Indian students flock to Australia

The general skilled migration category selects people with particular skills and attributes that will enable them to quickly integrate into our skilled labour market.

People applying for the points-tested general skilled migration visa, must be over 18 and less than 45 years of age at the time they lodge their application.

The pass mark for the independent skilled visa is 120 points. Obviously, Indian students who are already enrolled in Australian institutions will have an advantage for the skill stream visas. Besides this short-term increase in the number of permanent visas, the Australian government is also taking steps to improve the capacity to deliver skills where they are needed.

“For Indian students, Australia offers a dynamic learning environment. International students experience a unique kind of education - a learning style that encourages innovative, creative, independent thinking.

Students will solve problems, interact with other people, and develop oral and written communication skills that will prepare them for their future. International students gain skills in Australia that help them to launch their careers and set them apart in the eyes of employers,” says Linda Laker, minister counsellor, education, employment and workplace relations at the Australian High Commission in New Delhi.

Education in Australia provides Indian students with an edge when it comes to global job opportunities and they can select from thousands of courses and have the flexibility to choose the study path that best suits their goals, adds Laker. The most sought after courses by Indian students are in the fields of business, engineering and information technology.

Science related courses like biotechnology are also gaining popularity, whilst hospitality remains popular too.

Foreign students are also allowed to work for up to 20 hours per week during their semesters.

Laker feels that the friendly campus environment in Australia, too, is a big attraction for Indian students. “In 2006, we hosted international students from over 200 different nationalities. Of these, around 39,000 were Indian students.

This rich diversity of nationalities ensures that students will make lifelong friends with students from around the world as well as from Australia. Indian students choose to study in Australia for a variety of reasons.

Of late, the Australian government and Australian Education International have been making significant efforts for improvement of client services in the area of student visas.

“The Education Services for Overseas Students Act is unique to Australia and ensures that students get the quality course for which they have paid besides providing many other assurances to the international student and their family," Laker says.