. If you are the last person to leave the house, please make sure your window is closed and locked as well as exterior doors for security reasons.

Students wishing to have internet access will need to arrange this at their own expense. Telephone use will be at the discretion of the host parents, students should seek permission to make calls to mobiles and overseas and reimburse the host family for the cost of calls, or purchase a calling card. You should keep a list of any local phone calls you make. Alternatively you may have a phone line installed, but must seek permission from the host parents for this. Charges for a phone line to be installed and costs associated with a phone are at the cost of the student.