International students launch campaign to fight Opal card ‘discrimination’

International students feeling the pinch on public transport are demanding to receive the same rights to concession Opal cards as domestic students.

International students, L-R front, Christa Jessica from Indonesia, Brittany Lloyd from the U.S.A. and Daniele Fulvi from Italy, and back, Christina Kim, Sinead Morgan, Rachel Evans and Bronte Scott at Sydney University. Picture: John Appleyard

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International students feeling the pinch on public transport are demanding to receive the same rights to concession Opal cards as domestic students.

A cross-campus campaign has been launched by Bankstown Student Campus Council at Western Sydney University, hoping to draw attention to the fact that in NSW, foreign students pay more than double the fare of domestic students on public transport.

Daniele Fulvi, 29, came from Italy last year to study a three-year PhD in philosophy at WSU Bankstown.

Daniele Fulvi, centre, says the cost of living in Australia. and particularly public transport, is putting financial strain on international students. Picture: John Appleyard

While he says Australia is “a beautiful place to live”, Mr Fulvi says the cost of living — especially his daily commute — are putting financial strain on exchange students.

“Most international students are not wealthy. Their families often sacrifice for them to be able to come and study in Australia,” he said.

“A student’s nationality should not be an excuse for discrimination.”

NSW is the only state in Australia not to provide concession cards for international students — despite 300,000 overseas students bringing about $8 billion to the NSW economy each year.

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According to Transport for NSW, international students are only entitled to concession fares when their study is fully funded by specified Australian Government scholarships.

A spokeswoman for Transport for NSW said the eligibility criteria is set by the state government.

“We aim to make the process for those who are entitled to receive a transport concession as streamlined as possible, while in the process still reducing the risk of concessions being provided to persons who do not meet the relevant eligibility criteria set by the NSW Government,” a spokeswoman for Transport for NSW said.

Mr Fulvi is drafting a petition that calls for a change to the eligibility criteria for concession Opal cards to include non-Australian citizens, as well as non-permanent residents in Australia.