Tag Archive for: Visas

Studying in Australia for Thai Students

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With the necessity of a good education to remain competitive in the global stage, many Thai students are gravitating towards an Australian education. This is mainly because a world-class education in Australia is relatively more affordable that in the United States and United Kingdom. Another reason is because of the diversity of culture that breeds a feeling of warmth and acceptance. Here are all you need to now if you’re angling to get an education in Australia.

Requisites

Prior to anything else, you need to fulfill several requirements to acquire a student visa:

1. Complete your application in an Australian educational institute. One major requirement is that you’re already accepted. Don’t worry as this often doesn’t entail any payments as yet.
2. Get a quality, comprehensive health insurance. This can vary in cost but is ultimately to your benefit anyway.
3. Fill out the application form and pay the requisite THB 13,600 necessary to process it.

Once that’s done, you have all you need to get to Australia. The only thing left is to actually get there.

Getting to Oz

It is a manageable 5,600 km from Bangkok to Australia so travel time is a comfortable 9 hours and 45 minutes on average via Qantas, Emirates, Thai Airways, and Bangkok Airways. You can also opt to stop over at Singapore and Shanghai if you wanted to, this will increase the flying time to 12-13 hours. Naturally, the overall travel time can be longer if you take a longer stopover.

The Cost of Living

Naturally, a big concern among Thai students is the cost of living during their stay. The truth is that the cost of living in Australia is higher than it is back home in Thailand. It’s between 50 to 100% higher when you’re talking about basics like rent costs and groceries. It’s significantly higher when you’re talking about restaurant prices. A THB 60 meal in Thailand will cost a whopping THB 440 when in Australia. One of your best bets to saving money is to prepare your own meals.

The Rewards of Trying

One of the most popular career options in Thailand lies in Engineering, and the numbers say it all. Engineers of various disciplines will earn as much as THB 32,600 monthly back home in Thailand. In Australia, those same disciplines in engineering will expect to earn up to THB 147,000 monthly. This is just one job option, of course, other key career groups like IT and even management see a vast increase along the same lines.

A Greater Thai Family

There are over 45,000 Thais living in Australia today. Of this number, most are in New South Wales—though there are also significant number of Thais living in Victoria, Queensland, and Western Australia. Many of these migrated to Australia within the last decade. Apart from that, there are also over 250,000 Thai students enrolled in different school and universities across the nation. This makes for a robust support system evidenced by the many online groups offering meet ups and shared activities.

Important Celebrations

There are several holidays that Thailand has in common with Australia. These include the New Year, Labor Day, and to a certain extent, Chirstmas. More important holidays are those relating to Thai Royalty and their Buddhist heritage. These are mostly celebrated within Thai communities themselves with a deep sense of reverence. While only normally including local Thais, these celebrations are nonetheless made special and are open to other Thais coming over to study.

If you’re a Thai looking to gain an advantage of world-class education without breaking the bank, Australia is a great option for you. The large presence of fellow Thais make the transition much easier. Bolstered by a higher income potential, it’s easy to understand why many of your fellow Thai opt to make the move. It’s easy enough to follow them too!

Studying in Australia for UK Students

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For many people, the prospect of being able to study abroad can be very exciting and just that little bit scary. After all, you’re going to be thrust into a world far from your family where the culture can vary slightly. Fortunately, if you’re a student from the UK looking to try to expand their education to Australia, you’re not going to be all that homesick. Here are a few things you need to know to help you on your journey.

Before You Go

The most important visa that you need to get to study full time is the student visa. You need to be at least six years of age and have health insurance. Equally critical is that you need to have already been accepted by an educational institution in Australia. This is easy enough to accomplish given the ease of applying for a reputable college or school online. Costing roughly GBP 315, this visa is viable for five years already.

Getting There

Because Australia is nearly on the opposite side of the globe from the UK, the travel time comes up to a whopping 21 hours and 40 minutes if you take the direct, one stop route via Thai Airways International from London Heathrow to Sydney Airport via Bangkok. If you prefer a more relaxed, scenic route, that time extends to over 55 hours—this is especially if you want a little bit of an adventure before you dive into your studies.

The Relative Cost of Living 

On the average, the cost of living in Australia is lower than that in the UK—London specifically. Rent prices, in particular, are a significantly lower by 13.61% in Sydney. Meals, in particular, are much cheaper. In an inexpensive restaurant in Sydney, you can get for GBP 8 what you’ll pay GBP 15 in the UK. Strangely, it’s grocery prices that are somewhat higher in Australia—but not by much. A 0.33-L bottle of soda is around GBP .50 cheaper in the UK, for example.

Potential Earnings

One bit of great news that is sure to please those intending to study in Australia is that Australia offers significantly more lucrative salaries. The national average is around GBP 6,000 more that that in the UK. For example, bar attendants earn around GBP 2 more than their UK counterparts. The gap is even more pronounced in professions like nursing. Nurses in the UK can get, on average GBP 25,000 while those in Australia earn over GBP 15,000 more.

Support Systems

There are upwards of 2,000 UK students currently studying across Australia at any given time. That, coupled with a very similar sense of culture, means that you will feel at home in the land down under. There are pubs to enjoy a night out, Australia has its own club football competition. If you plan to keep tabs on your favorite football club back home, be prepared to watch those very late at night.

Celebrate Good Times

Many of the most important holidays in the UK are celebrated in Australia as well. Christmas and Boxing day are just as jovial and fun. They even place importance to the Queen’s Birthday and Labour Day. Added holidays that can be just as enjoyable for UK students includes ANZAC day for war veterans, and Australia Day. Additionally, expect rounds of raucous celebration every time Australia’s national teams play and win on the international stage.

All in all, UK students in Australia can expect a relatively easy transition as well a lower cost of living. You’ll feel readily at home with the roughly similar culture. And the break from the wet weather of the UK for sun and fun is certainly welcome. That’s not even mentioning the high quality of educational institutions in Australia.

Studying in Australia for Chinese Students

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Studying abroad is fairly popular among Chinese students, with over 20,000 studying around Australia. This is crucial as it can be intimidating for you to be immersed in a culture that is far from your own. Understanding what you’re in for goes a long way towards putting you at ease, though. So, here are everything that you need to know if you’re considering advancing your studies abroad to help make your transition smoother.

Before You Leave

As with any other country, there are visa requirements that need to be met. You specifically need to get an Australian Student Visa. Costing around CNY 2,730 and lasting for five years, the visa also requires you have health insurance and be at least six years of age. You also need to be already accepted in an educational institution in Australia—that’s easy enough to accomplish as many of the best allow for applications online.

A Shorter Road

In spite of the fact that it’s almost 9,000 km from Beijing International Airport, the flight time to Australia—Sydney specifically—is only a manageable 12 hours at most. These are direct flights provided by Air China. This means that it is easy enough to fly home for vacations or when you get homesick. Again, you can opt for the scenic route and enjoy a few stopovers along the way.

The High Cost of Living

You need to be very careful when it comes to spending in Australia, however, as prices are generally higher in Australian cities. This covers the range of critical spending from rent to meals and even groceries. Meals are more expensive by roughly CNY 60, while average rentals can be costlier by up to 115%. The difference isn’t so big when it comes to simpler groceries and supplies where the it falls between CNY 4-10 at an average.

Making a Living in Australia

The good news is that if you do choose to eventually work in Australia, you can expect income that is almost 11 times what you would get if you apply your skills in China. For a profession like nursing, for example, can earn up to CNY 35,000 in China whereas in Australia, that salary cap comes out to around CNY 420,000! That even applies to more basic jobs that you can get while studying or as you are still a fresh graduate after your five-year stay.

Finding Support

With nearly 166,000 Chinese students at any given time in Australia, you will never completely feel homesick. In fact, this large number has meant many different student organizations have been put together to provide everything from study help, emotional support, and even job placements. The biggest of these includes the Australia-China Youth Association, Sydney University Chinese Student Association (SUCSA), and the University of Melbourne’s Chinese Students and Scholars Association—and there are many more in other bigger Australian educational institutions.

It’s a Celebration (or Not)

Admittedly, there also aren’t that many holidays in common between the two countries. Chinese New Year, however, is one that the thriving Chinese community in Australia does celebrate with street festivals, Chinese markets, local entertainment programs, and firecrackers. Note, however, that this isn’t celebrated as a non-working holiday, though some Chinese businesses will close down.

Apart from specifically student groups, there is a thriving community of Chinese immigrants in Australia. That means that any student will feel just as home while there for studies. The higher prices might pose a challenge but this is offset by much higher income potential.

Living and Working in New Zealand

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Studying in Australia for Vietnamese Students

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Many Asian students have chosen Australia’s top-notch educational system to advance their studies. Of these, a respectable number comes from Vietnam. Part of this is due to the fact that the country is a top provider of government scholarships to Vietnam since 1970. The other part is the objective quality of the institutions that offer options for international students. If you’re looking to join the trend of your countrymen pursuing studies in the Land Down Under, here’s what you need to know.

Before You Get To Go

The first thing that you need to actually get out of the way is your acceptance into an Australian educational institution as this is a critical requirement. From there, all you need is health insurance and you can apply for a student visa. It costs VND 9,500,000 to acquire but it will last you for five solid years. Once you’re there, you can even apply for a permit to work if you prefer having a part time job to alleviate expenses.

The Flight There

From the capital of Vietnam, Hanoi, to Australia is a distance of about 6,000 km give or take. This translates to a travel time of over 8 to 9 hours roughly. That’s assuming that you take a direct flight via Korean Air and are headed to Sydney. To get to Canberra via direct flight is significantly longer at 12 hours and 10 minutes.

The Higher Cost of Living

It’s important to note that there is a significant gap in the costs of living between Vietnam and Australia. On average, prices in Australia are twice as they would be in Vietnam. That includes everything from rent to groceries and even affordable meals at a restaurant. For example, a one-bedroom apartment at a city center will cost you VND 28,000,000 in Australia what would cost only VND 9,000,000 in Vietnam. Most critical market books, in fact, are up to twice or thrice the price that you would pay in Vietnam.

A Higher Income Potential

The good news is that there is an equally noticeable disparity between the minimum wage paid out between the two countries. In Vietnam, that comes down to VND 1,390,000 whereas in Australia, that’s up to VND 45,700,000. Healthcare professions—a very popular career path in Vietnam—can earn as much as VND 1,700,000,000. That’s a hefty fifty times more than what can be earned in Vietnam.

Sixth in Size

There is a very strong and thriving community of Vietnamese in Australia. While they can be found in all corners of the country, they have historically been concentrated in Melbourne and its suburbs. A fun fact is that Nguyen is slowly overtaking Smith as Australia’s most common surname. These communities have housing and even stores owned and operated by Vietnamese immigrants. At over 300,000 Vietnamese all over the major city centers of Australia, it’s much easier to feel closer to home.

Ushering in a New Year

While not widely celebrated in Australia by Australians, Tet Nguyen Dan—the Vietnamese New Year—is celebrated raucously within the thriving Vietnamese community there. While work in Australian-owned companies doesn’t stop, you can expect those in Vietnamese quarters to close down. Many families open their doors to visitors—especially fellow Vietnamese—to allow them to join in the festivities even if they are far from home.

There are some challenges to studying in Australia. But with the potential to earn more and a large community for support, students dreaming of expanding their education to Australia will be well rewarded and, ultimately, not too far from home.

Why Study in Australia? A Guide for International Students

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In spite of the fact that it has a smaller population than bigger nations on the list, Australia ranks third in the whole world in terms of being a popular international student destination. This is complemented by the fact that the country is ranked 9th in the world in terms of its University System ahead of Germany and Japan. Add to that the fact that 5 out of the 30 best student cities in the world are located in Australia, and it’s not so hard to understand why that’s the case.

Money Matters

Those numbers only tell part of the story, however. Another thing that many people consider is that the relative cost of education in Australia is much lower than in the United States and the United Kingdom. That and the fact that most Asian countries are close neighbors makes Australia more potent in terms of its ability to pull in more students annually. All in all, this number of students from neighboring Asian countries comes up to about 550,000—and that appears to grow constantly as the years wind forward.

Getting There

The various embassies of Australia in many Asian nations have helped greatly in their promotion of study to their country. This is greatly reflected in the relatively affordable requirements. A five-year Student Visa costs AUD 560 and only requires comprehensive health insurance coverage as well as acceptance in an Australian educational institution. This latter bit is much easier given that many such institutions offer easy enrollments online with guidance and assistance to those who are interested.

Culture, Community, and Cost

One reality that many students have to face is that the cost of living is generally higher than in their home countries. These, in fact, can go as high as twice or even thrice the price in terms of general commodities and rent. Fortunately, however, there are also thriving communities per nationality across the major cities of Australia. These communities provide essential support and culture that allows students to seek ways to live smarter in the country. They often also offer part-time work to help offset these costs of living.

A Matter of Celebration

Australia prides itself on being culturally diverse and that’s reflected in the warm acceptance of peoples of different nationalities. This translates to lively celebrations on holidays that are similar across different nations—like Christmas and New Year’s Eve and Day. That also means, however, that even if the holiday isn’t particularly celebrated by Australians, the various international communities are more than welcome to their own festivities. This is perfect for students who are particularly prone to feeling homesick.

Greater Potentials

Education in Australia is certainly an investment. Over the course of the study, students can expect to spend quite a lot to get to the end of their journey. This more than pays off however in the work opportunities available to graduates in Australia. These fall in some of the most popular fields of work in Asian countries—like management, IT, healthcare, and others. Best of all, these come with salaries that are twice or thrice—at least—what graduates can expect in their home countries.

If you’re looking for a better means with which to advance your career, studying in Australia is one of your best bets. It’s an investment, for sure, but it more than pays for itself with the quality of work and income potential with jobs you can get in Australia. The prominence of many Asian communities in Australia’s cities makes it just as easy to feel at home.

How Can I Get a Student Visa

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If you plan on studying in Australia, you will need to obtain a Student Visa (subclass 500) from the Australian government. Getting a student visa into Australia can be complicated and time-consuming, so you should get the correct and most up to date advice to assist you with your student visa application.

It takes time to get your application ready including having all of your documents in the appropriate format for lodging with the Australian Government.

In order to get a Subclass 500 visa, you must comply with all of the Australian Government requirements. Applicants from each country may have different criteria in order to get this visa, so it pays to get the right advice. How much information the government requires, and in what form that information must be submitted can depend on a range of factors including:

  • which country you are from
  • your personal circumstances
    • your financial situation
    • who is supporting you financially
    • your health
    • your ties to your home country
  • your academic history
  • what course/s you would like to study
  • your family situation (married, children, etc)
  • any criminal record you may have

One of the most important considerations of the Australian government is that any applicant for a Student Visa is a “Genuine Temporary Entrant” (GTE). This criterion must be addressed in detail or the applicant can have their application denied.

If you make a mistake on your visa application, it may be refused, preventing you from achieving your dreams of coming to Australia to get a quality education and changing your life.

As a Migration Education International (MEI) client, we will assist you by accessing and interpreting the most current information from the Australian Government, assessing your eligibility to get a Student visa, and preparing your application to give you the best chance of success. Every applicant is different, so it is important you get advice that is relevant to your situation.

We will help you compile the right documents, complete all of the application requirements, write a comprehensive covering submission and lodge your student visa application on your behalf. We will then liaise with the Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) on your behalf.

Our nominal service fees cover all the above services, document preparation, advice and visa lodgement costs.

Sean Mahoney is a Registered Migration Agent approved by the Office of Migration Agent Authority (OMARA), registration number 1279210.

Contact the professional staff at MEI here