La Trobe University

Visiting your child at La Trobe University means flying into Melbourne Airport (MEL); the SkyBus reaches the centre in about 30 minutes. Plan the subclass 600 visitor visa well ahead.

Getting from MEL to campus

Visitor visa for parents

Indian parents need an Australian Visitor visa (subclass 600), usually the Tourist stream. It is applied for online through ImmiAccount and is fully digital - there is no visa stamp, and status is checked via VEVO. It allows stays of 3, 6 or 12 months; parents of a student in Australia often qualify for a longer 6 or 12-month stay, and in some cases a multi-year (up to 3-year) multiple-entry visitor visa is granted.

• Apply online via ImmiAccount; the visa is digital (no passport stamp) and verified through VEVO.
• Build a strong file: proof of funds, an invitation letter from your child, and clear ties to home for the 'genuine visitor' test.
• Parents of a student already in Australia have a strong reason for a longer 6 or 12-month stay - state it clearly.
• A health-insurance condition (8501) may be attached, and the visitor visa cannot be used to work or converted to a work visa.

Just admitted to La Trobe University? Here's your arrival checklist.

Arrival checklist

• Book your flight into Melbourne (MEL) early for the best semester-intake fares.
• SkyBus from MEL to Southern Cross (~30 min), then tram/train to campus.
• Clayton and Dandenong (southeast) are affordable, desi-heavy areas - line up housing before arrival.
• Arrange Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for your whole stay and show ~AUD 24,505 in living funds for the subclass 500 visa.

Melbourne is Australia's biggest student city and a close second to Sydney on cost - about AUD 1,900-2,700 a month all-in sharing and cooking, with rents quoted weekly (a shared room typically AUD 230-380/week). It has a vast university scene, a famous food and culture reputation, huge Indian communities in Clayton and Dandenong, and trams/trains covered by the Myki card.

Monthly cost of living in Melbourne (a student estimate)

That's roughly A$22,500-33,000 a year for living costs, on top of tuition.

Finding accommodation

Melbourne rents are quoted weekly and slightly below Sydney; students share, often near campus or in the southeastern desi suburbs.

• Rents are quoted weekly - multiply by about 4.3 for the monthly figure.
• Clayton (near Monash) and Dandenong are affordable and the heart of Melbourne's Indian community.
• Melbourne's free tram zone in the CBD is handy; get the Myki concession if eligible.

Working part-time

On a Student visa (subclass 500) you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight (a rolling two-week period) while your course is in session, and unlimited hours during scheduled course breaks - this is visa condition 8105. Master's-by-research and PhD students have no hour limit. The cap counts all jobs combined and is enforced through tax-office data-matching, so staying within it protects your visa. After graduating you can apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485): full, unrestricted work rights for two to four years depending on your qualification and study location (regional areas give more time), with a pathway toward permanent residency. You must generally be under 35 and apply while in Australia.

Safety & student support

Melbourne's universities sits in a generally safe Australian city; use normal city awareness at night.

• Melbourne's universities has campus security and student-safety escort services - save the campus number.
• Australian cities are generally safe, with reliable public transport.
• Use normal big-city awareness in CBD nightlife areas late at night.

Indian community & food

Melbourne has one of Australia's largest Indian communities, concentrated in Clayton and the Dandenong corridor.

Indian grocery stores

• Clayton (Clayton Rd): Sarawan Spices, Alishaan India - and Dandenong (Lonsdale St): India At Home, Aarththi, CJ Spices.
• These southeastern suburbs are the desi grocery heartland; mainstream Woolworths, Coles and Aldi carry world-food aisles.
• Excellent choice and pricing - among the best for desi groceries in Australia.

Student community

• Melbourne's universities have very large Indian and South Asian societies; the city's Diwali events are among Australia's biggest.
• Melbourne has many Hindu temples and a year-round desi cultural calendar.

• Clayton and Dandenong are packed with Indian restaurants and sweet shops.

Cost & living figures for Melbourne last verified Jun 2026. Figures are estimates and change over time.