Australia is home to millions of international students. Every year, thousands of students from different countries come to Australia to fulfil their dream of pursuing quality higher education. The country boasts of its great infrastructure and hundreds of renowned educational institutes across different cities like Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra, etc. The country has never failed to disappoint international students with equal work opportunities; not to mention the multicultural environment everyone loves here.
With so many international students coming to Australia every year, it becomes very essential for each and every one of them to know a few very important things; the things that would help them make the most out of their stay in Australia.
Things That International Students Must Know
Here are a few things that, if known, would help every international student live easily and would also help them chalk out their future pathway in Australia in a better way.
Have a List of Study Visa Agents Nearby
Whether the student lives in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide, Canberra or in any other part of Australia, having knowledge of study visa agents in Melbourne or around them can prove to be extremely handy at any given time. Being in a foreign land, it becomes imperative to know the latest updates about immigration rules that impact expats directly or indirectly. Being in close touch with a study visa agent will make sure the student gets all the industry-relevant information in an instant.
Maintain OSHC at all the Times
Overseas Student Health Cover is mandatory and one can’t ignore it at all. Anyone going on a study program abroad must have valid health insurance in Australia.
The Australian government has a mandate for all international students to obtain Overseas Student Health Cover during the entirety of their stay in the country. Breaching this condition may lead to cancellation of visa or deportation, or both.
As OSHC may prove to be an expensive affair, one can go through the list of OSHC providers and choose their policy according to the features and pocket. There is a number of OSHC providers that offer feature-filled health cover policies to international students in Australia.
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Know Your Visa Conditions
Keeping in mind the visa conditions at all times is as important as OSHC. Breaching any visa condition may lead to the cancellation of the visa. A lot of international students cross their limit of working hours and end up breaching their visa conditions.
Although all the visa conditions are written on the visa grant document, the students can, at any given point in time, take the help of registered study visa agents in their area for details, if need be.
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Sort Everything Related to Living & Expenses
Australia is expensive, especially Sydney and Melbourne. When studying in expensive cities, one can choose to live in areas that are a little far from mid-town. Choosing locality and mode of commuting can prove to be a deal-breaker when it comes to expenses. Managing expenses rightly should be a priority of every international student, and this must also include the tuition fee.
Beware of Wildlife
Australia is actually a very diverse country in terms of wildlife too. Finding a kangaroo, tarantula or a venomous snake in the backyard is quite a possibility. This is the reason, every international student is suggested to have an idea about the wildlife in their area.
Having a basic idea of wildlife around can help dodge unnecessary wildlife encounters and even help get assistance in time, whenever need be.
Seasons are Flipped
When there is summer in the northern hemisphere, Australia is cold. Though weather forecast and information is quite easily available over the internet, it is highly suggested for international students to pack accordingly.
Take into account the highs and lows and choose your garment accordingly. No point taking unnecessary luggage and weight when you have the knowledge at your fingertips.
Know Your Work Rights
As mentioned above, Australia is expensive, but most of the international students coming here meet their expenses by working.
Australia allows certain work hours to every international student entering the country, and having knowledge of work-rights can come in very handy. Australia has its minimum wage at a higher side as compared to many other countries, so when working during your student visa, it may well be worth it!
So, know your work-related rights well and make the most of it.
Know the Rules of Road and Every Other Place You May Visit
Knowing the rules comes in very handy! Whether it is about driving or visiting a certain place, rules must be abided by.
Australia is a country that respects law-abiding citizens and would want that every international student entering the boundary must follow all the rules. Know all the Aussie driving rules and watch out for traffic cameras everywhere. Also, don’t drive at dawn or dusk – not because of any restrictions by the government, but because of the fact that kangaroos are everywhere and much harder to see coming during nighttime, and that’s something nobody would want to hit into!
Don’t Forget to Have Fun!
Australia is a country full of culture. It is the students who decide where they want to have fun.
Being in international land can make anyone feel homesick and also put a lot of mental and emotional pressure, which must be siphoned off periodically. Therefore, every international student is suggested to have fun according to their own resources, while abiding all the laws.
Creating ruckus will only invite adverse situations, which may be difficult to handle.
- Know a MARA Agent
Most of the international students come to Australia with an intention to get PR. Once they have completed their study program, they try to get experience and also seek assistance from skills assessment consultants. In order to pursue their PR application in Australia, the students can take help from a MARA agent. Registered MARA agents can help expedite the PR process by filing the application correctly.
Although not all of the aforementioned points are a must-know, but will certainly smoothen out an international student’s journey in Australia!
