AUSTRALIA

Capital City:

Canberra

Currency:

Australian Dollar

Official Language:

English

Population:

23,47 million

About Australia

Officially known as the Commonwealth of Australia, Australia is the only country in the world that covers an entire continent. It is a sovereign country consisting of the mainland Australia, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. It is one of the largest countries on Earth. Although it is rich in natural resources and has a lot of fertile land, more than one-third of Australia is desert. Most Australian cities and farms are located in the southwest and southeast, where the climate is more comfortable. There are dense rain forests in the northeast. The famous outback (remote rural areas) contains the country's largest deserts, where there are scorching temperatures, little water, and almost no vegetation.

Australia is one of the world's most ethnically diverse nations. Nearly 25% of the people who live in Australia were born in other countries. They come from the United Kingdom and other European countries, but also from China, Vietnam, North Africa, and the Middle East. The diversity of culture in Australia offers international students the chance to step out of their usual comfort zones, experience something new and feeling a sense of belonging in the multicultural setting. Living in a multicultural society exposes you to explore wonderful culinary dishes, public international celebrations and the chance to learn different languages. Australia's warm, sunny climate and abundance of open spaces gives the population a love of the outdoors. The people are also passionate about sports, including swimming, surfing, sailing, tennis, soccer, cricket, rugby, and their own invention, Australian rules football.

Australia is also famous for its diverse terrain. The Outback is legendary for its broad plains and unusual animals. There are lots of great outdoor places you can go to and experiences you can have during school vacations. Some of the famous Australian landmarks to visit are:
✓ Sydney Opera House.
✓ Uluru.
✓ Heart Reef.
✓ Port Arthur.
✓ Kakadu.
✓ Kangaroo Island.
✓ Melbourne Cricket Ground.
✓ Bondi Beach.
✓ Shark Bay.
✓ Ballarat.

One of Australia's most amazing sites rises like an enormous whale's back from a flat red-soil desert called the Red Center. This site is called Uluru, and it is a sacred natural formation at the heart of the country. Rising 1,100 feet (335 meters) tall, it is the largest rock in the world!

Australia's ecosystem is an unusual one because of its remote location. As a result, there are many animal species that occur here and nowhere else in the world, such as the platypus, kangaroo, echidna, and koala. Australia has 516 national parks to protect its unique plants and animals.

Why Study in Australia?

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High Ranking Universities

Australia has a lot of reputable high ranking universities. Times Higher Education, QS World University and Shanghai Rankings consistently rank Australian universities in the world’s top 100 universities year after year. Australia hosts top 6 of the world’s 100 best universities and they are;
✓ Australian National University (ANU).
✓ University of Sydney.
✓ University of Melbourne.
✓ University of New South Wales (UNSW).
✓ University of Queensland (UQ).
✓ Monash University.

High Reputation of Education

Graduates from Australian universities are highly regarded due to the impressive international reputation of Australian education system. Australian education system is carefully regulated by their government in order to maintain the high standards of education associated with the country.

Wide Range of Programs to Choose From
Australian universities offer a whole lot of courses and degrees for international student to choose from. There are lots of different options and combinations to choose from if you desire to study in Australia, starting from Engineering, English, Medicine and Mathematics etc. International students have the choice to choose between universities, vocational education, and English language training. It is also easy for students to move between one qualification level and from one institution to another, if necessary.

Scholarship Availability

There are many scholarships, grants, and bursaries that help to support international students financially while studying in Australia. Scholarships for international students that want to study in Australia are provided by both Australian Government and Australian Universities, education providers, and a number of other public and private organizations.
Scholarships provided by the Australian Government are:
✓ Australia Awards Scholarships
✓ Destination Australia Scholarships
✓ Australia Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships
Some scholarships provided by Australian Universities are:
✓ University of Sydney International Scholarships
✓ Macquarie University International Scholarships
✓ Griffith Remarkable Scholarships
✓ University of Melbourne Graduate Research Scholarships and Melbourne International Undergraduate Scholarships
✓ Adelaide Global Excellence Scholarships for International Students
✓ Flinders International Postgraduate Scholarships
✓ Charles Darwin University Vice-Chancellor’s International High Achievers Scholarships
✓ UNSW International Scholarships
✓ University of New South Wales International Scholarships
✓ The Global Excellence Scholarship at the University of Western Australia

Work While Studying
International students studying in Australia on a valid student visa are allowed to work part-time for 20 hours per week during school semesters and full-time during semester break with a minimum wage of $21.38 per hour or $812.60 per week (before tax) for working both on-campus and off-campus during the period of their full-time study.

Student Support Services
Australian universities offer a huge range of student support services to help international students settle down in Australia. There are dedicated international student support centers in several cities and towns with each offering practical advice and support on issues like legal rights, job skills and opportunities to meet and socialize with other local and international students. Australia's Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS ACT) framework enforces by law the best-practice protection for the rights of international students studying in Australia.

Post-Study Work Stream
The Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa is for international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian university. It allows them to live, work and study in Australia temporarily. With this visa they can:
• Stay in Australia for between 2 to 4 years after they’ve finished their studies.
• Travel, work or study in Australia during their stay.
While on this visa, international students must find a job and the length of their stay in Australia which is usually between 2 and 4 years will depend on the level of their Australian study qualification, like;
• Bachelor degree (including honors): 2 years
• Masters by research and masters by coursework: 3 years
• Masters (extended): 3 years
• Doctoral degree: 4 years
• Hong Kong and BNO passport holders who successfully complete a bachelor, masters or doctoral degree: 5 years

Extension after Graduation
International students can extend their stay in US legally using the following methods;
a. OPT (Optional Practical Training)
International student that studied in certain science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields are qualify for a 2-year extension of OPT. This is an option for F-1 Visa for students who have recently graduated. OPT is temporary employment authorization, and your employment must be related to your F-1 area of study. Students who are eligible may apply to receive up to one year of OPT employment authorization.

b. Apply for a Non-Immigrant Work Visa
The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows immigrants to temporarily work in high-skilled occupations. Immigrants applying for an H-1B visa are required to have specialized knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher or its equivalent.

c. Apply for a Green Card
The best options for obtaining a Green Card as an international student are through:

✓ Immediate family sponsorship
✓ Sponsorship by a Relative Who Owns a Business
✓ Asylum status
✓ Green Card lottery
✓ Employment sponsorship
✓ Marriage with a citizen
✓ Military service

Opportunity to apply for PR and Citizenship

The 3 most common pathways available to international students who wants to apply for PR are;
✓ Post Study Work Visa.
✓ General Skilled Migration.
✓ Employer Sponsored Visas.
After successful getting a PR Visa using either of the options above, international student who has been lawfully residing in Australia for 4 years can immediately apply for Australian citizenship and this includes: 12 months as a permanent resident and absences from Australia not more than 12 months.