Student Visa (Step by step)

agentKams · July 2022

@ligthingzaix said:
Hello, so plan ko mag master's sa sydney. Plano kong course is IT related and 2 schools pinagpipilian ko, UTS and Macquarie Uni. Mas mura kasi sa MU compared sa UTS (Around 1 million less) gaano kahalaga ung pangalan ng school sa mga Job Interviews? Mas maganda daw kasi UTS for IT courses and gusto ko ma maximize chance ko na makakuha ng trabaho and eventually PR pero di ko alam kung worth ung cost sa tuition.

In my experience, wala bearing ang uni name.

ligthingzaix · July 2022

@agentKams said:

@ligthingzaix said:
Hello, so plan ko mag master's sa sydney. Plano kong course is IT related and 2 schools pinagpipilian ko, UTS and Macquarie Uni. Mas mura kasi sa MU compared sa UTS (Around 1 million less) gaano kahalaga ung pangalan ng school sa mga Job Interviews? Mas maganda daw kasi UTS for IT courses and gusto ko ma maximize chance ko na makakuha ng trabaho and eventually PR pero di ko alam kung worth ung cost sa tuition.

In my experience, wala bearing ang uni name.

I see I guess baka mag MU nalang ako. Natanggap ba ung mga Sydney Universities kahit wala masyadong experience?(Around 6 months palang) Plus meron akong relatives na Australian Citizen and may nabasa akong cases na nadedeny ung GTE at student visa kasi may "strong ties" sa Australia. Common case ba to? Medyo nakakakaba tuloy.

agentKams · July 2022

@ligthingzaix said:
I see I guess baka mag MU nalang ako. Natanggap ba ung mga Sydney Universities kahit wala masyadong experience?(Around 6 months palang) Plus meron akong relatives na Australian Citizen and may nabasa akong cases na nadedeny ung GTE at student visa kasi may "strong ties" sa Australia. Common case ba to? Medyo nakakakaba tuloy.

iyong sa uni ko before dapat may 2 years work experience ka before ka makapagtake ng master's. you better check sa uni website mo ano requirement nila for work experience. When you say relatives, immediate ba? Prove in your GTE statement iyong purpose mo why are you studying , iyon dapat ang focus and not the circumstance surrounding your stay here.

ligthingzaix · July 2022

@agentKams said:

@ligthingzaix said:
I see I guess baka mag MU nalang ako. Natanggap ba ung mga Sydney Universities kahit wala masyadong experience?(Around 6 months palang) Plus meron akong relatives na Australian Citizen and may nabasa akong cases na nadedeny ung GTE at student visa kasi may "strong ties" sa Australia. Common case ba to? Medyo nakakakaba tuloy.

iyong sa uni ko before dapat may 2 years work experience ka before ka makapagtake ng master's. you better check sa uni website mo ano requirement nila for work experience. When you say relatives, immediate ba? Prove in your GTE statement iyong purpose mo why are you studying , iyon dapat ang focus and not the circumstance surrounding your stay here.

I see, kakacheck ko lang sa site and sabi nila baka icheck ng team nila work experience/WAM pero ung primary need nila is IELTS so I guess try ko nalang and see If papalusutin nila. Hopefully ung internship ko is usable.

Extended family ung nasa Sydney atm, Grandparent and Aunt's family with separate houses so medyo nakakakaba, sana di magraise ng flag sa kanila, especially since sa bahay nila ako magsstay and hindi magrerent ng apartment. Medyo sound naman balak kong GTE since mas maganda ung related field studies na gusto ko sa Aus compared sa PH

lunarcat · July 2022

Risky din siya for you knowing sa age unless mag Masters ka and matagal talag> @ligthingzaix said:

Hello, so plan ko mag master's sa sydney. Plano kong course is IT related and 2 schools pinagpipilian ko, UTS and Macquarie Uni. Mas mura kasi sa MU compared sa UTS (Around 1 million less) gaano kahalaga ung pangalan ng school sa mga Job Interviews? Mas maganda daw kasi UTS for IT courses and gusto ko ma maximize chance ko na makakuha ng trabaho and eventually PR pero di ko alam kung worth ung cost sa tuition.

I'm in IT industry and attended multiple interviews pero never na mentioned yong school or educational background during the interview. Maybe sa ibang company may advantage kong saan galing. May mga companies they offer graduate programs, internship but not sure if only applicable for PR or citizens. I believe advantage yong schools kase may mga partner schools si ACS (Australian Computer Society) assessor for IT professionals. You can also have PY (Professional Year) after. Yong mga kakilala ko, they're taking bachelor/masters for additional points for PR and kong alin ang mas swak sa budget.

athelene · July 2022

@ligthingzaix said:
Hello, so plan ko mag master's sa sydney. Plano kong course is IT related and 2 schools pinagpipilian ko, UTS and Macquarie Uni. Mas mura kasi sa MU compared sa UTS (Around 1 million less) gaano kahalaga ung pangalan ng school sa mga Job Interviews? Mas maganda daw kasi UTS for IT courses and gusto ko ma maximize chance ko na makakuha ng trabaho and eventually PR pero di ko alam kung worth ung cost sa tuition.

UTS is indeed more well-known with IT-related courses, but Macquarie is a reputable university too (although mas kilala ata sila for business and accounting). I'm not an HR person, so I don't if the uni name has any impact on job interviews (Australian HR people lang ang makakapagsabi nun), but I would assume it doesn't have much impact, as long as you've got the skillset required by the company. To be practical though, I'd say check first if either uni have scholarship oppportunities for international students for the specific program that you want (even 10-25% scholarship is still a big thing). If not, perhaps go with Macquarie since it's cheaper.

hikari · July 2022

@ligthingzaix said:
Hello, so plan ko mag master's sa sydney. Plano kong course is IT related and 2 schools pinagpipilian ko, UTS and Macquarie Uni. Mas mura kasi sa MU compared sa UTS (Around 1 million less) gaano kahalaga ung pangalan ng school sa mga Job Interviews? Mas maganda daw kasi UTS for IT courses and gusto ko ma maximize chance ko na makakuha ng trabaho and eventually PR pero di ko alam kung worth ung cost sa tuition.

Depende kasi to sa specialisation na kukunin mo. Pwede mo tingnan yung curriculum ng bawat uni saka ka mag decide kung ano yung mas napupusuan mo. Also, pwede ka din mag check ng course sa regional since may additional points yun sayo kung magaapply ka ng PR. Competitive and ICT occup especially in NSW.

studandy · July 2022

Usually, I never comment on forums but this forum is so useful that I never stop myself to say something about it. You’re doing a great job guys by knowing how to get a student visa for australia

bunpotato · July 2022

Hi! Looking for some advice.

I'm planning to study in Australia by 2023.
Graduated with a degree in Psychology last 2015 and then around 6 years experience in Corporate HR / Data management.

Agent has advised that better to take MA in Social Work for PR rather than MA in Counseling.
Was wondering if that was good advice? Or are there other courses that are a better fit to my background/better path for PR? Additional note: I really don't wanna continue with a job in HR or corporate.

I have a sponsor naman but my relative would also prefer a course that costs less and can be completed in a shorter amount of time.

athelene · July 2022

@bunpotato said:
Agent has advised that better to take MA in Social Work for PR rather than MA in Counseling.
Was wondering if that was good advice? Or are there other courses that are a better fit to my background/better path for PR? Additional note: I really don't wanna continue with a job in HR or corporate.

I have a sponsor naman but my relative would also prefer a course that costs less and can be completed in a shorter amount of time.

I would assume that your migration agent suggested Social Work is because it's on the Priority Migration Skilled Occupation List. With a Psych background, Clinical or Educational Psych may be a possibility too.

I wasn't sure about the differences between them, so I looked it up and found these. It might help you make a more informed decision about what to study.
https://healthdirect.gov.au/social-workers
https://healthdirect.gov.au/psychiatrists-and-psychologists
https://healthdirect.gov.au/counsellors-and-counselling

Based on your background, I think you can pursue any of them, it's just a matter of your interest as you will be studying for a 1-2 years postgrad degree. Unfortunately though, most master degrees offered in Australia are 2 years in length, and you will likely have to go to university for that (which equates to high tuition fees). If you are planning to claim the 2-year Australian study points for PR, then you should do the 2-year master degree, and ideally a program accredited by the assessing authority for your nominated occupation.

shan_rce · July 2022

Hi, I'm a licensed civil engineer with 3.5 yrs of experience as Structural Engineer planning to lodge a student visa application soon. My agent has proposed different course options related to Civil Engineering Draftsperson (CED) which has better PR prospects over a Diploma + Adv. Diploma course on Civil and Structural Engineering (D+ADCSE) which I preferred originally. Budget wise, cheaper si CED 10-15k AUD/yr over D+ADCSE which costs 50k AUD/yr roughly.

But once I finished taking up D+ADCSE, I would be ineligible to apply for a temp. graduate visa (TGV) since Structural Engineer is my nominated occupation. Bachelor's/Master's degree holders are permissible in this case.

On the other hand, kapag CED ang itake ko, all good for TGV but with Civil Engineer or Civil Engineering Draftsperson as my nominated occupation.

May kakilala/ kaibigan ba kayong licensed engineer din na nagtake ng advanced diploma on any eng'g drafting course relative to his track?

shan_rce · July 2022

Hi, I'm a licensed civil engineer with 3.5 yrs of experience as Structural Engineer planning to lodge a student visa application soon. My agent has proposed different course options related to Civil Engineering Draftsperson (CED) which has better PR prospects over a Diploma + Adv. Diploma course on Civil and Structural Engineering (D+ADCSE) which I preferred originally. Budget wise, cheaper si CED 10-15k AUD/yr over D+ADCSE which costs 50k AUD/yr roughly.

But once I finished taking up D+ADCSE, I would be ineligible to apply for a temp. graduate visa (TGV) since Structural Engineer is my nominated occupation. Bachelor's/Master's degree holders are permissible in this case.

On the other hand, kapag CED ang itake ko, all good for TGV but with Civil Engineer or Civil Engineering Draftsperson as my nominated occupation.

May kakilala/ kaibigan ba kayong licensed engineer din na nagtake ng advanced diploma on any eng'g drafting course relative to his track?

Hi Ma'am @athelene, pwede po bang makahingi ng advice?

athelene · July 2022

@shan_rce said:
Hi, I'm a licensed civil engineer with 3.5 yrs of experience as Structural Engineer planning to lodge a student visa application soon. My agent has proposed different course options related to Civil Engineering Draftsperson (CED) which has better PR prospects over a Diploma + Adv. Diploma course on Civil and Structural Engineering (D+ADCSE) which I preferred originally. Budget wise, cheaper si CED 10-15k AUD/yr over D+ADCSE which costs 50k AUD/yr roughly.

But once I finished taking up D+ADCSE, I would be ineligible to apply for a temp. graduate visa (TGV) since Structural Engineer is my nominated occupation. Bachelor's/Master's degree holders are permissible in this case.

On the other hand, kapag CED ang itake ko, all good for TGV but with Civil Engineer or Civil Engineering Draftsperson as my nominated occupation.

May kakilala/ kaibigan ba kayong licensed engineer din na nagtake ng advanced diploma on any eng'g drafting course relative to his track?

Hi Ma'am @athelene, pwede po bang makahingi ng advice?

Which schools/uni are you considering to study? Personally I don't have friends who have gone through the CED pathway so I can't really share anything about that.

People tend to opt for draftsperson courses because it's much cheaper, but if you're planning to upskill anyway, go for something that can give you an edge after you graduate. As a PH licensed engineer, the CED might be somewhat redundant already to what you already know, but I'd say double-check the curriculum to make sure na hindi masasayang oras and financial investment mo. Kung feel mo na marami ka parin matututunan sa CED, then go for that.

Both CED and Structural Engineer occupations are on the MLTSSL, so it's really up to you which one you'd like to do. In my opinion, if you're spending AUD 50k/year anyway for the D+ADCSE, you're better off doing the Master of Engineering, which attracts the same tuition at universities. If you complete a master's degree by coursework, you will be eligible for Post-Study Work Visa, which will be valid for 2 years and you don't need to do skills assessment (Home Affairs has temporarily extended the validity to 3 years, but you will have to check if that scenario will still be valid by the time you are eligible to apply for the 485 visa).

Having studied at Australian uni, I know how expensive the tuition fees are but I feel like the uni facilities and student experience was actually pretty good (I don't know the level of student support at VET schools). The student support (especially for international students) and networking opportunities are great---there are career fairs, industry events, student societies/orgs (yes, may kwenta ang student orgs nila dito kasi usually may contact/connection sila sa industry or companies). Attending those kinds of events can help you get insights about how to find jobs in your industry, what working life is like, etc. Of course, medyo struggle pa rin makahanap ng work in industry because of international student status (limited work rights and short visa validity), but I think medyo depende na rin yun sa diskarte mo with job hunting.

Liolaeus · August 2022

Required ba talaga ng mga Uni na may agency para makapag enrol? Or may mga Uni na hindi na need ng Agency?

hikari · August 2022

@Liolaeus said:
Required ba talaga ng mga Uni na may agency para makapag enrol? Or may mga Uni na hindi na need ng Agency?

Not necessarily. May mga uni na pwede ka magapply direct to them meron din iba na rinerequire tru agent if you're from overseas. Pwede mo icheck yung admission process sa webiste ng uni na napupusuan mo.

bpgamerslobby · August 2022

Hi Good day. ask ko lang if need icancel yung EOI na nakalodge if mag aapply ng student visa? Thank you.

hikari · August 2022

@bpgamerslobby said:
Hi Good day. ask ko lang if need icancel yung EOI na nakalodge if mag aapply ng student visa? Thank you.

Hindi kaylangan.

pauljerome · August 2022

Hi po, gusto ko po sana mag aral nang Masters In Social Work in any school sa sydney. Kaso po i finished BS Hotel and Restaurant Management sa pinas and currently working and nag reready pra pumunta sa syd as a tourist. Possible po kaya yung gusto ko na maka pag aral nang Masters kahit hindi related sa tinapos ko ? And also do immigration ask for show money rin ba sa gantong course ? Kasiyung friend ko iba ang course sa pinas pero nursing ang inaaral niya and from offshore siya galing. Thanks po sa sasagot.

Al5yd · August 2022

Hello Guys,
For partner nung mag ta-take nang SV, I understand pwede mag work full time.
If maka kuha ba nang permanent work yung partner,pwede sya mag apply on his own for PR or hindi pwede and naka tie-up lang talaga ang visa nya with the SV?

bpgamerslobby · August 2022

@hikari said:

@bpgamerslobby said:
Hi Good day. ask ko lang if need icancel yung EOI na nakalodge if mag aapply ng student visa? Thank you.

Hindi kaylangan.

Salamat po sa info.

tellieboo · August 2022

Hello! I’ve been doing some research, medyo naguguluhan kami which pathway should we take 🥲

1st option: Visa Subclass 190

My husband is an Architect and planning to apply for Architectural Draftsperson. He’s an independent contractor for almost 8 years, he worked as an architect/visualizer sa isang company before, he also worked as an university instructor and taught architecture subjects i.e History, AutoCAD etc.
I checked VETASSESS requirements for self-employed applicants problem lang is wala na yung payslips niya, also his taxation records sa business niya.
He’s 31 years old, assuming he’ll be able to score superior on PTE, he could get 80 pts.

I’m just worried if malaki ba ang chances ng mga offshore applicants for Architectural Draftsperson?

2nd option: Student Visa Pathway

I’m a Psychology Graduate. Planning to take masters related to my course. Worried lang ako since wala pa akong work experience related sa course ko since nag business ako right after I graduated, what are my chances sa SV?

Need your insights on this please hehe thank you so much!!

athelene · August 2022

@tellieboo said:
Hello! I’ve been doing some research, medyo naguguluhan kami which pathway should we take 🥲

1st option: Visa Subclass 190

My husband is an Architect and planning to apply for Architectural Draftsperson. He’s an independent contractor for almost 8 years, he worked as an architect/visualizer sa isang company before, he also worked as an university instructor and taught architecture subjects i.e History, AutoCAD etc.

I checked VETASSESS requirements for self-employed applicants problem lang is wala na yung payslips niya, also his taxation records sa business niya.

He’s 31 years old, assuming he’ll be able to score superior on PTE, he could get 80 pts.

I’m just worried if malaki ba ang chances ng mga offshore applicants for Architectural Draftsperson?

2nd option: Student Visa Pathway

I’m a Psychology Graduate. Planning to take masters related to my course. Worried lang ako since wala pa akong work experience related sa course ko since nag business ako right after I graduated, what are my chances sa SV?

Need your insights on this please hehe thank you so much!!

If your husband is nominating architectural draftsperson as his occupation for migration, the teaching work would not be considered as that role does not fall under the things a draftsperson would be doing. No one can really tell you the odds of offshore applicants, as that occupation is only on the short term SOL and it's likely to be quite competitive with very few slots allocated to the occupation (for example, Canberra Matrix only has 5 slots per month for 5 ANZSCO codes (Architectural, Building and Surveying Technicians)). But it's worth a try anyway, if the years of experience is there and you can show evidence of compensation.

Did the teaching role at university include research work? And was that work conducted for teaching and research at least 20 hours per week? If both teaching and research work were done, and for at least 20 hrs/week, your husband could potentially try to get a skills assessment for University Lecturer. If it was only teaching and no research work, then the lecturer occupation is not suitable, as it is necessary to demonstrate the research component through publication in a peer-reviewed journals.

I don't think having work experience is necessary to apply for student visa. What Home Affairs is looking at is whether your intention to travel to Australia is genuinely temporary (like studying). Establishing home ties in the PH is key when applying for SV, as well as explaining your reasons why or how you came to the decision of studying that specific program, especially if your work exp is business-related, and you are pursuing healthcare-related program.

However, whether you can get admission to a master's degree program at a uni is another topic. Typically universities lang ang nag-ooffer ng master's degree relevant to health sciences/psychology, so they will look at your prior qualifications (like if you have studied any requisite units/subjects). If the program you want requires relevant work experience to be eligible for admission (like MBA), you mayh have to contact the School/Faculty to ask whether there are alternative pathways for admissions.

enriquezsarah · August 2022

Hi everyone. May ask lang po sana ako. Kakareceive ko lang ng Student Visa grant ko last week but I was deferred on January 27, 2023 (New Intake Date) Pwede na po ba mag punta sa Australia anytime as long as I am holding a valid visa or need po i-follow yung 90 days before intake date?

Wala po kasi ako makita article stating na strictly 90 days before intake dapat mag arrive. Medyo confused lang po, hope may makahelp po. Salamat!

lunarcat · August 2022

@enriquezsarah said:
Hi everyone. May ask lang po sana ako. Kakareceive ko lang ng Student Visa grant ko last week but I was deferred on January 27, 2023 (New Intake Date) Pwede na po ba mag punta sa Australia anytime as long as I am holding a valid visa or need po i-follow yung 90 days before intake date?

Wala po kasi ako makita article stating na strictly 90 days before intake dapat mag arrive. Medyo confused lang po, hope may makahelp po. Salamat!

If they haven't changed the rules, I believe pwedi ka ng pumunta sa Australia prior to your intake pero hindi yong sobrang layo sa commencement date mo baka kase they'll suspect you something. When you arrive here prior sa commencement date, you don't have the privilege to work yet. 😊

athelene · August 2022

@enriquezsarah said:
Hi everyone. May ask lang po sana ako. Kakareceive ko lang ng Student Visa grant ko last week but I was deferred on January 27, 2023 (New Intake Date) Pwede na po ba mag punta sa Australia anytime as long as I am holding a valid visa or need po i-follow yung 90 days before intake date?

Wala po kasi ako makita article stating na strictly 90 days before intake dapat mag arrive. Medyo confused lang po, hope may makahelp po. Salamat!

I haven't heard/read any news about changes on how early you can travel to Australia for your studies, so I would still assume the 90 days prior to start of classes is still in place. If your classes are starting on January 27, the earliest you can travel is October 29 (90 days before Jan 27).

At the moment, the temporary relaxation of work restrictions is in effect, wherein you can now work prior to the commencement of your course (but you will have to constantly check its validity to ensure you aren't breaching your visa conditions when the rules change). I think 90 days is plenty of time to get settled in your new city (opening bank account, getting TFN, finding accommodation, etc.), but finding work as a newcomer may take time, like a few weeks.

pilot_marker · August 2022

@pauljerome said:
Hi po, gusto ko po sana mag aral nang Masters In Social Work in any school sa sydney. Kaso po i finished BS Hotel and Restaurant Management sa pinas and currently working and nag reready pra pumunta sa syd as a tourist. Possible po kaya yung gusto ko na maka pag aral nang Masters kahit hindi related sa tinapos ko ? And also do immigration ask for show money rin ba sa gantong course ? Kasiyung friend ko iba ang course sa pinas pero nursing ang inaaral niya and from offshore siya galing. Thanks po sa sasagot.

Hi, may mga schools na kailangan nila related yung bachelors mo sa masters. Yung ibang school naman maluwag, those schools are usually small, not well established but still, affordable but still Cricos accredited. Their target market is international students. Nothing wrong with it, it is a good stepping stone and could help you.

Have you considered taking Culinary courses? It's very in demand and always on the skill shortage list. Mas related yun sa career mo ngayon. Social work is quite a hard job here (a salute to the social workers). They work even at night rescuing people and kids from domestic violence or drugs.

shan_rce · September 2022

Hi everyone, I'm an aspiring int'l student in the field of Civil Engineering in Australia. Question lang po sa nasa AUS na specifically whose staying in Perth and Melbourne, ano pong place ang marerecommend niyo for an international student considering side job availability, rental and food expenses and a successful application of 485 visa (temporary graduate visa) two years after my study. I'll be taking up a VET course po totally inclined with my 3 yrs of eng'g profession.

shan_rce · September 2022

@enriquezsarah said:
Hi everyone. May ask lang po sana ako. Kakareceive ko lang ng Student Visa grant ko last week but I was deferred on January 27, 2023 (New Intake Date) Pwede na po ba mag punta sa Australia anytime as long as I am holding a valid visa or need po i-follow yung 90 days before intake date?

Wala po kasi ako makita article stating na strictly 90 days before intake dapat mag arrive. Medyo confused lang po, hope may makahelp po. Salamat!

Hi I totally agree with them. Pwede na pong pumunta 90 days before your intake date but you have to constantly check immi affairs site for the updates on work relaxation (or full-time work before, during, and after start of your term).

shan_rce · September 2022

Hi everyone, I'm an aspiring int'l student in the field of Civil Engineering in Australia. Question lang po sa nasa AUS na specifically whose staying in Perth and Melbourne, ano pong place ang marerecommend niyo for an international student considering side job availability, rental and food expenses and a successful application of 485 visa (temporary graduate visa) two years after my study. I'll be taking up a VET course po totally inclined with my 3 yrs of eng'g profession.

athelene · September 2022

@shan_rce said:
Hi everyone, I'm an aspiring int'l student in the field of Civil Engineering in Australia. Question lang po sa nasa AUS na specifically whose staying in Perth and Melbourne, ano pong place ang marerecommend niyo for an international student considering side job availability, rental and food expenses and a successful application of 485 visa (temporary graduate visa) two years after my study. I'll be taking up a VET course po totally inclined with my 3 yrs of eng'g profession.

If you are looking to migrate down the line, studying in a regional area like Perth would be the better option (as you will get additional points for graduating from an institution in a regional area). Melbourne's cost of living is quite high compared to regional cities. If you're studying and returning to the PH (no migration plans), Melbourne would be good as it's a vibrant and diverse city (but, as I said it's an expensive place to live in). You can definitely google the cost of living for Melbourne and Perth and see which one will fit your budget better.

For part-time work, I imagine there are tons of jobs out there, basta hindi lang mapili. You can do hospitality, retail, labour, etc. as these are the kind of jobs that are usually casual work and can fit better around your class schedule. Part-time engineering/office jobs are very few, so don't expect to find that kind of work right away. Also, hahanapan ka usually ng local work experience for office jobs, so don't focus or rely too much on finding engineering work as soon as you arrive.