Student Visa 2021 Intake

RodSher

FYI Only:

On 20 July the Australian Government announced a number of changes to student visa arrangements to support international students.

The changes are:

The Government will recommence granting student visas in all locations lodged outside Australia. This means when borders re-open, students will already have visas and be able to make arrangements to travel.
Eligibility requirements for a post-study work visa (Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) will be relaxed for applicants who are enrolled with an Australian education provider and have been impacted by COVID-19 and associated travel restrictions. Under these arrangements:
Existing and new student visa holders who undertake online study outside Australia because of COVID 19 will be able to count this towards the Australian Study Requirement.
Eligible graduates affected by travel restrictions will also be able to apply for and be granted a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa outside Australia.
Additional time will be given for applicants to provide English language results where COVID-19 has disrupted access to these services. Additional time will also be provided to undertake biometric collection and health checks where COVID-19 has disrupted access to services

xiaoxue

Hi Sir @RodSher mejo luma na po ata yan. Dito po yung latest:

https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/English/Study-in-Australia-student-support/latest-information-and-updates-student-support
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/student-visa

RodSher

@xiaoxue lol luma na pala yan. Thanks

Ed510

@xiaoxue said:
Hi Sir @RodSher mejo luma na po ata yan. Dito po yung latest:

https://www.studyinaustralia.gov.au/English/Study-in-Australia-student-support/latest-information-and-updates-student-support
https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/student-visa

Hello Po,

May mga unofficial news ba when Australian borders open?
Maganda ang balita about NT at SA bringing small scale International students... how about sa ibang states at schools?

xiaoxue

@Ed510 said:

Hello Po,

May mga unofficial news ba when Australian borders open?
Maganda ang balita about NT at SA bringing small scale International students... how about sa ibang states at schools?

I wish meron tayong makuhang scoop! Nagtanong ako sa IDP kung ano status ng border opening for International students. Ang sabi lang nila, it will all depend on the success of the pilot programs. So let's hope na matuloy na yung pilot programs to SA and NT and maging successful yung quarantine measures nila. Kasi kung di yun successful baka mas lalong ma-delay.

xiaoxue

Hi everyone, share ko lang. I attended a Zoom webinar yesterday and the topic was about "Employer-sponsored Visas." Several free webinars are being offered on EventBrite and I suggest you attend some of them to get ideas from other migration agents. So the talk yesterday was discussing the different employer-sponsored visas and they presented some interesting case studies (e.g. accountant, IT, etc). The speaker highlighted that State-nominated visas are too unpredictable nowadays so it's better to look at the possibility of the employer-sponsored ones to widen our options. Of course, it is difficult for offshore people to consider this, but I think it has potential for those who intend to come onshore via Student Visa and for those with partners who can work full-time.

During Q&A, I didn't waste time and sought advice about my case. I asked, "I plan to take Master's and I am choosing between Adelaide or Brisbane. Historically, both States give visa 190 nominations to their graduates. Given that Brisbane has more jobs and potential employers who could sponsor me, shall I choose Brisbane over Adelaide?"

He explained that my decision would be a double-edged sword. Adelaide is considered regional and would give me additional 5 points for State Nomination, but potentially lesser opportunities. Depending on my nominated occupation, Brisbane could have more jobs for me, but studying there won't give me additional points. So if I'm planning my migration in terms of Employer-sponsored visas and I already have the required years of relevant experience (2 for 482 and 3 for 186 DE), he advised that I should go for Brisbane (or other cities where my nominated occupation is in demand).

I did my homework last night and listed all the job ads I got from September to now. (I subscribed to Seek, Linkedin, and Indeed to email me every job ads for my occupation so that I have a list of companies to apply for when I get there.) Unsurprisingly, Sydney and Melbourne came on top of the list while Adelaide is on the bottom 3. Two months ago, I would have blindly chosen Adelaide because a lot of people say go regional for the 5 points. But now I have some data to say that I probably won't find an employer there when I graduate. It's also important to me that my partner finds a relevant job in his occupation while I am studying.

So why am I saying all this? I just noticed that people on social media are quick to advise aspiring students to go regional for the 5 points. I think that the right recommendation should weigh in each person's particular circumstances. If someone has enough points and years of experience already to meet the employer-nominated visas, then he/she/they can choose a state where jobs are abundant in their particular occupation and not rely on / hope for state nominations alone.

By the way, there's another Eventbrite webinar that I am looking forward to. This guy, meanwhile, advises people to study in regional areas for higher chances of State Nomination. Maybe some of you may be interested: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/australian-immigration-update-presented-by-former-immigration-officer-tickets-122659829853

athelene

@xiaoxue
The pandemic has definitely changed a lot of things, especially in terms of migration policies. Based on the news release/updates on migration, all states/territories are prioritizing healthcare occupations due to the demand in healthcare facilities. If you are studying anything related to healthcare, then going regional won't be an issue. But if it's not related to healthcare, you will definitely have to plan better because you'll be competing with the local Australians who lost their jobs/made redundant (especially if they have similar credentials as you). And we all know how Australian companies prefer citizens and PR over international students/temporary visa holders due to work rights (meaning they can work full-time, continuously over several years).

Whether you go to Adelaide or Brisbane is entirely up to you. But if there's one thing I hear so often from career talks (believe me, I've been to many in the last two years here), the jobs posted on Seek, Indeed, etc is only 15-20% of the jobs out there. There's the hidden job market that offshore people don't know about, and you can't tap into them until you have a good network/contact in Australia. One of the reasons why there are so few job postings on Seek, Indeed, etc. is because people in your network can refer you to job openings in their company, and HR prefer to review the application of someone referred by an existing employee (rather than a total stranger who has no connection whatsoever to the company).

If you're basing your decision on where to study solely on how many job listings there is for the job you want, that's not a good approach. Yes, Sydney and Melbourne have the most number of jobs listed on job hunting sites, but that doesn't mean that there are virtually no jobs in Adelaide for your occupation. Do a deep dive and due diligence. Look into the companies you shortlisted, do they have an office in a regional area? Instead of relying on Seek, Indeed, Jora, check Google Maps and search for design firms, and see what pops up. There's more companies to consider, not just the big, international firms. Gold Coast is a regional area, but there are lots of companies based there (probably not as many as Sydney or Melbourne or Brisbane).

xiaoxue

Hi @athelene thank you for the tips. I am not solely basing my decision on the job lists. I am just saying that one should make use of the available data on the internet and be resourceful with it to help a person make an informed decision. Subscribing to job listings and making a note of the trends is just one example. I agree, aside from the available job advertisements, it is also a good exercise to list the existing companies - both small and large firms - from each city so one would know who these potential employers are and dive deeper into how one can possibly reach them.

I am also highlighting the fact that we should not only hope for 190 visa and also check other possibilities. I said this because someone advised me to study in Tasmania because I have a higher chance of 190 there. Looking at the job lists alone, I can assume that I nor my husband won't be able to find a relevant job there.

athelene

@xiaoxue I do agree that considering other pathways is good, as 189/190 are not looking good at the moment. I simply shared things I wish I knew before coming to study in Australia (like the impact of networking), which I think may influence people's decision on where to go. Employee-sponsored visas (whether permanent or temporary) are great, for sure, but I doubt they're only offered in big cities like Sydney. So whether you choose regional area or not is a risk either way.

xiaoxue

Thanks @athelene. Sorry if I implied in my text not to go to regional areas. That is not my intention. I only want to emphasize that there are ways to measure if a particular city (may it be a regional or major city) could be a potential gold mine for aspiring migrants. In fact, in my initial list, Perth came out 3rd in terms of the number of job hirings from Sept to Oct. I did not apply to any schools in Perth because I underestimated its potential to me. If I only thought of this early on, then I would have probably submitted a university application there.

Also, I want to mention that each profession's governing body has a directory of registered practices. I am not sure if it's readily available to other organizations but in my case, AILA (Australian Institute of Landscape Architects) provides a list of all registered firms in every city. So it's quite easy to check how many firms are located in the area I am targetting.

I just want to share that there are a lot of free resources on the internet and you are right, it's good to start networking, even before we land there.

athelene

@xiaoxue said:
Thanks @athelene. Sorry if I implied in my text not to go to regional areas. That is not my intention. I only want to emphasize that there are ways to measure if a particular city (may it be a regional or major city) could be a potential gold mine for aspiring migrants. In fact, in my initial list, Perth came out 3rd in terms of the number of job hirings from Sept to Oct. I did not apply to any schools in Perth because I underestimated its potential to me. If I only thought of this early on, then I would have probably submitted a university application there.

Also, I want to mention that each profession's governing body has a directory of registered practices. I am not sure if it's readily available to other organizations but in my case, AILA (Australian Institute of Landscape Architects) provides a list of all registered firms in every city. So it's quite easy to check how many firms are located in the area I am targetting.

I just want to share that there are a lot of free resources on the internet and you are right, it's good to start networking, even before we land there.

No need to apologize. I'm not here to argue or anything ha, sharing mode lang tayo lahat dito hehehe I do understand where you're coming from, since walang exact metrics or list of factors to consider when choosing where to study, we just do whatever makes the most sense for us. So your method isn't wrong, it's what works for you. For me naman, it's the networking and webinars that helped me a lot on understanding Australian culture.

Yes, that's right. I highly recommend joining the professional organizations relevant to your occupation, especially if they have a student chapter or something. If AILA has a list of registered firms, that's a great starting point. From my experience, I joined SONA (UAPSA equivalent in Australia) while I was studying, and I signed up for the newsletters of RAIA (Royal Australian Institute of Architects). I attended whatever free event they had, so I was able to meet a few NSW architects or fresh grads/students and ask them about their experiences about practice in Australia. Because of the org events, I was able to get to know more the design industry (which you won't be able to do just by going to school).

RodSher

These days, the migration processes are changing now and then. I agree that choosing a big city or regional area will not give an edge over the other. You must have a clear vision why are you coming to Australia. For me, studying is the easiest for PR pathway at the same time you can build connections like in South Australia visa 190 requirement must be an international student graduate but sad to say many professions don't get an invite these days. However, it doesnt discourage me to proceed of what I've started rather than having the''what if's situation. In my opinion, having all the information doesnt make a difference it really depends on the migration officer. At the end, it's all your decision will matter.

xiaoxue

Hi, there's an update last Monday. Nov 9 regarding International Student Arrivals:
https://www.dese.gov.au/covid-19/international-students

Some of my notes:

Stages and timing for the plan, clearly showing how arrivals will be increased over time to
enable larger numbers of students to be welcomed from early 2021.
-Mukang good news ito, at least they're trying to target early 2021 and not late 2021.

State/territory provides a list with full details of proposed international student arrivals to
Home Affairs, including number, nationality, names, date of birth and visa status.
o All students on this list must hold a valid student visa and be confirmed as ready to
travel to Australia
-Important to apply for a student visa as early as possible

States/territories are encouraged to have their borders open to relevant international travel
arrangements
-Opening of state borders is a good sign also for international students. So sana mas marami pang magopen na states.

Overall, student arrival plans must include students from a diverse range of source countries,
and use commercial flights where available, or Commonwealth approved charter flights
-Buti na they consider diversity, kasi I am afraid na baka magfocus lang sa countries with low / zero covid cases.

Ed510

Thanks for sharing this summary and the link.
Nabasa ko na rin to pero not thoroughly .. At least meron tayong good news so we prepare our mind na this 1st quarter tayo mag cross-borders ng Australia.

In God's Time and perfect plan makarating na rin tayo sa Australia with full of dreams and ambition.
Claim na natin ang abundance.

@xiaoxue said:
Hi, there's an update last Monday. Nov 9 regarding International Student Arrivals:
https://www.dese.gov.au/covid-19/international-students

Some of my notes:

Stages and timing for the plan, clearly showing how arrivals will be increased over time to
enable larger numbers of students to be welcomed from early 2021.
-Mukang good news ito, at least they're trying to target early 2021 and not late 2021.

State/territory provides a list with full details of proposed international student arrivals to
Home Affairs, including number, nationality, names, date of birth and visa status.
o All students on this list must hold a valid student visa and be confirmed as ready to
travel to Australia
-Important to apply for a student visa as early as possible

States/territories are encouraged to have their borders open to relevant international travel
arrangements
-Opening of state borders is a good sign also for international students. So sana mas marami pang magopen na states.

Overall, student arrival plans must include students from a diverse range of source countries,
and use commercial flights where available, or Commonwealth approved charter flights
-Buti na they consider diversity, kasi I am afraid na baka magfocus lang sa countries with low / zero covid cases.

xiaoxue

@Ed510 said:
Thanks for sharing this summary and the link.
Nabasa ko na rin to pero not thoroughly .. At least meron tayong good news so we prepare our mind na this 1st quarter tayo mag cross-borders ng Australia.

In God's Time and perfect plan makarating na rin tayo sa Australia with full of dreams and ambition.
Claim na natin ang abundance.

Highlight ko lang, the protocol mentions "participating institutions." So depende pa sa mga schools kung magparticipate sila o hindi.

Today's update: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-australia-students-idUSKBN27T0DD?taid
Australian citizens daw muna before international students, which is understandable.

Ed510

@xiaoxue said:

@Ed510 said:
Thanks for sharing this summary and the link.
Nabasa ko na rin to pero not thoroughly .. At least meron tayong good news so we prepare our mind na this 1st quarter tayo mag cross-borders ng Australia.

In God's Time and perfect plan makarating na rin tayo sa Australia with full of dreams and ambition.
Claim na natin ang abundance.

Highlight ko lang, the protocol mentions "participating institutions." So depende pa sa mga schools kung magparticipate sila o hindi.

Today's update: https://www.reuters.com/article/health-coronavirus-australia-students-idUSKBN27T0DD?taid
Australian citizens daw muna before international students, which is understandable.

May massive vaccination daw sila this year kaya pinapabalik ang mga Aussies sa bansa nila. Hopefully mga international students naman.

matthewoz

@athelene said:

@matthewoz said:
Patay tayo dyan, hindi daw counted ang online study pag wala pang visa. Naloko na. Need ko ipadefer yung sakin. Sa Feb na lang ako mag start siguro instead this nobember.

It does make sense that the visa is required before you start your study; that's how things work even before covid. When did you lodge the visa application? With so much backlog on visa applications, it will take time for offshore visas to be granted.

Buti na lang at na grant na rin ang visa ko. So tuloy na tuloy na ko magstart ng online classes next week! Good luck sa inyong lahat na mag aapply pa lang ng visa.

athelene

@matthewoz said:
Buti na lang at na grant na rin ang visa ko. So tuloy na tuloy na ko magstart ng online classes next week! Good luck sa inyong lahat na mag aapply pa lang ng visa.

Congrats on the visa grant, and good luck on your studies!

RodSher

@matthewoz, when did you apply your SV? I am still waiting for mine.

matthewoz

@RodSher said:
@matthewoz, when did you apply your SV? I am still waiting for mine.

October 12.

RodSher

Our Student and dependent visa have been approved today.

ELMarquez

@athelene said:

@ELMarquez said:
hello po I am also a graduate of archi.licensed dito sa pinas, I wonder ano po kinukuha nyo course now dyan sa Sydney?

I just finished the Master of Architectural Science at USYD.

Is it > @athelene said:

@ELMarquez said:
hello po I am also a graduate of archi.licensed dito sa pinas, I wonder ano po kinukuha nyo course now dyan sa Sydney?

I just finished the Master of Architectural Science at USYD.

what would you recommend na masteral na related as archi na would lead to residency? thanks po

athelene

@ELMarquez said:
what would you recommend na masteral na related as archi na would lead to residency? thanks po

The "easiest" I think would be Master of Architecture, one that is on the Accredited Australian Architecture program list according to AACA. Once you complete this, you can apply to AACA for Verification of your Architecture degree. If you select a non-MArch degree, you will have to do Overseas Qualification Assessment to be able to nominate Architect as an occupation.

I did not look into degrees leading to other related occupations (Project Management, Building Associate, etc.) since my education and experience are really more aligned with the Architect/Architectural draftsperson occupation.

ELMarquez

@athelene said:

@ELMarquez said:
what would you recommend na masteral na related as archi na would lead to residency? thanks po

The "easiest" I think would be Master of Architecture, one that is on the Accredited Australian Architecture program list according to AACA. Once you complete this, you can apply to AACA for Verification of your Architecture degree. If you select a non-MArch degree, you will have to do Overseas Qualification Assessment to be able to nominate Architect as an occupation.

I did not look into degrees leading to other related occupations (Project Management, Building Associate, etc.) since my education and experience are really more aligned with the Architect/Architectural draftsperson occupation.

@athelene said:

@ELMarquez said:
what would you recommend na masteral na related as archi na would lead to residency? thanks po

The "easiest" I think would be Master of Architecture, one that is on the Accredited Australian Architecture program list according to AACA. Once you complete this, you can apply to AACA for Verification of your Architecture degree. If you select a non-MArch degree, you will have to do Overseas Qualification Assessment to be able to nominate Architect as an occupation.

I did not look into degrees leading to other related occupations (Project Management, Building Associate, etc.) since my education and experience are really more aligned with the Architect/Architectural draftsperson occupation.

that's what I am about to say, I'm also leaning towards project management since a proj manager is on the long term skilled list, but I have already made skill assessment with Vetassess with architectural draftsperson as my job. Considering the circumstances if graduated with Masteral in Architecture - I can be accredited as Architect in Australia or pursue my architectural draftsperson job ( and I can use my assessment).

Can you tell me more about the life of Masteral Archi Student, please?
is it demanding and what about part time work?
thank you soo much. I needed guidance with decision making. again, thank you.

monicuuute

Hello po sa lahat. I know malayo na po sa topic yung question ko. I am planning to apply for a student visa and kausal ko ang "study anywhere" na agency at sabi nila hindi na daw kelangan ng formal english test ung school na nirecommend nia. Kelangan lang daw ipass ung English Placement Test na online ipprovide ng scho at free daw. Please help. Gaano po katotoo at may mga nkagawa na po ba non instead of submitting IELTS etc?

xiaoxue

@monicuuute said:
Hello po sa lahat. I know malayo na po sa topic yung question ko. I am planning to apply for a student visa and kausal ko ang "study anywhere" na agency at sabi nila hindi na daw kelangan ng formal english test ung school na nirecommend nia. Kelangan lang daw ipass ung English Placement Test na online ipprovide ng scho at free daw. Please help. Gaano po katotoo at may mga nkagawa na po ba non instead of submitting IELTS etc?

Hello, sa pagbabasa ko online, may mga ganung school like Kaplan Business School. I guess available din sia sa ibang schools.

May mga universities din na walang Ielts for Filipinos, like Macquarie Uni and University of Canberra (depending on your qualifications).

monicuuute

@xiaoxue said:

@monicuuute said:
Hello po sa lahat. I know malayo na po sa topic yung question ko. I am planning to apply for a student visa and kausal ko ang "study anywhere" na agency at sabi nila hindi na daw kelangan ng formal english test ung school na nirecommend nia. Kelangan lang daw ipass ung English Placement Test na online ipprovide ng scho at free daw. Please help. Gaano po katotoo at may mga nkagawa na po ba non instead of submitting IELTS etc?

Hello, sa pagbabasa ko online, may mga ganung school like Kaplan Business School. I guess available din sia sa ibang schools.

May mga universities din na walang Ielts for Filipinos, like Macquarie Uni and University of Canberra (depending on your qualifications).

Hi Xiaoxue. Thank you so much sa reply mo. I just wanted to make sure. Saka ang hirap kasi kumuha ng English Test ngayon lalo kng from the province.

xiaoxue

@monicuuute said:

@xiaoxue said:

@monicuuute said:
Hello po sa lahat. I know malayo na po sa topic yung question ko. I am planning to apply for a student visa and kausal ko ang "study anywhere" na agency at sabi nila hindi na daw kelangan ng formal english test ung school na nirecommend nia. Kelangan lang daw ipass ung English Placement Test na online ipprovide ng scho at free daw. Please help. Gaano po katotoo at may mga nkagawa na po ba non instead of submitting IELTS etc?

Feeling ko lang mas may wider selection ka ng schools and program kung meron kang english test. Try to ask other educational consultants too para marami ka options.

athelene

@ELMarquez said:
that's what I am about to say, I'm also leaning towards project management since a proj manager is on the long term skilled list, but I have already made skill assessment with Vetassess with architectural draftsperson as my job. Considering the circumstances if graduated with Masteral in Architecture - I can be accredited as Architect in Australia or pursue my architectural draftsperson job ( and I can use my assessment).

Can you tell me more about the life of Masteral Archi Student, please?
is it demanding and what about part time work?
thank you soo much. I needed guidance with decision making. again, thank you.

For migration purposes, an accredited MArch degree is usually sufficient to get a positive skills assessment for AACA. But if you plan to get registered as an Architect in Australia, you will still need to do the logbook and take the exam (similar to internship and PRC exam in PH). If you choose to migrate as a draftsperson, you will still need to do OQA as pathway for registration. If you study MArch, then you just need to do the Verification, which would make you eligible for the APE.

Studying MArch is challenging, in my opinion, since the studio culture is quite different from how they do design studio in PH. At USyd, we need to take 4 subjects per sem (6 credits per subject, so 24 credits total each semester) to fulfill the full load requirement as an international student. Design studio is worth 12 credits, which is double the credit of a normal class, so you will be spending most of your time doing design work.

We only had one class day per week--one hour lecture, and the rest of 7 hours is spent in tutorials. Tutorials mean a small discussion group with your tutor (usually a practicing architect), who can help you refine/challenge/critique your design. Depending on your tutor's requirements, you may be required to submit something every week, so you really need to spend many hours at home or the studio to get work done. On the 7th week, we had interim review, where you have to present your work to everyone, and the tutor and your classmates will critique your work (in terms of design, concept, workmanship, details). On the 13th/14th week, there's the final review. Again, there will be a panel (either industry experts or practicing architects) who will critique your work. In my experience, they can be quite brutal with their comments. After the final review, you will need to prepare a digital and hard-copy design portfolio for your work that semester, showing your design process and your final design.

The sleepless nights begin roughly 2 weeks before final review, when everyone is working on the final boards. The studios are jam-packed, all the computers in the labs are used for rendering (I've seen one person taking up 8 iMac computers just to render their project), people cooking ramen in the pantry at 2 AM in the morning. You'll see the studios at its messiest, trashcan full of pizza boxes/food containers, people wearing yesterday's clothes (yes, the architecture building is open 24/7). If you feel like studio is hard after reading this, I assure you, it is! It's a scary amount of work, and nobody told me about it when I first started. But it will definitely teach you how to be resilient, creative, and confident.

The first time I took a design studio, I took it as an elective because I was not studying MArch. My design tutor was shocked because no one would willingly take design studio as an elective (but it's a core/required subject for MArch) because of the amount of work it requires. You'll need to learn new softwares like Rhino and Grasshopper. AutoCAD, Revit, and ArchiCAD are used in industry, but not in architecture school. And don't forget the cost. Design studios typically require students to produce scaled models of their work. Laser cutting, CNC, 3D printing, presentation board printing (A0 size, full color) are NOT FREE. You have to budget a lot of money for model-making tools, materials, and color printing. In my first design studio, I spent over AUD 200 for one semester, and we only used very simple models. Expect to spend more for complex designs.

I don't know what kind of designer you are, like how well you can manage your time, but it was really difficult for me, even if I wasn't working part-time. I still don't know how I managed to get through 2 design studios, but if you're doing an MArch, you'll be doing that four times, one each semester. I was crazy stupid and unprepared the first time, but the second was much better because I had better groupmates. You need to prepare yourself physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially if you're doing MArch.

athelene

@xiaoxue said:
Feeling ko lang mas may wider selection ka ng schools and program kung meron kang english test. Try to ask other educational consultants too para marami ka options.

This is true. Most schools/uni require IELTS because it's a pretty good way to assess how good your language skills are. I understand @monicuuute that current circumstances are making it difficult to get an English exam, but try contacting the educational institutions directly if they will accept alternatives (like certificate of medium of instruction?). If they don't, then at least you know you've tried to ask. Hindi naman masamang magtanong.