IMPORTANT NOTE:
SIBT considers the following circumstances as acceptable reasons for granting a student’s request for release to transfer:
- the transfer represents an opportunity for the student to complete a higher level tertiary qualification with an entry point matching their academic and language levels;
- the student is unable to satisfy prescribed conditions stipulated in SIBT’s letter of offer for admission and SIBT determines the student made a genuine attempt to meet the conditions;
- the student’s inability to begin studying on the program’s commencement date due to a delay in receiving a student visa;
- the transfer is considered beneficial to the student’s academic progression such as it represents an opportunity for the student to complete a higher level tertiary qualification or the student has applied to transfer to a discipline not offered by SIBT;
- the transfer is in the student’s best interest as they will be reported because they are unable to achieve satisfactory program progression at the level they are studying, even after engaging with SIBT’s intervention strategy to assist the student and the international student has experienced compassionate or compelling circumstances which hare beyond the student’s control;
- SIBT is no longer able to provide the program in which the student is due to commence or enrolled as outlined in the letter of offer;
- the government sponsor of the student considers the change to be in the student’s best interest and has provided written support for the change;
- a parent or legal guardian of a student under 18 years of age has provided written confirmation supporting the transfer;
- there is evidence that the student’s reasonable expectations about their current program are not being met;
- there is evidence that the student was misled by SIBT or an education or migration agent regarding SIBT or its program and the program is therefore unsuitable to their needs and/or study objectives;
- SIBT has a sanction imposed on its registration by TEQSA that prevents a student from continuing their program with SIBT; and
- An appeal (internal or external) on a related or another matter results in a decision or recommendation to release the international student.
SIBT considers the following circumstances as providing reasonable grounds for NOT granting a student’s request for transfer:
- the student has not completed more than 6 months of the Principal Program
- the student has not started studying, or has only recently started studying, and has not experienced the full range of academic and support services available at SIBT;
- the transfer may jeopardise the student’s progression through a package of programs, or is not likely to provide adequate preparation for further study (eg the new program does not articulate into the principal provider)
- the student is applying to transfer to a qualification of a lower level qualification or vocational qualification for reasons other than academic ability;
- the student expresses difficulty with the program of study but has not sought assistance form SIBT.
- the student has not attempted an in-session or end of session assessment item;
- the student has been warned for non-attendance;
- the student is experiencing Homestay or other accommodation problems
- the student is experiencing program schedule conflict with personal, work or other non-study commitments;
- the student is experiencing adjustment difficulties moving to Australia;
- the student has changed his or her mind about the program
- the student wants to live somewhere else (unless there are exceptional compassionate grounds where it can be determined that living somewhere else is in the student’s best interest);
- the student wants to transfer to a provider with lower fees, or would lead to an overall reduction in costs to the student;
- the student submits fraudulent documents as evidence for a release;
- SIBT forms the view that the student is trying to avoid being reported to Immigration for failure to meet attendance or academic progress requirements and
- the student has 25% or less of the course to complete.
SIBT reserves the right to take into consideration other factors, including individual circumstances of a student, which may not have
been specified above.
Timeframes
A student will be informed of SIBT’s decision regarding their request for release to transfer to another registered program provider within 15 working days of the submission of the completed application form. Where a release to transfer is not granted, written reasons for the refusal will be provided to the student together with advice that he or she is able to access complaints and appeals policies and procedures and that the student has 20 working days to do so.