Civil Engineer(QS) Professional - Student Visa

Zion

Hi! We’ll appreciate any help, insight, and advice po sa aming mga katanungan. ))
I & my husband are Civil Engineers (QS positions) here in SG, we’re both in our late twenties po.
We are starting to gather documents for our PR applications po but we are a bit hesitant to push through na. Even for 491 visa kasi we might not meet the 8yrs working experience ng ibang states kasi exactly 8yrs kami and we’re afraid na there will be few years deduction once mag-paassess kami sa EA.
Dito kasi sa forum merong may higher points than us with the same occupation na for so long ay waiting padin ng invitations and grants. That’s why we are really contemplating to try for the student visa. We’ve done our own research and readings namin sa mga fb pages. As much as possible din we would like to continue and pursue ung current position namin as QS but still open padin basta civil engineering related.
1. We are seeing the Master coursework na mas okay sana for us since the dependent can work full-time but the tuition fee is ridiculously expensive. There is Construction Management na suitable sana for us pero ung tuition talaga e (facepalm). I saw also the Cert IV Building & Construction (Estimating) in TAFE, affordable sana and meron din sa regional areas kaya lang good for 1year (52weeks) lang siya. At the same time baka mahirapan kami sa GTE kasi downgrade siya na from bachelor is suddenly mag certificate kami. We're eyeing for 2 years course at regional area sana para additional points din samin when we apply for PR na. Another is Advanced Diploma in Civil Construction Design but the subjects are medyo malalayo sa QS experience namin tho can still fit sa husband ko coz he was site engr before sa pinas.
So we’d like to know how’s the experience after finishing the course? How’s the chances of getting an engineering job there?
2. Pero if no choice talaga, ung Masters will be worth it din po ba later on?
3. Any advice regarding migration, student visa, engineering and or QS stuffs are welcome po.
Thank you in advance and Godbless you all!:)))

athelene

@Zion said:
1. We are seeing the Master coursework na mas okay sana for us since the dependent can work full-time but the tuition fee is ridiculously expensive. There is Construction Management na suitable sana for us pero ung tuition talaga e (facepalm). I saw also the Cert IV Building & Construction (Estimating) in TAFE, affordable sana and meron din sa regional areas kaya lang good for 1year (52weeks) lang siya. At the same time baka mahirapan kami sa GTE kasi downgrade siya na from bachelor is suddenly mag certificate kami. We're eyeing for 2 years course at regional area sana para additional points din samin when we apply for PR na. Another is Advanced Diploma in Civil Construction Design but the subjects are medyo malalayo sa QS experience namin tho can still fit sa husband ko coz he was site engr before sa pinas.

Tuition fees for master degree are expensive in general, which is why applying directly for skilled migration is recommended more than student pathway. VET courses (Cert 4, Diploma, etc.) are really cheaper, but as you already know, they are on a lower level than bachelor degree. Sometimes it may be possible to do VET courses if you can justify why you're downgrading, such as doing a career shift into another industry or specialising in something. If you wish to really pursue VET courses, have a look at packaged courses (i.e. Cert IV + Diploma, or Diploma + Advanced Diploma) to meet the 2-year study.

So we’d like to know how’s the experience after finishing the course? How’s the chances of getting an engineering job there?

Are you asking about the experience of people who specifically finished the courses you're looking into? I don't know if anyone here has actually done any of those VET courses, but let's see if anyone who has can comment on that.

But if you are asking in general about life after studying and the likelihood of getting an engineering job, it really depends on the person. Most common hurdle for international students while studying/after graduating is finding a job related to the profession, as Aussie employers are usually looking for "local" experience. But then it's hard to get local experience when no one will hire you. I think there's a lot of engineering jobs naman (just check out Seek or Indeed), but it may take time to get into your industry.

If you can't find part-time job in engineering firms when you first arrive as a student, I'd recommend finding a casual job (can be any job, in my opinion) just to get that local experience. Then when you're closer to graduating, check out if there are any internship opportunities available (unpaid internships is illegal in Australia, so don't offer employers to do one) or casual/part-time roles. I think most casual jobs would help you build your transferable skills (leadership, teamwork, self-motivated, etc.) that you can sell to potential employers. Having the hard/technical skills is one thing, but soft skills are equally important too.

2. Pero if no choice talaga, ung Masters will be worth it din po ba later on?

I would think any master degree (especially if accredited by EA) would still be a good investment, as you can learn a lot of high-level/specialist knowledge.

Jacraye

@Zion said:
Hi! We’ll appreciate any help, insight, and advice po sa aming mga katanungan. ))
I & my husband are Civil Engineers (QS positions) here in SG, we’re both in our late twenties po.
We are starting to gather documents for our PR applications po but we are a bit hesitant to push through na. Even for 491 visa kasi we might not meet the 8yrs working experience ng ibang states kasi exactly 8yrs kami and we’re afraid na there will be few years deduction once mag-paassess kami sa EA.
Dito kasi sa forum merong may higher points than us with the same occupation na for so long ay waiting padin ng invitations and grants. That’s why we are really contemplating to try for the student visa. We’ve done our own research and readings namin sa mga fb pages. As much as possible din we would like to continue and pursue ung current position namin as QS but still open padin basta civil engineering related.
1. We are seeing the Master coursework na mas okay sana for us since the dependent can work full-time but the tuition fee is ridiculously expensive. There is Construction Management na suitable sana for us pero ung tuition talaga e (facepalm). I saw also the Cert IV Building & Construction (Estimating) in TAFE, affordable sana and meron din sa regional areas kaya lang good for 1year (52weeks) lang siya. At the same time baka mahirapan kami sa GTE kasi downgrade siya na from bachelor is suddenly mag certificate kami. We're eyeing for 2 years course at regional area sana para additional points din samin when we apply for PR na. Another is Advanced Diploma in Civil Construction Design but the subjects are medyo malalayo sa QS experience namin tho can still fit sa husband ko coz he was site engr before sa pinas.
So we’d like to know how’s the experience after finishing the course? How’s the chances of getting an engineering job there?
2. Pero if no choice talaga, ung Masters will be worth it din po ba later on?
3. Any advice regarding migration, student visa, engineering and or QS stuffs are welcome po.
Thank you in advance and Godbless you all!:)))

Based on what you've said, I think the best would be getting a PR. If you aim for student visa, you might struggle on getting part time jobs related to your profession. Different story if you are nurses.

If you already have 8yrs of QS experience you can have your migration assessment with AIQS. Just make sure you meet their requirements. If mixed CE/QS experience I think it is better with EA. If you need the 8yrs for points and in doubt that it might be reduced when assessed, then gain say a year more experience for a buffer.