Australia for my children

Many parents wonder if Australia is a good destination for their children. What can they study? Is life safe there? Can they work? We will try to answer these and many other questions below.

Australia is considered one of the safest countries in the world, has one of the highest minimum wages in the world and is, therefore, a country of choice for international students. There are various course options, many cities to live in and many opportunities to work. If you would like more information for you or your children read on and if you would like a quote for studying in this country write to us at the bottom of this page or to info@puravidastudy.com.au.

What can you study?

There are many options but we can divide them into 4 main groups:

1. English (ELICOS): you can study from 3 months (this is the minimum to obtain a visa) and up to what you consider necessary to reach the level of English you are looking for. These are compulsory courses with classes 5 days a week. They can be studied in the morning, afternoon or evening in any city around Australia.
2. VET: these courses last from 6 months onwards and there are many options in different areas such as marketing, yoga, entrepreneurship, leadership, massage therapy, business and many more. Classes are compulsory one day a week or two half days, with a choice of morning or afternoon hours.
3. Technicians: This includes courses in painting, cooking, car mechanics, carpentry, air conditioning technician and others. These are courses that last 2 years and you must attend between 2 to 3 days of classes with the possibility of choosing morning or afternoon hours. These courses are taught all over Australia and give you the option to apply for a 2-year postgraduate visa upon completion of your studies.
4. Undergraduate: this includes Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees (for which you must already have a university degree), which are full-time studies lasting from 2 to 4 years and which require a good level of English. At the same time, these courses are highly valued internationally and of excellent quality.

Where can you live?

You can live, study and work in any city around Australia, there are many opportunities and many good quality schools to study in. The decision should be made on the basis of what you like best, beach life, city life, warmer or colder climate and also on the basis of your future projection because there are some cities that are better than others if you are looking to try to take up permanent residence in this country. We recommend you the chapter of the Podcast Cachai Australia on this topic.

Regarding the types of accommodation, there are mainly 4 options:

1. Residences: There are several options in all major cities. They are student residences with private or shared rooms, common spaces, games rooms, kitchens and more. They are generally located in the most central areas and close to most schools. We recommend that you Google “student residences” and the city’s name.
2. Homestays: This is another option available and consists of living with families who offer a room in their homes. It is a very good option to improve your English quickly and for those who are looking for a homestay, you can Google “Homestay” and the name of the city.
3. Rooms in shared houses: The most common and probably the cheapest option, there are options to share a room or rent a single room in shared houses with other people, probably students or Working Holidays from all over the world. There is availability in all neighbourhoods and cities and you can search on Facebook groups, the website www.flatmates.com.au and the Gumtree app.
4. Rentals: You can rent flats or complete houses, in general, it is a bit difficult to do so as soon as you arrive in the country because they ask for proof of certain documents, but it is possible and a good option. The best platform to find rentals is www.realestate.com.au.

What kind of work can I do?

There are many job possibilities, it will depend on the student’s taste, interest and level of English to what kind of job he/she can access. We recommend you listen to the Cachai Australia Podcast about the jobs available with a low level of English.

You can work in cafes or restaurants, both as a waiter and in the kitchen. Other common jobs are in construction, house or office cleaning, child or elderly care and delivery people. It is important to keep in mind that usually with a student visa you can legally work 20 hours, but to date, there is still an exception that allows you to work 40 hours (i.e. full time). We also share with you our blog post on how to make a CV to look for a job in Australia.

How can you stay longer in Australia?

It is very common to come to study in Australia and fall in love with this country and want to extend your stay. Some possible options are:

1. Study another course, related to the previous one or to the previous work experience. There are many options available and you can choose according to your interests, the occupations most in demand, price, the intensity of studies, or courses that can contribute to your future in this country.
2. There is also the option of Postgraduate visas which is available for those who study university or technical courses and which give them a visa for 2 or 3 more years with all the labour rights so that they can put into practice what they have learnt.
3. There are the work visa options such as Sponsorship. In simple terms, this means that the employer tells the Australian government that they need this person and that there is no one else who can do the job and gives them a visa for 2 to 4 years. That visa is associated with the list of in-demand occupations that you can check on the migration website.
4. These same in-demand occupations may allow you to apply for a points-based visa, meaning that you have enough points to qualify for a Skill Visa or permanent visa. There are many factors to be taken into account in order to score points: occupation in demand, level of English, area of the country where you live, where and what you studied, and work experience, among others. This path is undoubtedly the best and most definitive but at the same time the most difficult.

We hope this note will help you to understand in broad terms the options you or your child have to migrate to Australia on a student visa and some fundamental doubts such as where to live and work. For us, it is undoubtedly an incredible option and opportunity, full of growth and learning in a safe country with many opportunities. We leave you another note of our blog very useful with all the details and the keys of the student visa with information about the documents that must be presented, funds that you need to prove and more.

If you have more questions, want a quote or would like to arrange a call, write to info@puravidastudy.com.au our advice and services are completely free for you.

We look forward to seeing you in Australia!