A Guide To Selecting The Right Course To Study In Australia

Are you an international student tingling with excitement regarding the course you’ll be studying in Australia? Being a top destination for education, we completely understand both the thrill and the anticipation of the experience that you must be going through. Afterall, this is definitely a decision that may flip your life 180 degrees and transform all your dreams into a reality. Therefore, if you find yourself in a dilemma to pick the best course for yourself from all the different ranges of courses, this is a beginner’s guide for you. This guide has been designed to provide you with all information required to proceed with this life-changing decision and we hope at the end of this guide you will be more certain with what you need to do.

We understand that as an international student this can be one of the hardest decisions that you may need to make. Since, most of the time the students are not only focused by the course they’ll study, but also the lifestyle that they will be acquiring when they move down under. Many students move here, not only to do the best course that will land them the best job and have the dream career, but it’s also to get a permanent residency to be able to continue living that life. If you are someone who’s thinking of getting a permanent residency after you have spent such a crucial phase of your life in Australia then you have got to be thinking about that from now on.

This is important because everything you do while you are in Australia will help pave your way to obtaining a permanent residency. Therefore, you must have a game plan from the beginning. At this point we must also stress that it’s always prudent to do extensive research and have backup plans, in case the versatile Australian migration law changes the odds against you.

It’s needless to say how complex the Australian migration law can be, in addition to that the requirement for permanent residency is usually changing every year to best fit the economic demands of Australia. Hence, choosing a course only based on getting a permanent residency is not smart, as after 2 or 3 years of study, graduates from your course may not be in demand. Therefore, you must have a more realistic approach to your decision and planning in course selection.

So as not to bombard you with a ginormous mountain of information, we have listed everything in a few simple steps. We hope that this concise and systematic guide will be easier for you to follow and in case you do have further questions, you can always reach out to us.

Step 1: What is your end goal?

Before you start with anything you must figure out what is this one thing that you are really trying to achieve from this experience and most definitely can’t compromise on. Is your end goal:

• The quality education that you’ll be acquiring;
• All the places that you can visit in Australia;
• Landing the best paying job in your field of interest;
• Getting a permanent residency.

The list can go on, but depending on exactly what you want to achieve from this experience of studying in Australia you should do your research. If you are certain about the course or field of study that you’d pursue, we suggest that you look into the following places first:

• QS World University Rankings: This website will provide you with all the information about the universities that are ranking at the top for your field of study. Although knowing about universities’ world wide ranking at the top for your course can be a bonus, let’s enjoy the beautiful feature of looking into top ranking universities from particular countries, let’s say for example Australia! This helps make your search easier and also less overwhelming. P.S the 2022 ranking is already released, therefore, if you are as excited as we are to start this journey, we recommend that you have a sneak peek.
• Quality Indicator for Learning and Teaching (QUILT): This has definitely got to be your go-to place to learn about all the information about what your uni life is going to be. Although, we don’t play any favourites but knowing about the student experience and graduate outcomes for any university definitely helps! Who wouldn’t like to know how satisfied the employers are with the graduates from a particular university? They have all the latest information, collected through surveys from students, graduates and employers to give you a realistic picture and help you make a wise decision.
• University website: This is something we just can’t stress enough, go to all the university websites that interest you and find out all about your course. Since, that’s where you will be studying at the end. Find out about:
  • The course structure
  • The duration of the course
  • And most importantly the cost of the course

Make sure that you are comparing one university program with the other, and if you need more information, never hesitate to reach out to them. The universities in Australia have a whole international student admissions team that are just waiting to connect with you.

In case you are looking to travel more, then we recommend that you look up universities from all the different states and territories with more places to visit. Or see if some university has a partnership with universities located in different states or territories, which will allow you to do a few courses in other states or territories.

If you want to get a permanent residency, then you should know that student who have studied and stayed in Tasmania for two can apply for subclass 190 visa after the completion of their study.

Step 2: Self Assessment 

After you have figured out what your end goal is, you need to undertake a preliminary self assessment to gauge what you already have and what you may need. This helps achieve a more realistic understanding of yourself and how to adjust your goal, if you must.

To conduct this self assessment, we recommend that you carefully go through the following list of questions. At the end of this exercise, we hope you will be more focused.

• What is your current age and the age you’ll turn into when you graduate? 

• • Your age is a crucial factor, especially if you are hoping to get a permanent residency.
  • The skilled migration program in Australia follows a point based system, and in most cases the age is capped at a maximum of 45 years old.
  • Furthermore, depending on your age, you may choose the course with the most feasible duration so as you are not turning 45 when you graduate.
  • If you are not worried about permanent residency or other kinds of visas, then you may ignore the age factor.

• How much is your budget?

• • When you are thinking about budget you also need to factor in the living cost, along with your tuition fees.
  • If you are being sponsored or you are getting any form of scholarship you must also take into consideration any fee hike in upcoming years, particularly if your course is more than a year long.
  • Generally, approximately AUD 21,041 is considered to be an ideal minimum budget to cover your living expenses in Australia.
  • Also make sure you are able to buy a health insurance plan for any health related issues.
• What is your career goal?
  • You can make a list of a couple of occupations that you can pursue after you have graduated.
  • If you are after permanent residency, we recommend aligning your career goals with the occupations on the Skilled Occupation List.

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

• • This is an important aspect to factor in, since it will help you stick to your goals. Also why would you want to pursue something you don’t like, especially when you don’t have to.

• How have you prepared for studying abroad?

• • This is where you need to align your current academic background and English proficiency with the minimum requirements of your interested course.
  • If you fall short of any requirements, you can always take steps to fulfill those.

Step 3: Australian Migration Law

While you are so focused on your course and university, it is so easy for one to lose focus of Australian migration law that plays a crucial role in this journey, particularly if you are looking for a permanent residence. The first place we recommend you to have a look into is the Department of Home Affairs website. This will help you get a fundamental understanding. Moreover, you will also find a detailed list of all the different kinds of paper you need to make any application for a visa approval.

Do note that the papers required will vary depending on the state and territory you are planning to go to. Thus, take your time as you carefully navigate your way around this complex maze of obtaining a visa. Along with it, we also recommend that you seek professional advice, just so you are receiving the proper guidance and not missing out on any opportunities.

The Best Course

After you have successfully gone through all the steps, we are certain that you will have a list of courses from different universities that best satisfies and fits into:

• Your interest
• Your budget
• Your skill sets
• Your prospects of getting a permanent residency

This is the best pool that you should consider applying into and pursuing.

If you require consultation on personal circumstances or application, you can also reach out to our team at Path Migration. 

At Path Migration we have assisted students, both onshore and offshore, get the best outcome from their visa application. If you are looking to eventually transition to permanent residence then it’s very important that you initially choose the most appropriate visa category to help you achieve permanent residence smoothly.

At Path Migration, we have a team of immigration lawyers who specialize in immigration law. The team will provide you with all the in-house resources that will help make your applicant a success. If you have already been refused a visa or have had your visa cancelled then you will also be benefitted from your own personalized consultation. If you are unsure whether this visa category applies to you or not, then don’t hesitate to contact us or directly email us at hello@pathmigration.com.

 

You may also be interest in: 

• Changes In 485 visa that you should know
• Covid-19 408 Visa In Australia
• Skilled Migration Visas For Australia
• Global Talent Independent (GTI) Program: the versatile migration pathway