Australia is a great place to undertake study in one of thousands of subjects at Australian universities or train for a vocation. Australia has world class educational and student facilities and faculty. More than 320,368 student visas were granted in the 2008-09 program year, representing more than a 15 per cent growth in the student visa program in one year.
Choosing a program
Your desire to study may be fuelled by curiosity about a subject, an intended career change or to advance your professional career. If you do not already have a bachelor’s degree and you want to work towards that, you will want to look into undergraduate university programs. This is the most common type of degree found in Australia. You will need it to get most of the better paying jobs as the job market here is very competitive. If university is not an option for you, or if your career ambitions are better serviced by a more practical qualification, you should look into one of the public Technical and Further Education (TAFE) Institutes. You can also undertake vocational training at private colleges, schools and universities. TAFE qualifications may also be applied as credit to a degree program should you decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree later on.
If you already have a bachelor’s degree and are looking to advance in your chosen profession, gain additional training or make a career change, then you’ll want to look into postgraduate study. You can work towards a graduate certificate, graduate diploma, master’s degree or doctoral degree (PhD). Whatever you choose, you will need to begin to think about what you want to achieve through your study and begin looking into schools and courses that will lead to your desired outcome. Education after high school is usually completed at an accredited university or training program and you will need to apply directly to the school you are interested in. If you are not a permanent resident, you will have to apply as an overseas student and you’ll be required to pay overseas student fees.
Resources
Australian government website for international students
Going to Uni
The complete guide to studying for permanent residents and citizens of Australia; this is a step-by-step resource for all aspects of studying
The Good Universities Guide
An online resource for education, training and career pathways where you can find information about every degree and university in Australia along with performance ratings
Study Abroad Australia
This is a comprehensive directory of study programs aimed towards students coming from overseas.
Worldwide Classroom: Consortium for International Education and Multicultural Studies
This site features a directory and information on over 10,000 primary, secondary, language schools and universities in 95 countries, including Australia.
Student visas in Australia
If you are interested in studying in Australia, there are a number of visa options for you. Part of your visa application will involve an objective measure of immigration risk for each of 190 different countries called ‘assessment levels.’ These determine visa requirements. There are five assessment levels in the student visa program, with Level 1 representing the lowest immigration risk and Level 5 the highest. The higher the assessment level, the more evidence you will be required to submit to demonstrate support of your claims made in the application. These levels are determined by each student group’s compliance with their visa conditions and other indicators in the previous year. Levels are raised and lowered based on these factors. So the behaviour of your country’s student group from last year will affect your visa requirements this year.
The number of combinations of visa types and assessment levels makes describing them all here prohibitive. Your first port of call should be the Overseas Student Program – Assessment Levels information sheet found here. Australia offers student visas for programs from English Language Intensive Courses for Overseas Students (ELICOS) to primary and secondary courses to vocational and sponsored training to university study at all levels. You should first think about what you might want to study and then proceed to determining your eligibility and choosing the visa that most closely matches your needs. Your family members may be eligible to apply for a visa to accompany you to Australia while you study and they are subject to the same assessment level as you are, regardless of the passport they hold. You may also be eligible to work during your studies with certain restrictions. To learn more about the visas available for study in Australia, visit the Department of Immigration and Citizenship’s website here.
Are you interested in living to Australia? Do you want to know more about studying in Australia? Packed with helpful resources, anecdotes and advice, the Moving to Australia eBook is an excellent guide to those seeking information about migration to Australia as a student. Whether you want to attend university in Australia or just complete a semester abroad here, this book will assist you with all aspects from applying to finding a place to live in Australia and resources for your life here. All Australian visas are also outlined, such as skilled immigration visas, working holiday visas and visas for those who want to remain in Australia after their studies.
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