Australia serves the highest number of foreign students after US and UK and also home to some of the world’s top universities.
Due to rich cultural diversity, friendly citizens and a high standard of education system it is the most preferred destination of international students.
The excellent reputation of Australian universities in the home and abroad make their degrees widely recognized among employers. This acceptability ration has been strictly maintained and regulated by government and efforts are made to further improve the experience. No. of institutions offer courses and degrees in all fields and international students have to make choice between their field of interest.
With the option to work part-time, the living expense in Australia is relatively lower compared to USA and UK. With a handful of scholarships at the state level and from universities tuition fees are also reduced to a greater extent. It is a known fact that Australia’s living of standard is counted among best in the world.
Leading in research and technology, Australia is home to advance innovations and scientific research.
Allowed up to 20 hours work a week also helps students to earn a decent income for themselves and pay for most of their expenses. This opportunity also helps students to get the required experience in their field of study and land on good jobs after completing their studies.
Easy accessibility to a student visa, breathtaking landscape i.e. nearly 11,000 beaches around you will make this experience a life time opportunity to avail. Also, Australia has a high rate of employment which means you can find a source of earning to meet your errands quite comfortably.
Scholarships offered by Australian Government
The Australian government provides a great opportunity for international students to enjoy the perks of this part of the world by awarding them lavish scholarships, grants and undoubtedly student loans. Some of the very prestigious Australian Government scholarships are:
- Australia Awards Scholarships
- Endeavour Postgraduate Scholarship Awards
- International Postgraduate Research Scholarships
Beside it, there are hundreds of scholarships awarded by universities that will be discussed in the subsequent part of the guide.
Visa Procedure
To avail Australian study visa, one should meet the following requirement set by Department of Home Affairs.
Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement
This is required by the student to reveal his intention of stay in Australian and will be assessed by Department of Home affairs against circumstances prevailing in your hometown, potential opportunities for you in Australia, choice of your course and its future paybacks and indeed your immigration history.
Financial requirement
You should furnish the evidence of sufficient funds available on your end to meet your financial liabilities while your stay in Australia i.e. tuition fee, living expense etc.
English proficiency requirement
If you don’t belong to an English speaking country you will have to meet the English proficiency criteria set by the Department of Home affairs.
English proficiency tests that make you eligible are;
IELTS, TOEFL iBT, Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic, and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE). Score requirement depends on whether you are starting a full fledge degree, opting a foundation course or enrolling for Preliminary English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS)
Health and character Requirement
Approved by Australian immigration department you might be asked to attend a doctor for a medical checkup or radiological in case you are opting to train as a doctor or similar other training.
Students are also required mandatory to purchase Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), its cost will depend upon from whom you are buying this health cover as well as for how long.
Besides health, the Australian government also want you to be of good character value before you enter Australia. This is to prove that you don’t have any criminal background or have not been involved in any such activities. Therefore, you might be asked for police clearance certificate as well.
In addition to meeting these criteria, you would also be subject to complete a visa application form i.e. Student Visa (subclass 500). Before you apply for a visa you should obtain Confirmation of Enrolment from your Institute in Australia. Another requirement is to submit the application fee and yes! Appear for an interview.
Checklist of the documents sought for Australian student visa as prescribed by the Department of Home Affairs is as follow:
- Completed Australian student visa application form (157A)
- Paid visa application fee– currently AU$560 (~US$430) in most cases
- Copy of passport biodata page (some students may be asked to physically provide their passport)
- Certificate of Enrolment or Letter of Offer
- Evidence of sufficient funds
- Evidence of health insurance cover
- English proficiency test results
- Criminal record check results
- Four recent passport-sized photographs
Once the documents are ready to be submitted in a scanned form, you will create an account online at ImmiAccount Application System and it takes usually around four weeks of the process.
Upon your arrival in Australia, there is a certain condition that you should meet as well as follow strictly. You may arrive in Australia not earlier than 90 days before your course starts and once arrived you have to inform your education provider regarding your stay. Before commencement of your course, you cannot work, while during the course period you can work 40 hours per fortnight but you can work full time on holidays. Those enrolled in Masters or Ph.D. have no work restrictions and genuine volunteer works are also not included in your work limit, as well as any work i.e. part of your coursework.
Student Visa holders are also subject to remain enrolled in their respective registered course, ensure required performance is meet and classes regularly attended. Also, OSHC health insurance should also be maintained. In case if the required code of conduct or visa essential is not met this can result in visa cancellation.
