Four things international students need to know if they have a baby in Australia.

When pregnant and giving birth while studying in Australia, international students need to be aware of insurance and visa regulations to save costs and ensure a smooth life.

Truong Chau, a PhD student at Swinburne University, shares her experiences and advice for international students after giving birth twice in Australia:

Health insurance for international students

OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) is health insurance, mandatory for international students when applying for a visa in Australia.

Chau came to Australia with her husband, so she bought OSHC Couples insurance, currently costing around 4,000 AUD, equivalent to 64 million VND per year. If traveling alone, international students only need OSHC Singles insurance at 600 AUD. After giving birth, the mother must add the baby to her package within 60 days to upgrade to OSHC Family, which costs approximately 8,000 AUD per year. If you are a single mother, you can buy OSHC Single Parents, which costs only half that amount.

OSHC applies a 12-month waiting period for maternity benefits from the date you arrive in Australia on your student visa. If less than 12 months have passed, you will not be covered for prenatal care, childbirth, and postpartum care. This cost is approximately AUD 13,000 (VND 208 million) if you choose a public hospital and do not experience any health problems.

International students with OSHC insurance receive healthcare like local residents. Typically, you pay upfront for medical services and then request reimbursement from the insurance company. This process is usually quite easy, taking only a few days, or a maximum of two weeks.

Specifically, OSHC insurance will cover a portion of the costs of prenatal checkups, tests, and ultrasounds; and all fees for the mother's hospitalization, childbirth, postpartum care, and vaccinations for the baby.

The Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Photo: Thoai Giang

Choose a place for check-ups and childbirth.

When planning to have a child, Chau visited her family doctor (General Practitioner) for advice on diet and vitamin supplements. After becoming pregnant, she visited them again for prenatal care advice. The advantage of this is that there are no long waits and the costs are lower. For example, a visit with a Vietnamese family doctor costs 50 AUD, with 41 AUD covered by insurance. In contrast, prenatal checkups at a hospital usually involve waiting 1-2 hours, costing 300-400 AUD each time, and only 41 AUD is covered by insurance.

However, when the pregnancy reaches about 20 weeks, they will advise the pregnant woman to go to the hospital for monitoring and preparation for childbirth. Hospitals also offer very helpful prenatal classes.

Because she had OSHC (private insurance), Chau was advised to go to a private hospital. If she was in good health, the examination only took 5 minutes. If she or her baby had any risk factors, it might take longer, with more frequent check-ups and additional tests and ultrasounds. This was also an opportunity to discuss any questions or concerns with the doctor. However, Chau had to pay 2,000 AUD out of pocket specifically to the obstetrician.

When pregnant with her second child, having learned the ropes and wanting to save money, Chau chose to give birth at a public hospital. However, prestigious public hospitals like The Royal Women's Hospital in Melbourne are always fully booked, so you usually have to be in the designated area (near the hospital) to be admitted. The advantage of these hospitals is that they can promptly handle any complications that may arise.

The length of hospital stay depends on the health of both mother and baby. For vaginal deliveries, most women only stay one night, while for cesarean sections, they usually go home after three nights.

How do I get a birth certificate and a visa?

After giving birth, you must register your child's birth in Australia as soon as possible, as the processing time for a birth certificate takes 4-6 weeks. Then, you must obtain a birth certificate and a Vietnamese passport for your child. You don't need to apply for a visa for your child, but you must contact the Australian Department of Immigration and update your child's passport in the system so that your child can have a visa to stay in Australia legally.

Regarding nationality, both Chau and his wife are Vietnamese citizens, so their two children also hold Vietnamese citizenship, are issued Vietnamese passports, and are exempt from visa requirements when returning to Vietnam.

Generally, the residency status of a child born in Australia depends on the type of visa the parents had at the time of birth. If either parent is an Australian citizen or permanent resident, the child will have Australian citizenship. If the parents have different visas, the child will be granted the same visa as the father if the father's visa is better, or vice versa.

Consider postponing the course.

If you are pregnant and giving birth and your health is not good, you can apply for a deferment of your course, for a maximum of 3 months. However, this will take longer to complete your course than originally planned and you may need to apply for an extension of your student visa. Therefore, please consider carefully before applying for a deferment.

If you are in good health, you shouldn't take such a long leave of absence. If you need a few more days to complete your school assignments, you can request an extension instead of a temporary suspension. Of course, the school will require you to provide a doctor's or hospital certificate.

Thoai Giang (recorded)

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