Is Australia still the land of opportunities for many international students?
We choose to study in Australia because of its world-leading education system. As international students, we hope a good education will lead us to better job opportunities, even though we pay almost double the tuition of local students to get the same degree.
I do not like to agree with some international students who think the Australian government treats us as a "cash machine".
However, I find it hard to argue against this considering my current situation.
I recently obtained my master's degree in journalism from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). I got a full-time job offer from a well-known Chinese-Australian newspaper, but I needed a Temporary Student Visa to take this job.
Unfortunately, after spending $1600 on a non-refundable visa fee, and waiting a month for an outcome, my visa application was not successful, because my master's degree was not a "two-year program".
I believe my master's degree is equivalent to any other two-year master's degree in engineering or business. Does this mean that if an international student is enrolled in any program that meets the "two academic year" requirement regardless of the institution that they will be more eligible for a visa?
A few of my friends whose master's programs were also under two years bit their lips and enrolled in an "immigration major" such as accounting or IT. Whether or not they enjoy the program, they have to pay least $22,000 for the second degree.
An "immigration major" is the only way we can get a chance to apply for a job in Australia.
I cannot afford another degree, but more importantly, I will not force myself to study something that I have no interest in. Since my visa application was not successful, I could not accept the job and had to leave Australia within a month.
The visa situation indeed blocks new graduates from job opportunities. I sincerely suggest universities consider alternating the length of the program or provide other optional programs to fill the gap.
Universities should provide more assistance for international students on the visa application process.
My student visa expired before my graduation. Since I wanted to attend my graduation ceremony, which is usually held six months after course completion, I had to apply for a visitor visa, which cost me in total $600, including a required health check.
I do not understand why my student visa cannot last until my graduation. Otherwise, could universities hold graduation ceremonies a bit earlier?
During my stay in Australia, I found that international students are easily isolated. Australian students are friendly, but it is hard to be accepted in their communities, even if we make great efforts.
In America or China, students usually go to universities outside of the cities they live in. They have to be open-minded and make efforts to meet new friends. However, most Australian students go to local universities with friends whom they grew up with, so it is not necessary to make an extra effort to find new friends.
Of course, there are also cultural barriers for international students that do not make it easy for them to join Australian communities. Even in class, some lecturers are not helpful in integrating international students with local students for group assignments.
International students are also very vulnerable to exploitation in the labour market, just as we've seen with the 7-Eleven workers recently in the news - and I assure you that it is still going on.
When international students arrive in Australia, they are shocked by the high living costs. International students do not get a student discount on public transport like local students. It's normal for them to look for casual work – but we lack local experience – and almost every job requires this.
With limited choices, they are often keen to look for a job in their native communities, and can be exploited. Desperate for a job and needing to pay the bills, they take whatever they can get, thinking that a little is better than nothing.
When I arrived in Sydney, a friend introduced me to a job working at a fried chicken wing restaurant in Chinatown that paid $8 an hour. I was tempted, even if I was shocked by the low rate.
But I ended up working for an Italian restaurant for $16 an hour because I speak better English and I am a fast learner. The other Chinese students' rate was around $12, or worse.
Over the past 10 years, 500,000 international students have chosen to come to Australia and made significant contributions to the prosperity and cultural exchange. If an expensive education cannot lead them to future opportunities, the international students might go to other countries instead.
We choose to study in Australia because of its world-leading education system. As international students, we hope a good education will lead us to better job opportunities, even though we pay almost double the tuition of local students to get the same degree.
I do not like to agree with some international students who think the Australian government treats us as a "cash machine".
However, I find it hard to argue against this considering my current situation.
I recently obtained my master's degree in journalism from the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). I got a full-time job offer from a well-known Chinese-Australian newspaper, but I needed a Temporary Student Visa to take this job.
Unfortunately, after spending $1600 on a non-refundable visa fee, and waiting a month for an outcome, my visa application was not successful, because my master's degree was not a "two-year program".
I believe my master's degree is equivalent to any other two-year master's degree in engineering or business. Does this mean that if an international student is enrolled in any program that meets the "two academic year" requirement regardless of the institution that they will be more eligible for a visa?
A few of my friends whose master's programs were also under two years bit their lips and enrolled in an "immigration major" such as accounting or IT. Whether or not they enjoy the program, they have to pay least $22,000 for the second degree.
An "immigration major" is the only way we can get a chance to apply for a job in Australia.
I cannot afford another degree, but more importantly, I will not force myself to study something that I have no interest in. Since my visa application was not successful, I could not accept the job and had to leave Australia within a month.
The visa situation indeed blocks new graduates from job opportunities. I sincerely suggest universities consider alternating the length of the program or provide other optional programs to fill the gap.
Universities should provide more assistance for international students on the visa application process.
My student visa expired before my graduation. Since I wanted to attend my graduation ceremony, which is usually held six months after course completion, I had to apply for a visitor visa, which cost me in total $600, including a required health check.
I do not understand why my student visa cannot last until my graduation. Otherwise, could universities hold graduation ceremonies a bit earlier?
During my stay in Australia, I found that international students are easily isolated. Australian students are friendly, but it is hard to be accepted in their communities, even if we make great efforts.
In America or China, students usually go to universities outside of the cities they live in. They have to be open-minded and make efforts to meet new friends. However, most Australian students go to local universities with friends whom they grew up with, so it is not necessary to make an extra effort to find new friends.
Of course, there are also cultural barriers for international students that do not make it easy for them to join Australian communities. Even in class, some lecturers are not helpful in integrating international students with local students for group assignments.
International students are also very vulnerable to exploitation in the labour market, just as we've seen with the 7-Eleven workers recently in the news - and I assure you that it is still going on.
When international students arrive in Australia, they are shocked by the high living costs. International students do not get a student discount on public transport like local students. It's normal for them to look for casual work – but we lack local experience – and almost every job requires this.
With limited choices, they are often keen to look for a job in their native communities, and can be exploited. Desperate for a job and needing to pay the bills, they take whatever they can get, thinking that a little is better than nothing.
When I arrived in Sydney, a friend introduced me to a job working at a fried chicken wing restaurant in Chinatown that paid $8 an hour. I was tempted, even if I was shocked by the low rate.
But I ended up working for an Italian restaurant for $16 an hour because I speak better English and I am a fast learner. The other Chinese students' rate was around $12, or worse.
Over the past 10 years, 500,000 international students have chosen to come to Australia and made significant contributions to the prosperity and cultural exchange. If an expensive education cannot lead them to future opportunities, the international students might go to other countries instead.
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