Category: Overseas Education Updates

During the joint presser, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne has recently announced a series of new drives to upheave the education system. she has announced to build education and cultural ties between Australia and India, in regards to that she announced the ‘Maitri’ Scholars Program.

Under this program, Indian students get USD 11 million for four years to study in Australia’s world-renowned universities. MoU’s signature with India by the Australian government is to boost tourism under the ‘Maitri’ scheme. In addition to that, the $3.5 million grants and fellowships program will build links between future leaders, supporting mid-career of Indian and Australian professionals.

To boost the role of creative industries in our economic and people-to-people ties $6.1 million Australia-India Cultural Partnership was made. This collaboration is meant to expand the horizon and promote artistic talent and cultural exchanges in two countries’ world-class visual and performing arts, literature, film, television and music industries. Apart from this, trade, tourism and investment are also areas that can get affected by this initiation.

During the visit to India, Mr Dan Tehan met India’s Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal to discuss the free trade agreement between the two countries. They have also renewed MoU on tourism cooperation and launched India Australia Infrastructure Forum.

On the CECA, Ms Payne has emphasized recovering from the impact of COVID and both countries should promote travel. This travel would encourage markets and advance cooperation on tourism policy, data sharing, training, and industry engagement. Ms Payne has also acknowledged Australia’s most important partners in the Indo-Pacific region which is India and strengthening the bond for the future also.

These scholarships and funds let the students focus on their studies, instead of survival and earning money to pay their tuition fees. This will eventually make some brilliant students with investing their dedication in learning only. Furthermore, Indian students can earn better career opportunities for themselves based on the core education they will get.

Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison said that Australians who got vaccinated can travel overseas and return home without going through hotel quarantine.
Mr Morrison on Thursday said that Australia will begin to reconnect with the world by allowing Australians to travel for “essential reasons” such as medical reasons, business, important family events and funerals.
Vaccinated people would still need to quarantine at home instead of going through hotel quarantine. The Australian government has been planning when and how they can open borders to the world, beyond the New Zealand travel bubble, Scott Morrison added
According to Mr Morrison if they lift the borders for people to come, then there would increase in the Covid-19 cases 1000 cases a week or more. Therefore it would require to get vaccinated as it would be an important incentive for Australians to do that.
Currently, Australians can apply for an exemption from the government to travel overseas, unless they’re travelling to New Zealand as part of the Trans-Tasman bubble.
Health Minister Greg Hunt also said that COVID-19 vaccination does not alone guarantee that they can open up the borders and have to look for other factors too.

International education is an important part of Australian culture. It offers Australian universities and citizens numerous cultural, profitable and social benefits. It establishes long-term relationships with cultures and people all around the world. The latest Australian strategy enables Australia’s international education sector to be more innovative, future-focused and globally competitive.

Australian Government is developing new strategies for International student to ensure that the education sector is sustainable and continues to be able to deliver quality outcomes for international students and the new strategies will:

  • Acknowledge the changing environment
  • guide the recovery of the sector from Covid-19
  • Strengthens our reputation for high-quality education and training
  • Describe our priorities and commitment to international education over the next 10 years
  • Provide the innovation and responsiveness of the education sector
  • React to new opportunities, including changes in student demands
  • Maintain our status as an influential and dependable international education partner

How we will develop the new Australian strategies for international students

We invite and collaborate with the entire sector to develop a new strategy:

To get participate, you can:

  • Respond to the consultation paper on strategy
  • Take part in the public webinar

The consultation paper was developed by the expert member of the council for International Education in collaboration with our department. It describes our proposed vision and goals for the strategy, and immediate priorities for the over the next 10 years.

To take part on developing the new strategies for international education, you can:

The Minister for Education and Youth – Alan Tudge said that their government is planning to shape the future of international education in Australia while launching consultations for the Australian strategy for International Education.

Minister Tudge said that he would suggest that a key part of the strategy should be to make international students feel welcome and appreciated as they are very important. 

The Australian government wants international students back as and when the COVID-19 situation allows, Minister Tudge also added that the COVID-19 disruption allows us to look at the sector and ensure it is working in the long-term for students and Australia, 

Minister Tudge said the Australian government is looking forward to the betterment of international enrollments towards our nation’s future skills needs, growing Australian businesses, creating more local jobs and add to our economic recovery.

The Hon Phil Honeywood, CEO of the International Education Association of Australia and Convener of the Expert Members of the Council for International Education, also said that the new strategy is an opportunity to establish a shared vision for Australian international education.

Mr Honeywood added that in the last two decades more than three million international students have studied in Australia. This has added to the vibrancy of Australian communities. They are looking forward to a national conversation on how they can work together to ensure that Australian international education meets the challenges in the future.

Reference

Australia has always been a third favourite destination for international students and famous for its high-quality education, diverse culture, friendly native and laid back nature with the best infrastructure. Degrees awarded by Australian Universities are accepted by professional employers and fortune companies all over the world. 

Reasons: Why Students Prefer to Study in Australia?

  • Global Recognition of Academic Degrees and Courses.
  • World-class diverse education
  • Wide variety of courses and degrees 
  • Scholarship for International Students 
  • Work while studying

Benefits of Studying in Australia:

Affordable Living and Study Cost:

Study and living cost in Australia is quite affordable and the cost of living in Australia is lower than other countries.

High Class Education: 

Australia takes pride in their A-list standard of education with best infrastructure and high class education systems for international students . All schools and colleges are equipped with the best state-of-the-art facilities with cutting edge technology. Education institutes additionally offer a comfortable learning environment and scholarship for international students .

Scholarship Benefits:

While studying in a foreign land and covering the cost of education with other expenses is normally an issue for international students who wish to intend an international education. Australian government perceives to offer good education opportunities with scholarships for international students, which is helping students to manage their living and study expenses.  

Work While Studying:

International students can work part-time while on a student visa, which will additionally help them to lower the cost of studying in Australia. Working during studies helping students to afford the cost of education and living expenses.

Post-Study Work Opportunities:

International students have the chance to invest more time in Australia after the completion of their studies. During the study, they can work as long as 20 hours every week to meet their daily costs and gain some work experience. This work experience will help them to get their dream job after the completion of their studies. 

Temporary graduate visa (subclass 485) permits you to stay in Australia and work after you complete your studies.

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) allows students who want to live, study and work in Australia on a temporary basis after completing their studies.
The Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa is a work visa for international students who have finished 2 years of study in Australia. It can last between a year and a half and 4 years relying upon your circumstance.
It is a decent method to stretch out your stay in Australia to improve your chances of getting qualified for a permanent or provisional skilled visa.
The candidate looking for a Temporary Graduate 485 Visa should be in Australia while making their application for the 485 visas and should be having a qualified student visa within a 6-month time frame preceding lodgement.
This is a temporary visa. Students can access up to two of these visas: a second 485 can be allowed to understudies who graduated from a Regional University or organization. This visa permits students to remain in Australia for up to four years.

To apply, a candidate should meet the following criteria:

  1. Age should be under 50 years
  2. Have an eligible visa
  3. Student visa should not be more than 6 months
  4. have a qualification in a CRICOS-registered course
  5. select just one stream – After applying there is no possibility to change visa streams.
  6. attach specified proofs when you apply.

The Department is thinking about choices for influenced students both in Australia and abroad because of COVID-19.
The new COVID-19 Concessions for Subclass 485 (TR) are to guarantee candidates are not impeded by conditions outside their ability to control, including border closures, restrictions imposed on businesses and the general economic downturn related to COVID-19.
The new changes revise the application requirements and visa measures for the Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa, to help international students, by permitting applications for this post-study visa to be produced using outside Australia during a concession period. The alterations additionally permit the visa to be granted to a candidate who is outside Australia. Preceding this change, all candidates were expected to be in Australia to apply for the visa and after fulfilling this condition visa was allowed. These amendments are expected to offer former students a chance to go back to Australia by acquiring a visa the legitimate way. They can get back and relive the time they have spent in Australia.

The new changes are:

  1. Permit candidates need to apply and should truly be a Subclass 485 visa while being outside Australia during a concession period;
  2. Permit applications to be made from outside of Australia during a concession period without the standard requirements to have held a student visa within a 6-month time frame immediately before preceding making the application.
  3. Stretch out the time frame to meet the Australian Study Requirement (for example the time frame between finishing the study and applying for the Subclass 485 visa), from 6 months to 12 months for candidates kept from getting back to Australia because of COVID-19 travel limitations.

Australian Government has announced to focus on Australian values for visa applicants 2021. This will focus on values like equality, respect, freedom and the rule of law.

Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said that there will be now one statement for both permanent and temporary visa applicants that confirms they understand the Australian values, its people and way of life.

“Our common qualities join us as Australians and support the opportunity and thriving that makes our country so alluring for the large numbers of immigrants who decide to visit, work and settle here.” Alan Tudge added.

The Australian Government’s focus is to enable immigrants to take a full part in the community as they become part of Australia.

Alan Tudge said “Immigrants who want to settle in Australia permanently will also have to make reasonable efforts to learn English, so they can fully participate in the community and have the best possible chance to get a job. There is no new test or threshold associated with this change.”

As recently reported, the new Australian Citizenship Test​ will be more grounded center around Australian qualities that happened on 15 November.

These changes are a part of the Morrison Government’s $62.8 million investment in protecting Australian social cohesion, which builds on the $71 million social cohesion package announced in March 2019.

Who Should Sign the Australian Values Statement?

Provisional, permanent and temporary visa applicants who are aged 18 years or over have to sign or accept an Australian Values Statement at the time of submitting their application, acknowledging Australian values and undertaking.  It has to be signed by immigrants before being granted a visa.