AUSTRALIA · CHAPTER 18
Staying safe and wellin Australia.
Call 000 for police, fire or ambulance (112 also works from mobiles), 131 444 for police matters that are not urgent, and Lifeline on 13 11 14 for crisis support at any hour. healthdirect (1800 022 222) gives nurse advice. Universities offer free counselling. The High Commission of India in Canberra and consulates in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane help with passports and emergencies. The most common problems are underpayment at work, rental scams and calls posing as Home Affairs or the ATO.
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- Emergency
- 000
- Police, non-urgent
- 131 444
- Lifeline
- 13 11 14
- 24 hours
- Pay and work rights
- Fair Work Ombudsman
Mental health and wellbeing
Every university has free counselling, and your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) may pay towards a psychologist; check your policy. Lifeline (13 11 14) and Beyond Blue offer free phone and online support. Isolation and overwork are the usual triggers: keep to your fortnightly work limit and stay connected.
Work rights and wage theft
You have the same workplace rights as Australians, including the minimum wage, payslips and superannuation. Cash-in-hand jobs paying below the minimum wage are illegal for the employer. The Fair Work Ombudsman helps visa holders recover unpaid wages, and under an agreement with Home Affairs, reporting exploitation does not normally put your visa at risk even if you worked beyond your limit, as long as you cooperate.
Scams aimed at international students
- Calls from "Home Affairs", "the ATO" or "police" threatening visa cancellation or arrest unless you pay. Hang up; no agency asks for gift cards or crypto.
- Rental listings that want a bond before an inspection. Bonds are lodged with the state bond authority, not paid to a person in cash.
- Job ads that want an upfront fee or your bank login.
- Check and report scams at Scamwatch.
Sun, beach and everyday safety
- UV is strong: use sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses, even on cloudy days.
- Swim only between the red and yellow flags at patrolled beaches.
- Learn about local wildlife and bushfire alerts for your state.
- Report racism to your university, the police or the Australian Human Rights Commission.
When to contact the Indian mission
- The High Commission of India in Canberra (and consulates in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane) issues emergency certificates if your passport is lost or stolen (report it to the police first and keep the report).
- It helps in arrests, hospitalisation, a death, or when a student is missing; families in India can raise a request on the MEA's MADAD portal.
- It cannot pay your bills, get you out of a legal case or intervene in visa decisions of the host country.
- Save the mission's emergency number from its website in your phone before you fly, and register any address change with it if asked.
QUICK ANSWERS
Your questions, answered.
Keep your payslips and hours, then contact the Fair Work Ombudsman. Visa holders who report exploitation are normally protected from visa cancellation for work-limit breaches.
000 for police, fire and ambulance; 112 also works from mobiles. For urgent mental-health support call Lifeline on 13 11 14.
WHERE TO GO NEXT
Keep going: the pages that help next.
Each card says what you will find there. Looking for something else? See every page on the site.
AUSTRALIA GUIDE
OSHC, bank & phone
Overseas Student Health Cover, using GPs and hospitals, opening an Australian bank account and phone plans.
AUSTRALIA GUIDE
First weeks in Australia
After landing in Australia: update your address, apply for a TFN, open a bank account, get a SIM and a transport card.
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FRANCE
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