Planning for Australia

You may always check with your friends or go to the popular Education agent in your area to find any information regarding Australian universities and about how is the everyday life of international students in Australia. However, it is always recommended to search on the various Australian government and university websites before you choose any university to study or city to live in. Some of the steps you should follow are listed below:

• Make sure you want to pursue the degree: As we have seen over the years, thousands of international students come to Australia thinking that as soon as they finish their Australian degree, they will get the relevant job. Indeed, there are certain courses after finishing which you can get a job more easily than in other courses. There are even graduate programmes, internships and apprenticeships available. However, this is not the case in every course. It depends upon various factors such as: which degree you completed in Australia, which level of education you completed, which city you studied in, how good are you in required industry skills (especially in chef jobs and IT jobs), how many years of experience do you have (if you completed Master’s programme in Australia, employers might look at the previous overseas experience that you may have after finishing Bachelor’s degree) and many more. So, make sure, you really want to pursue your career in what you study.
• Choose the city to study in: There are over 40 universities and non-affiliated colleges where you can study your desired course. These universities and colleges are located in cities as well as regional areas. To study as an international student, cities are almost always good choices. However, you should consider a few factors before deciding which city or regional area to choose from. If you have close friends or relatives in one of these areas, get suggestions from them. Otherwise, you should get a bit of information about some of the cities. In comparison to regional areas, cities obviously have more opportunities in case you want part-time jobs. Moreover, you can meet people from different countries and cultures and even transportation in urban areas are easier to get.
• Research about the best universities: Even though you can get all the information regarding universities and colleges from your Education agent, it is a good idea to search universities, the courses they offer and semester fees on your own. Not every agent has sound knowledge of every Australian university and the courses they offer. Some universities rank higher than others and this makes a significant difference when you are applying for jobs after graduation.
• Go to an authorized Education agent: After you have researched about courses, cities and universities to study in, you should contact your local Education agent to apply for the course. If you want to apply for a scholarship, you do not need to go through an agent, as agents rarely help students with scholarship arrangements. Make sure, you have heard about the agent before, the agent is registered in your country and officially represents the university/college that you want to study in. Besides, check the review (google review or from other sites) given by his/her previous clients on how he/she is giving service.
• Meet the English language requirement: Every course that Australia offers to the international student has an English language requirement and these language requirements may vary. Check with your agent or your university for English requirements. Australia accepts most of the internally accredited aptitude tests such as TOEFL, IELTS Academic, PTE Academic and Advanced CAE. If you are from countries such as the UK, USA, New Zealand, Canada and the Republic of Ireland this rule does not apply to you. You do not need to meet this requirement even if you are from another country if you want to get enrolled in an English Language Intensive Course for Overseas Students (ELICOS). For more info, please visit the Subclass 500 visa page at https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au.
• Meet the financial and other requirements: You should find information about the financial and other requirements that you need to meet to get a visa to study here in Australia with your agent or Australian Immigration site. Similar to the English language requirements, these requirements may vary depending upon the course and university you choose; and your country of citizenship.
• Prepare all of your documents and apply: As your agent may suggest, you need to prepare relevant documents as the immigration and university have suggested. Some of the documents that you may require, depending upon your situation are:
  1. Documents related to your identity and travel documents: Passport, Birth Certificate, Photo etc.
  2. Proof of English test score: Your IELTS Academic/TOEFL/Advanced CAE/PTE Academic certificate with the minimum required scores.
  3. Your academic certificates: All of the required academic certificates that you have.
  4. Your Offer letter: When you apply for a course, your education institute will send you an offer letter if you meet all the pre-requisites.
  5. Health insurance cover: You need to be insured by a private health insurance provider for your visa to be approved.
  6. Proof of finance: You may need to provide evidence of your parent’s (or guardian’s) financial condition that includes property estimation papers, bank statements and all relevant documents.
  7. Proof of good character: You have to provide a police certificate and in some cases, you may have to provide a “No Objection” letter from your previous university/government.
  8. Letter to address genuine temporary entrant requirement: You need to write a letter to show the Australian government that you want to come to Australia only temporarily. The only motive of you enrolling on the university is to gain a good quality education. For more information on GTE, please visit the Department of Home Affair’s webpage.
  9. Proof of fee payment: In some cases, you may need to show proof of university enrolment. For this purpose, you may have to provide a document that shows that you have paid at least for one semester.
• Wait for visa approval: After extended research and all the hard work done during document preparation time, you may be worried about the visa approval. However, if you have prepared the documents the right way and have met all your requirements, all you need to do is wait, while being in touch with your agent.

For more information on this subject, please visit the Department of Home Affair’s student visa page.