Many people who visit Australia on a Working Holiday visa normally find themselves so addicted to the place they want to hang around for more, maybe even for good. So if you’re one of these people, you’ll be happy to know there are several avenues you can take to stay in Australia, one of which is studying.
Obtaining a student visa is a way to increase your skills and expand your education while also getting to stay in the wonderful land of Oz.
“A student visa allows you to stay in the city of your choice and comes with ‘multiple entry’ in and out of Australia for the duration of the visa,” says Acacia Education Australia’s Melanie Duncan.
As well as studying, the visa allows you to work 20 hours per week during semester and as often as you want during holidays so you can keep your wallet relatively full while your head is in the books.
Studying in Australia also happens to be one of the quickest routes towards securing permanent residency if you’re really looking long term.
And you don’t have to put your head down for a full-time, long term year degree either. “After investigating their study options, working holiday makers often choose to enrol in university `pathway’ programmes,” Melanie says.
Pathway programmes can be a good choice because they’re a more affordable option, shorter in length and will slowly ease you back into the world of study. There’s also opportunity to experiment with several different fields without committing to one course.
In February 2010, the Australian Immigration Department announced some new changes to the conditions of obtaining a general skilled migration (GSM) visa which may affect international students, depending on when you applied for your visa.
Check out the Department of Immigration website (www.immi.gov.au/students).
