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Australia

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Australia

With an all-inclusive spectrum of varied religions, languages, art and long history, Australia is one of the most culturally and biologically diverse countries in the world. Tourists and residents have long flocked to the country for its fascinating and diverse environment that provides a modern yet relaxed way of living - a combination that bolsters both peace of mind and productivity. Today it is known world over for being a safe, warm and multicultural society that puts equality, freedom and peacefulness on priority for its citizens.

With the third largest international student population in the world after the US and the UK, Australia has firmly held its own amongst the favorites for overseas education. An elaborate set up of over 1,200 educational institutes that offer more than 22,000 courses makes the Australian Education system as diverse and expansive as the country’s population and history itself.

Why Study in Australia?

The Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) is a body dedicated to promoting the highest quality standards and safety of international students irrespective of their institute of course. Along with such measures, the Australian approach to vocational and technical education has been one of the most innovative in the world and enjoys a high global reputation leading to amazing job and career prospects for students. Despite such high quality in its education, Australian educational institutes have traditionally had lower fees amongst other English-speaking countries thereby giving students good value for money. That coupled with scholarship opportunities are makes Australia truly a dream destination for international students.

Preparing for a Degree in Australia -

A brief look at what goes into getting ready for an education in Australia.

  • (1) Exams Needed – GRE, GMAT, TOEFL, SAT, ACT

    Owing to the high standards set by the Australian Education System, entry to good institutes is a highly competitive affair. A high standard of English with ILETS 6.0 band for undergraduate and 6.5 band for Post Graduates is an absolute basic mandate. Apart from IELTS, most autonomous educational institutes have their own set of criteria and requirements about entrance exams such as GRE, GMAT, TOEFL etc. Thus, the exams needed to enter depend largely on the university the student chooses.

  • (2) University Application Process

    (a) Form Submission

    Applications to different universities must be made individually and separately. By and large the requirements for most applications are as follows.

    (i) Certified copies of academic history, including high school certificates and any studies undertaken thereafter along with academic transcripts of specific subjects.

    (ii) Certified copies of English language proficiency results such as IELTS or TOEFL

    (iii) A certified copy of your passport and any Australian visa label

  • (b) Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (ECoE)

    If the applicant is deemed eligible to study at the institute, then an official letter confirming a direct entry to the chosen course or a conditional letter which would require the student to submit a pending document or meet a future criterion is issued. At this point it is important to note that two payments must be made to officially seal the deal with the university. These include a full semester worth of tuition fees and an Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) as outlined in the letter. Once the payment is confirmed the university issues an Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (ECoE) which would form the base of the visa application.

    However, for Indian students there is an additional procedure. India being in the Assessment 3 – 4 country for higher education , Indian students must complete a Pre-Visa Assessment (PVA) in India itself. The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) has set the policy of the PVA whereby students have their genuineness assessed before obtaining an ECoE. After the PVA is done the student can apply to receive the ECoE

  • (3) Visa Process

    (a) Visa Application

    The visa procedure can only begin after the receipt of the ECoE. The requirements of a visa application are follows.

    1. Duly filled Australia student visa application form (157A)

    2. Payment of Visa fees

    3. Copy of passport biodata page (some students may be asked to physically provide their passport)

    4. Copy of ECoE

    5. Funds Evidence

    6. Health Cover Evidence

    7. English Proficiency Results

    8. ‘No Criminal Record’ evidence

  • (b) Visa Fees

    The cost of an Australian Student Visa is AUD 575.

  • (c) Interview Preparation

    A good counsellor can get you prepared for the interview and help you prepare the necessary answers to the questions asked along with physical documents that will be needed.

  • (d) Visa Interview

    The interview is held at the Australian Consulate where the student will face the immigration officer directly along with physical documents such as funds statement, criminal record check etc. The interview questions can range from the course and the institute chosen to why the student wants to study in Australia in the first place.

  • (e) Visa Outcome

    A student visa application is a paper-based visa that is processed manually. The ideal time to submit the application is 4 months prior to the date of the commencement of the university program. Upon successful submission it can take anywhere between 4-8 weeks of processing time depending on the category of the visa.

Successfully getting a degree – The Phase of Grinding and coming out on top

  • (1) Course Duration

    At par with most international study destinations, Australian undergraduate and graduate degrees take anywhere between 3-4 years and 1-2 years of full time study respectively. The concept of a Graduate Certificate also exists which can take about 6months to a year of study.

  • (2) Cost – Tuition and Living expenses

    The Australian education system and lifestyle is available for students at a lesser cost than US and the UK thereby making it more cost effective.

    Tuition Fees

    Tuition fees for both undergraduate and post graduate degrees fall in the broad range of AUS $14,000 to AUS $ 36,000 per year with some advanced MBA programs costing more.

  • Living Expenses

    Depending largely on a student’s choice of accommodation (on campus, off campus, home stay, boarding schools etc.) and lifestyle, living expenses fall in the range of AUS $10,000-15,000 per year.

  • (3) Loans - Scholarships – Student Employment

    (a) Loans

    Most government and private banks in India offer student loans ranging from as low as Rs 50,000 to as high as Rs 30,00,000 with varying interest rates and flexible repayment conditions.

  • (b) Scholarships

    Since Australia is an upcoming and recent favorite for international students, most institutes offer scholarships at both graduate and post graduate levels. However, it’s an internal process and every institute has its own criteria that takes into consideration the overall profile and various other metrics to grant a scholarship to a student.

  • (c)Student Employment

    Recent reforms in the Australian work permit rules mean international students can now work for up to 20 hrs a week during course time and 40hrs a week during vacations at an average of about 12-16 AUD per hour. While not much, such opportunities certainly enable to student to make ends meet when it comes to living expenses.

  • (4) Academic Freedom - Possibility to change fields, courses

    While changing fields is technically possible, there are several complicated requirements such as time spent in current field to not be more than a year to re application of visa to even having to depart and come back on a new visa in some cases.

Life After a Degree – Setting up for a life time of change

  • (1)Vise Tenure and Re-application

    Australia’s student visa reforms allow Bachelors, Masters and Doctoral Degree holders to apply for a Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) that allows them to temporarily work after having recently finished their studies. The Graduate Visa is typically granted for 2 years after the completion of the 2-year long Student Visa.

    After the completion of this, a few options are to ask an employer to fund and sponsor a new visa or independently apply for a Skilled Visa under the SkillSelect by submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI). The Skilled Visa is granted specifically to fill the demand gap of skilled workers across several regions of Australia and is granted only after a through scrutiny of the applicant. Vocational Training, Internships and Work Experience are crucial in successfully getting a Skilled Visa. The Skilled Visas are of three types vis a vis Provisional Skilled (Regional Sponsored Visa – Subclass 487), Permanent Skilled – (Independent visa - Subclass 885) and Permanent Skilled – (Sponsored Visa - Subclass 886)

  • (2) Average Salaries and growth options

    Latest year range should be entered. Full-time earnings in Australia averaged A$89,122 a year in the second quarter of 2020 In the second quarter of 2016, average wages for full time employees averaged at around AUD 78,000 and about AUD 81,000 per annum after considering overtime and bonuses.

  • (3) Scope of Permanent Residence

    Immigration to Australia under the Skilled Migration program is one of the best ways to find permanent residence in the country. The Australian General Skilled Migration Program offers skilled migrant workers to leverage their skills, qualifications and experience along with language skills to apply for a permanent Australian visa. As mentioned earlier, after submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) under SkillSelect. An applicant who applies under SkillSelect will have to meet various criteria such as language skills, scoring well on a points test given under SkillSelect, proving their relevant skills and experience of their domain etc. After due consideration and tussle between the various other applicants, those that come out on top will be granted a Skilled Visa.

    An open and friendly society that receives international students with a warm heart and even values the cultural diversity brought by them is the trademark of the Australian experience. Be it living in homestays and feeling like family to living in boarding schools or campuses, the promise it the same – a relaxed happy life that can foster lifelong friendships and give a boost to your career.