Oz Homestay is very excited and proud to launch our brand new website www.ozhomestay.com.au. This site has dedicated areas for Host Families, Students and Institutions. Under the Host Family section, you can find Guardianship Guidelines, Homestay Guidelines, frequently asked questions, a clear explanation of the different fees for different types of students and much more. We hope that this site becomes a great resource for you and assists you in smoothly hosting International Students through our Oz Homestay.

E-mail Newsletters

We will be sending out a bi-monthly email newsletter to interested host families. This newsletter will include things such as industry news and updates. As one of our valued host families, we have included you in the first issue. However, to receive future issues, you will need to sign up for the newsletter at www.ozhomestay.com.au. We will only be sending newsletters to those that register. You can also of course remove your name from the list at any time.

New Homestay Regulations

All families hosting students must comply by 1st July 2010 - Working with Children Checks – It is now a requirement that all families hosting students hold current Working with Children Checks. This is regardless of the age of the students or the institution they are attending. The Working with Children Checks are required to be completed every 12 months and the forms are available to download here.

Public liability Insurance

It is now a requirement that host families hold public liability insurance that covers Homestay students. Some insurance companies do cover non-related boarders, but it is important to check you are covered and provide us with a certificate of currency. If you are not covered, Oz Homestay is currently working with a company to provide a specific Homestay insurance. Details will be sent to families when available.

International Student Numbers

We are sure that you will have noticed that the number of students for Homestay this year has been significantly lower than in previous years. You may have also read different articles in the papers which discuss the state of the Overseas Student Industry. Below is an excerpt from an article that appeared in The Australian on the 12th May 2010.

OVERSEAS student applications plunged 40 per cent last month following "abrupt and rapid" changes to Australia's visa regime, the country's peak education agent warned yesterday. The crackdown on student visas, coupled with uncertainty caused by the continuing delay to the priority skills list, could cost Australia at least $600 million in lost export revenue, IDP chief Tony Pollock told The Australian.

"Last month, there was a significant decline in applications from India, Vietnam and China. It's a concern," Mr Pollock said. To read the full article click here

The priority skills list has now been released and hopefully will mean that students who have been delaying their applications will now go ahead. Combining this with the fact that July is traditionally the largest intake of the year, we hope to have lots of students coming your way for the second half of 2010!

A student’s bedroom is their own personal sanctuary whilst in Australia – it is here that they can be completely comfortable in their own space. It is extremely important that host families respect the student’s privacy and space. The Department of Education regulations state that Host Families must not store any of their own belongings in the student’s bedroom. Families should always knock on the Student’s door and wait until invited to enter and not enter the student’s bedroom when they are not at home. Cleaning times and procedures should always be discussed/advised in advance.

Oz Homestay Welcomes Jasmine!

Jasmine Le has recently joined the Oz Homestay team as an administration assistant. Many of you may have already spoken to her on the phone or communicated with her via email. Jasmine enjoys learning about new cultures, languages and cuisines. Her first language is English however she is also fluent in Vietnamese.