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20 September 2007

Does teaching english as a foreign language get me points for Skilled Migration?

Teaching of English as a Foreign Language. In demand or not?

The Department of Immigration website has current lists of occupations which are on the MODL (Migration Occupations in Demand), the SOL (Skilled Occupation List) or the Employer Nomination Scheme Occupation List (ENSOL). These lists change regularly, so don't take my word for it, check the DIC website yourself.

Teaching of English as a Foreign language is currently in the ENSOL list, so you can't use it to get points as an independent Skilled Migrant.

20 hour work allowance

Anonymous writes

Is there a new rule coming up , that the new students will not be allowed the 20 hour work permit anymore ?
Please confirm...its crucial for me.


Rajan Replied
All the changes which gets made to the legislation are here
http://www.immi.gov.au/legislation/amendments/index.htm

Ahmad Added

I haven't heard anything on the maximum of 20 hours work condition being withdrawn..and it doesn't make sense as well...because students in many degrees (esp engineering) need vacation work for 12 weeks before they can graduate...

There is legislation coming up which ill make it a criminal offence for employers to employ anyone knowing that they will breach visa conditions...

Reproduced from the Orkut Melbourne Community with permission from Ahmad and Rajan

Biotechnology Opportunities

Keerthi wrote Hi all!! i got a gr8 deal of info from tis thread! thanks a ton to all u guys!

Now about myself.. I have finished my bachelor's this yr and am gonna do my masters in biotechnology at RMIT. Planning to land at melb in feb 2008.

Could someone tell me about the job opportunities out there and how good is the Uni for this course?
And is extending visa to continue studies at the same Uni a problem?

Rajan Replied

There are many few uni's here who offer BioTech education, To my understanding Monash Uni, Melbourne Uni (& Swinbourne uni shares resources), University of Queensland and Adelaide Uni holds good reputation. I haven't came across RMIT much but you might hear from someone in RMIT soon who can tell you more about it.

I have also heard that most of the uni's in Queensland has BioTech courses.

I am unsure that in which field are you looking for a job. I guess if you will come here only then you will be able to decide that well.

Reproduced from the Melbourne Community on Orkut with permission from Rajan

19 September 2007

2-year study rule. Orkut Worries about Melbourne

Potential overseas students thinking about coming to Melbourne have a new online community addressing their worries, and giving up to date votes on relevant issues like how much does it cost to live here, and how much money should I bring? Ahmad has written the following opinion in the Melbourne Worries Community ....


DIAC has not changed the two-year study rule as such...you can still use more than one qualification to make 2 yrs.

HOWEVER, the department of education, science and training (DEST) which works with DIAC to issue eCOEs for visas and extensions, has now changed the rules that govern universities. It is now expected that each student will finish his course within the time given on the eCOE ... so you cannot under-enrol in a 1.5 yr subject to make it 2 yrs. If you don't finish your course within the stipulated time, you wont get a new eCOE and hence wont get a visa extension, except if you can prove the delay in completion was due to a genuine medical cause...the university will have to intercede on your behalf. Failing a unit would allow you to take an extra semester and extension of visa, provided the university and/or faculty intercedes on your behalf.

In short:

Under-enrol a shorter course to extend it: NO
Extend course for genuine medical reasons: YES, subject to DEST and DIAC approval
use more than one qualifications: OK
Failing a unit and taking an extra semester and extension of visa: MAYBE, provided the university and/or faculty intercedes on your behalf.

Please note: This is from a discussion group only, and not intended as advice on how to apply to immigrate to Australia.

05 August 2007

Scholarships

Danuka Asked
Hello everyone.........
I'm planning to study in Australia for undergraduate studies, I am living in India. I have been searching for some scholarships in which I can apply for, but I have not been able to find them. I'll be really grateful to you, if you people could let me know some of the links where I can find some good scholarships provided for international students.
Thankyou

Ahmad's response
Check with specific universities...each uni will have it's own scholarships to give out. Moreover, scholarships for international students r normally only partial...UNSW gives AUD 5000 per year, Monash gives AUD 6000 per year and Melbourne Uni gives 25% fee waiver...and all these scholarships r VERY competitive....Me and my friend got the Monash scholarship, because we had 96% marks in A-Levels (which is very high by A-Level standards, as the A-grade is at 80%).

If u r looking for aid scholarships, ask your local Australian high commission for AusAID scholarships...they will be able to inform u on that, since AusAID has a variable quota for each country every year...

Danuka
Thanks Ahmad, but the problem with me is that I have already gone through the scholarship links of almost all the universities, but I am not able to find any outcome. Basically I don't know how to go about it. I have got 88% marks and have a good sports background as well. So what do you think are there any possibilities of me getting a scholarship?

Ahmad:
For most unis you wont need to apply for undergraduate entry scholarships...

UNSW's scholarship page for international applicants is here:

http://www.scholarships.unsw.edu.au/future/undergrad_intl/faculty/FacultyUndergraduateInternationalFirstyear.html

For Monash or Melbourne Uni, you don't need to apply. They will inform you themselves if you get one.

AusAID scholarships can be be provided details for by the ausralian diplomatic office in your area.

From Michelle
In general, there aren't any sports scholarships to Australian Universities like there are in the US. Don't expect good sporting achievement to count anything towards an undergraduate scholarship, if you're looking for that, go to the US.

Reproduced from the Orkut Study in Australia Community with permission from Ahmad.

30 July 2007

Extra Label in the List

Labels in the list below this post are redundant and don't have any posts. If you click on them, you'll only get this message. Please accept my apologies for the error, which is due to a blogger bug.

Please choose the alternative labels jobs, weather and discount shopping from the list on your left.

Finding a house to rent.

Pratik Asked:
Hey michelle , i and my friends are looking out for rental properties here since 2 weeks but we are still not able to get it, do u have any known estate agents who can rent a property out to us?

Charan Wrote:
ya i am in melbourne.. v r 4 members looking for a house ....

Sometimes estate agents don't want to rent to students. They tend to think a group of students will make a mess, especially a group of male students, who may have been used to having their mothers (or servants) clean up after them at home. They may also be concerned about your ability to pay the rent.

To have the best chance of getting a property, you need good references if possible, and some kind of financial statement or job showing you can pay the rent.

Other than that, I can't help you, although if you would like to rent out your house near Monash Caulfield or Clayton, please contact me (operativezplatypusz@gmailzdotzcom remove the zzzs) to negotiate rental to students like Pratik and Charan.

21 July 2007

Education Providers Regulations

New Legislation: The ESOS National code 2007 by Ahmad.

From 1 July 2007, a new version of the legislation regulation education providers came into force (previously known as the ESOS act 2002).This is an important change in legislation applicable to providers of education services for overseas students, and can have repercussions or implications for some students, implemented by the Department of Education, Science and Training in association with DIAC. The key changes brought in this legislation are:

(1) Change of provider time window is now reduced to six months from twelve months

(2) All students are now expected to complete their course within the stipulated time period as published and registered by the provider. (For example, if a course is listed by the provider as 18 months, the students will have to finish it within the 18 months unless necessitated by medical or other compelling circumstances). To enforce this, eCOEs for extension of the same course will no longer be issued, except in very limited circumstances.

An excerpt from the RMIT website:

"International students are required to complete their study within the expected program duration.

The expected duration is given on your eCoE (Electronic Confirmation of Enrolment). To complete your program in the expected duration, you will usually need to be enrolled in a 100% load each semester.

There are now situations, however, where you can enrol in a less than full-time load:

* as part of a documented intervention strategy authorised by your Dean of Academic Development;
* when you have compassionate or compelling circumstances, documented by your Dean of Academic Development;
* when you have undertaken extra study (i.e. summer semester courses);
* you only have a few courses left to complete and these do not constitute a full-time load.


Please note: if you do not maintain a full-time load and you do not have a valid reason, if you do not complete your program within the expected duration you will not have grounds to apply for a new eCoE."

___________________________________________________________________________________

There is no definition of loading on students as such, but the stipulation that students are expected to complete their course within the time period shown on the initial eCOE means that students will need to enrol in a 100% load each semester, except for the final semester of study, if the courses left to completion of the degree/program make up for a part time load.

This legislation effectively closes all the remaining loopholes in the skilled immigration system, with students no longer eligible for visa extensions unless there are compelling circumstances.

The rest of the legislation remains more or less the same, such as attendance requirements etc.

80% attendance is still mandatory. Providers will have to report students if they fail more than 50% of the subjects in any given semester or year.

Dharma asked:
Does this new legislation dent the possibilities for pr for students from abroad after they complete their studies and have secured a job?

Ahmad Replied:
This legislation only governs students and providers during the course of study. This has nothing to do with immigration policies of the skilled migration streams as such.

But yes there is a possible link. Under the ESOS Act 2002, a full-time load was defined as a 75% load, with no restrictions on issuance of new eCOEs for the course. This sometimes meant that students were able to enrol in 75% load in 1.5 year degrees and have it counted as 2 years of study.

Under this legislation, the severely limited circumstances allowing for issuance of new eCOEs to extend the visa beyond what was issued in the initial eCOE will mean that students will be required (or forced) to finish degrees within the published time. If it says 1.5 years on the CRICOS register or your eCOE, you have to finish it in that time, unless medical or other compelling reasons are present.

New eCOEs (and hence visa extensions) will not be easy to get in simple terms. You cannot just enrol in a 75% load at your leisure and then have the visa extended by a semester at the end without a solid reason.

Reproduced from the Orkut Study in Australia Community with permission from Ahmad.

16 July 2007

MODL and new immigration laws

Anonymous: Hello,
I would like to know the difference in Uni and TAFE ? Also which course should I do for MODL?
Must say you guys are Rockin. Thanks so much !

Ahmad: University is an institution chartered by the government for providing degrees of bachelors or higher level. TAFE institutes are accredited by the government but only to provide occupation-specific diplomas.

And MODL does not matter [for overseas students*] under new immigration rules, as MODL points will need work experience.

*Added by Michelle

Reproduced from the Orkut Melbourne Community with permission from Ahmad.

Shopping

Luiz asked:

Hi, I'll be in Melbourne soon and I would like to know some tips about several things..
This is a great topic and I already found great tips! But I still would like ask few things..

1- Where can I find good deals for buying electronics, like photograph cameras or Ipods or pen drives? How much does does it costs approximately? I heard about some place where you can buy without taxes, like a Duty Free if you show your aeroplane ticket that is marked for less than 1 month? Does anybody know this place?

Rajan: Are you planning to stay in AUS only or you would be going to any other countries like Hong Kong, Singapore or Malaysia ? Those are good countries to shop for electronic items. There are duty free shops in Melbourne city where you can shop if you show your ticket. Further even if you will buy something from a non-duty free shop like Myer, Harvey Norman or any other store you can claim GST (10% of your bill) on the way back at Airport. But your purchase should be $300+

Luiz
Thanks Rajan!
I'll just be in Melbourne and in Auckland.
I know that these places you've mentioned are better for electronics shopping...
But Australia is better than Brazil, where I live.
How can I get the addresses of these duty free stores? Do you know these stores?

Michelle: There are some in the Duty Free search in the Discount Melbourne Swicki (see left).

2- Are there good places to buy sneakers, like nike, adidas, rebook or others like that? Are there good prices? A friend of mine was in Melbourne few years ago and told me about some place near to the financial centre...

Rajan: Smith street (Tram 86 will take you there), DFO outlets.

3- I like to know local cultures when I visit different places. I like to go to local markets and restaurants.. Does someone have good recommendations?

Rajan: Greek (Losdale St.), Italian (Lygon St. , Carlton), Asian (China town, Lt.Bourke St.)

11 July 2007

Predicting Rain

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology announced its long range rainfall prediction today, (El Nino Southern Oscillation (ELSO) Wrap-Up). After years of dry weather, rain is expected. Anyone arriving in the next couple of weeks should make sure to pack a good coat and umbrella. Don't expect to buy them here because the shops are running out of winter stock.

The Bureau will be updating a range of predictors such as Tropical Pacific water temperatures, cloudiness near Peru and strength of Trade Winds in the Pacific are used to predict whether Australia is heading for drought (El Nino), floods (La Nina) or a normal year. A month ago, the Bureau was cautiously predicting wet La Nina conditions for 2007-8. With floods in southern NSW and Eastern Victoria since then, it seemed that La Nina was on the way, but the Bureau is even more cautious now. The floods may have caught the news, but the total rainfall is still about average and some areas of eastern Australia have had less than average rainfall for the month.

A La Nina year would have an enormous impact throughout the Eastern half of Australia. In the cities, massive rainfall could mean water restrictions are removed, meanwhile city and country alike have been turning green as normal rain has resumed. In country areas, reservoirs and dams are severely depleted and farmers are hoping for signs that autumn plantings will not be wasted, there will be enough grass to feed livestock and irrigation can be maintained over summer. Rain continuing through spring and summer would also be good news for fire fighters, as the eucalypt forests which cover large parts of eastern Australia more flammable when dry.

La Nina is looking less likely now, but visitors should still expect cold, cloudy weather with lots of rain over the next few months, with a good ski season on the Victorian and NSW mountains.

07 July 2007

Do I need to do more study in Australia?

Anonymous asks:
Hi Rajan,
I'm getting married , my fiance has PR in Australia. I'm currently in Canada and will be moving to Australia with him after marriage. I have done B.Tech (Electronics and Instrumantation ) in India and P.G degree in Wireless Telecommunications in Canada, after that I have been working with DLink Networks and Primus Telecommunications as a Technical Support Associate.

I just want to know, do I have to study more in Australia to get a job or will I be able to find one on the basis of my previous experience?

I am planning to do SAP here in Canada itself, Whats the scope for a SAP professional in Australia and in which field, I'm planning either Management or Warehousing?

Ahmad replied:
SAP has a good scope...and you should be able to get a job based on your current qualifications as well.

Rajan replied:

Hi Bro,

First of all, if you have overseas experience (other than the one in India unless it's from companies like Infi, Microsoft, IBM, EMC, Wipro, HP, CISCO.....) you are always on the positive side. Let me tell you few things which affect you directly or indirectly even though you haven't asked for those.

- If you are moving from Canada you are going to find Australia pretty expensive as compared to Canada. There are many factors which affects it. The main factor is the small population because of which Australia does not hold the same bargaining power in the world marker as compared to US or CA.

- Job prospects are good for people who hold experience from known companies. But again your references count.

- SAP is in demand but I didn't see many permanent roles. Most of the roles are contract based. It's because most of the time once SAP has been rolled out internal people take over its maintenance. Check Seek.com.au and mycareer.com.au to get an idea. Since you will not be holding experience in SAP I am not sure on the prospects.

- If you have good hold on AD, Domino, Exchange, LINUX and Unix you have more chances to score a good job.

01 July 2007

Masters in Engineering for PR - Ahmad reports

Masters in Engineering
Many people have asked me whether the Master of Engineering Science course is eligible for PR. To clarify this matter, I contacted Engineers Australia, and I am reproducing their response here for reference.


Dear Sir,

Thank you for your enquiry.

Essentially, the primary focus of assessment is on the undergraduate qualification in all cases. However, that is not to say that the postgraduate qualification is not considered ... sometimes a successful assessment in the applicant's nominated occupation / category needs to be based on the COMBINED Bachelors/Masters, if the Bachelors is not assessed as fully underpinning the nomination.

It is of little consequence from which country the qualification has been obtained - all non-accredited qualifications are assessed on a case-by-case basis ... and no postgraduate qualification is accredited from our perspective anyway. Very little significance is paid to the PhD qualification in the assessment of qualifications in support of Migration.

I hope this helps...Please come back to me if necessary with the specific details.

Regards... Gareth JONES

This email makes it clear what the stance of EngAus towards postgraduate degrees is.

Regards,
Ahmad.

28 June 2007

End of Financial Year Sales

In case anyone's missed it, Saturday is the last day of the financial year and companies around the country are reducing stock to improve their end of year figures. That spells good discounts for shoppers. Lets have a sneak peek at a few of them. Advertisements in my local rag this week include a "Massive Jeans and Street Fashion Sale" starting 12 noon at the Brighton Town Hall, a stocktake sale at Decorators Warehouse, Cnr Cecil & Market St South Melbourne. Caulfield Godfrey's at 380 Hawthorn Road, Caulfield, has up to 60% off. They mainly sell vacuum cleaners, but have steam irons at $10 for the sale. That sounds all very well, but while we're still on water restrictions the best bargains have got to be on plants. Devon Tubestock Nursery in Monbulk* is offering hundreds of thousands of plants for sale at $1 each. If I had time to get across to Monbulk I'd be checking them out this weekend.

*17 McCarthy Rd, Monbulk Phone 9752 1700.

23 June 2007

How many kg am I allowed on the flight?

Manisha asked:
"Hey I'm from India coming with a student visa in July. Could anyone help me out by telling me how luggage I'm allowed? It will be a great help. Thanks.

Ahmad replied:
"That is up to specific airlines. Most airlines from India would allow 40kg for students. Normally it's 20+7 for economy class, 30+12 for business class and 40+12 for first class."

Rajan:
From India Airlines will not pinch you if its your very first flight. They are lenient if you keep your luggage under 40+7 kg.

40 should be divided into 2 bags. Due to work safety laws no one will pick up a bag heavier than 30kg.

There are things which are not allowed in the cabin bags and in luggage. Please check CASA's web site for it.

http://www.casa.gov.au


Reproduced from the Orkut Melbourne Community with permission from Rajan & Ahmad

21 June 2007

What is the cost of doing an MBA in Australia?

Seems like a number of people are interested in the average cost of attaining an MBA from the land downunder. The link should suffice as far as estimates are concerned. http://www.ranke-heinemann.de/australien/mba.php?order=uni

However, it misses the two leading business schools:

Melbourne Business School (Melbourne Uni): AUD 55,000
Australian Graduate School of Management: AUD 52,800

If you want to consider potential for earnings from a part time job
Tuition fee (total): AUD 35,000 to 55,000
Living Expenses: AUD 12-18 thousand per yr

Part time jobs can get you about AUD 10k a year at max in most cases...

Thanks to Ahmad and Hadi from the Orkut study in Australia Commumity

16 June 2007

Myer Stocktake Sale

For all of you searching for a bargain, I've heard from a reliable source (Vogue Forums), that the Myer stocktake sale starts on Wednesday the 20th of June. There will be a preview event on Tuesday the 19th, for holders of Myer cards and Myerone cards.
Quoting Mr Industrie from the Vogue forum the sale catalogue is "pretty average. The offers for fashion were pretty boring, especially considering its a stocktake sale. Its mostly homewares stuff, so if that's what your after, then you might find it interesting. There are big discounts on selected towels, sheets & cookware and lots of travel goods on sale." For recent arrivals who can stand a few more days of being cold, prices of womens' coats will be reduced by 30% and quilts will be reduced by 40%.

The David Jones half yearly clearance started today.

10 June 2007

Am I allowed to drive with my overseas driving licence?

In Victoria, registration of vehicles and licensing of drivers is handled by VicRoads. VicRoads currently allows temporary residents to drive on a foreign drivers licence indefinitely, as long as the licence is in English or has an English translation. Alternatively, temporary visa holders may drive on a valid International driving permit. For further information and updates, check the VicRoads page on overseas drivers licences.

05 June 2007

PR Pass Mark to Remain at 120

The Australian Department of Immigration has confirmed that the pass mark for PR under the Skilled (Subclass 175) category will remain at 120 points, in FAQ available from the department's website. English language proficiency will increase in importance in the new rules which come into force on the 1st of September. Students on Orkut, an online community popular amongst the Indian diaspora, have welcomed the clarification from the Department of Immigration.

Yesterday, Ahmad, a Monash University student commented:

" The Pass mark remains at 120, which means most of you are safe.

Sandwiching of qualifications has NOT been prohibited

The rest remains as I explained before.

Here's the summary again:

Skills: 50 or 60
Age: Normally 30 for students under the age of 29
Aussie qualifications: 5, 15 or 25
English Language: 15 or 25
MODL: None, but with 1 yr work experience, can claim 15 or 20 points for MODL in addition to 10 points for work experience.

Total: 100 to 140, depending on qualification and skill.

It's a positive move in the end. Higher IELTS scores will be need (at least 7.0 in EACH module) to claim 25 points for English language, but a Temporary Residence visa for 18 months will be available for students unable to directly meet requirements."

Q&A
Abilash asked: But I wonder what would happen after the upcoming elections. Is there a chance that the new government (probably labour) would increase the points required?

Ahmad answered: maybe...but since the steps have been implemented after a detailed study done by an independent panel, it should stay for a while. I won't be surprised if the new government jacks up the pass mark to 130 or 125, but that is something we cannot predict with any amount of accuracy.

Zaib asked:
Hey guys.......i want to ask.......... who gets temporary residence (TR)? People who don't get positive assesment from some authority) or people who can't get the pass mark of 120? For the assessment on cookery diploma.....you must have 900 hours of working experience?

Ahmad answered:
Anyone who meets the 2 yrs study rule, has a skill on the SOL approved by the assessing body, but unable to meet points requirement directly. yes u need 900 hours of work experience.

Work experience requirement can come from 2 sources:

The DIAC:

They want work experience only to claim MODL, or work experience points, but the basic range of points has a waiver of work experience.

Assessment Authorities:

Sometimes work experience is required to claim SOL points from an assessing authority. For example, TRA wants 900 hours of work experience for assessing cookery. There's no way you can get around this blockade unless your qualification includes work experience.

Frank Asked:
What is the skill thing? 50 or 60 points? what does skill stand for?

Ahmad replied:
The points your job carries on the SOL list. Fully specialised jobs have 60 points (accountant, engineer etc), generalist jobs have 50 (economist, etc) and trade occupations have 40 (engineering associate etc). You have to apply to the relevant assessing body after finishing your course. For students they don't need an assessment letter, just the proof that they have applied for the assessment of their skills.

Abilash asked:
Have the 5 points for regional study been axed? I can find no mention of them in the GSM changes booklet.

Ahmad replied:
I do not find them either...maybe that will become clear when the specific website for the 885 is made...


The Q&A are from the Orkut Study in Australia community. Reprouced with permission from Ahmad.

02 June 2007

Weekend Breaks

Question from Anthony:
Hi Guys !! I look up to you, for the help and info that you guys are extending forward.. its truly commendable...I wish I knew about this community when I arrived here.

I am in Melbourne for about 5 months and I have been through all the phases of house & job hunting. Now its time for a break !!!! Since I am here with my wife, we need to break the usual monotony of work and home. We are looking forward towards venturing out more often and checking out some beautiful places here.

Can u suggest a few places that could be a nice weekend break. It could be anything from beaches, to dining, to sight seeing and not to mention cost effective as well :-)

I am sure,all would agree that , if you don't socialize out here, boredom will get you..

Answers:
From Rajan
Hi Anthony, I personally do not know in monetary terms that how much are you willing to pay but following are few places you can go to (Some near to Melb and some far away but within Victoria)

Just one thing to be noted that I personally find YHA as the best and cheapest place to stay if you are a back packer or do nto want to spend much on staying overnight or for couple of days.

1. Great Ocean Road, further than Geelong and a lot of tour companies conducts tours for these places.
2. Mecedon Ranges (If you like lakes, agriculture, wineries etc.)
3. Yarra Vally
4. Mt.Buller, Mt.Baw Baw and Mt.Hotham (If you are into snow and ski, part of north east Victoria)
5. Gippsland and Phillip Island (Penguin parade is pretty famous from Phillip Island)
6. Grampians National Park (It took me about 3 and 1/2 hours to get there but it's a nice place to go to if you like bush walks and rock climbing on the way you would come accross wind farms and other historical places)
7. Dandenong Ranges, Puffing billy, Sky High, (take train from Belgrave for Puffing Billy. On the way to the Dandenong ranges try lunch at Miss Marples 'where mountain highway finishes' )

From Ahmad:
Rialto observation deck...Puffing Billy Railway (thats a must..it starts from near the Belgrave station and takes u on a scenic ride through the Dandenong Ranges...

From Michelle:
I agree with Rajan that the youth hostels are an excellent cheap choice for accommodation. You should also check backpacker directories if there is no youth hostel at your destination. In some places you can hire an onsite van at a caravan park. The prices are similar to Youth Hostels, but with a wider range of destinations.

1. For Spring through to Autumn, I would recommend coastal towns, such as Lorne. In summer the beaches on the surf coast are a great attraction, but the wild seas in winter make a great view too. In winter you can still bushwalk (in the forests), see koalas in the wild if you're lucky, and you also have the cafes and pubs of the town.

2. I would recommend a visit to the Mornington peninsula, especially in the warmer months. At this time of year, the beaches are cold, but there are other attractions to visit, like wineries, Sorrento is a very picturesque little town and there is a very good mineral spa centre. You can relax in the mineral springs all day for $30, all less than an hour's drive from Monash Clayton.

From the Orkut Melbourne Community, reproduced here with permission from Rajan and Ahmad.

27 May 2007

From IELTS to uni application to VISA stamping

Q:
Hello every body out there I'm in India right now and aspire to come Australia for undergraduate study........I want go become a part of one the universities from the group of <8>. I want some of you to tell me how much time it takes to complete all the formalities, get the letter of conformation and the visa. I want to start there in 2008 (1st semister). I have startd prepaing for IELTS, but am not allied to any of the universities also. PLZ help ...........

A: from Ahmad
Step 1: Take IELTS and wait for the result.

Step 2: When you get IELTS result, apply to uni with all your credentials as applicable (you may need to pay an application fee).

Step 3: The Uni will send you a letter of offer, or conditional offer. Use this to apply for your visa. Your local Australian diplomatic office will have more info on visas.

Step 4: the high commission will ask you to obtain a document called eCOE from the uni, as well as undergoing the medical tests.

Step 5: submit the eCOE to the high commission for final visa processing.

Starting from application to visa stamping it takes about 3 months.

Reproduced from the Orkut Study in Australia Community with permission from Ahmad.

Campus Accommodation at Monash

Harpreet asked:

hey...how do i ask 4 campus accommodation at Monash??

Rajan replied:

Have you applied through any agent like IDP ? if yes then ask them. Otherwise just call Monash International Student cell and they should be able to arrange it. More details are on the Monash uni site.








From the Orkut Monash University community. Reproduced here with permission from Rajan.

23 May 2007

Laptop for WiFi

Hey guys I'm planing to get my laptop and come over there so can you all tell me what are the net connections? What are the rates of Wi-Fi?

From Ahmad:
Primus, Optus, TPG, Telstra...all run at about $49 per month for the unlimited high speed packages. check these webites:

www.optus.com.au
www.telstra.com.au
www.primus.com.au
www.tpg.com.au

From Rajan:
Mate when you say WiFi

There are different technologies which can be used at different placed in Australia. Main city areas are covered by "hot spots" by Telstra and some other providers. Your device should have a wireless card either inbuilt or you can use PCI (for desktop) and PCMCI(for laptops) wireless (802.11 based technology) cards. Most of the good cafe's, colleges, Tafes, airports and Universities have this facilities too. But you need to subscribe as it needs keys for decrypting the information which travels on wireless signals.

Do a Google search for "hotspots in Australia" you will find info.

You can even use a converter for 3G technology which lets you use your mobile phone chip for browsing internet. 3 and Telstra are main players. Same will apply for some GSM and CDMA technology but would not be as good as 3G.

For any internet or broadband related comparisons and views of users best site is whirlpool.net.au go to its discussion forum

Ahmad responded:
Plus the fact that the 3G based internet providers (3, Telstra, etc) tend to be very expensive...3's data package is $49 for 1Gb...

15 May 2007

Queensland University

Rabiba wrote...
Rajan, I would be obliged if you would let me know whether 'The Queensland University' is in Melbourne or not? If No, then which Cities have this Uni?? Please reply asap!! Thanks!

Rajan & Ahmad
I am not sure that you are looking for more info on "Central Queensland University (CQU)" or "The university of Queensland (UQ)"

If you are talking of "The University of Queensland" (UQ), it is located in the city of Brisbane (the capital of the state of Queensland). It has three campuses (St Lucia, Ipswich, Gatton), all in Brisbane. UQ -> http://www.uq.edu.au/about/campuses-and-locations

Central Queensland University has five campuses in Central Queensland, a campus on the Gold Coast and capital city campuses in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. CQU locations http://www.cqu.edu.au/about/locations.htm

12 May 2007

Melbourne IELTS test centres

Question: Where are the IELTS Melbourne test centres?

Answer:
IELTS currently has 5 test centres registered in Melbourne.

Deakin University IELTS
Melbourne Campus at Toorak
336 Glenferrie Road, Malvern.

NMIT (Northern Melbourne Institute of TAFE)
41 Cramer St, Preston

Hawthorn English
(Melbourne University)
442 Auburn Road, Hawthorn.

Monash University, Clayton Campus

RMIT English
Level 6, 393 Swanston Street, Melbourne City.

08 May 2007

Bob Birrell implies 120 point PR pass mark to remain.

Yesterday, The Australian newspaper quoted Bob Birrell, the influential Monash University academic behind the new skilled migration rules, complaining that "instead of meeting the new standards of English proficiency, students interested in permanent residency after completing courses in Australia could relocate to regional centres where it is easier to meet entry requirements for the skilled migration program". The article in the Australian said the General Skilled Migration pass mark will remain at 120 points, allowing students to bypass the new English language requirement by moving to a regional area like Adelaide. Without the regional component, students would need an IELTS score of six, or competent English, up from the current five, or vocational English.

02 May 2007

Holmsglen TAFE

Hi Rajan,
Very kind to see you helping everyone over here.
I'm coming in July 07 to Holmesglen TAFE Institute to do my hotel management course...
Q1. Hows this college
Ahmad answered for Rajan:
It is one of the best known TAFE institutes in Australia, and is the largest in Victoria. It does not stand up to the standard of unis, but still is a good institution.

Q2. Will I get a part time job easily because my age is just 18
A:
Very vague question. Finding jobs is not easy, but certainly not too difficult. How easily you find them depends on how dedicated you are in finding them.

Q3. What about accommodation
A:
Slot yourself into temporary accommodation for the initial few weeks, and then move out to a shared house when you find suitable partners.

Q4. What about pr how is this process...does it take a long time
A:
It can take some time. You can only apply after you finish your degree. Most TAFE courses get 40 or 50 points on the SOL, so it can be very difficult to pass the points test.


5. Do I need to buy a laptop from here ..is it needed

This is something only you can answer. You would need a laptop in my opinion, and they are expensive in Australia.


6. What is the scope for hospitality in Melbourne

The scope is not bad but getting a PR with such occupations is another issue altogether...

Reproduced from the Orkut Melbourne Community with permission from Ahmad. All the responses were provided by Ahmad.

01 May 2007

Accommodation For July

Huzefa wrote:

Hey Rajan,
I've completely read your thread and your blog and it has been an immense help.

I'm coming to Melbourne around July 2007 for my accounting pg at Deakin. I visited the sites you mentioned but there is a lot of information there and I'm not being able to single out an appropriate dorm for me to book before I arrive. Since after landing at airport I've no-one in Melb to go to I need to book a dorm or a hostel room before hand. When should I contact the landlord as mentioned on these sites for information on availability of rooms and should I send them fees in advance if asked?

Help me out Rajan please I'm right now not even close to being prepared to leave for Melbourne.


Rajan's response
Your uni should be able to find a temporary place to stay at if you do not know anyone here. This will allow you to meet new people at the uni who will be looking for accommodation too. Alternatively you will see a lot of advertisements on the uni boards where people already have taken a place on rent and looking for house mates. I am sure you will manage to find it soon.

Reproduced from the "First time in Melbourne? Few tips for you" thread in the Orkut Melbourne Community with permission from Rajan.

29 April 2007

UCQ defends itself.

The University of Central Queensland (UCQ), Melbourne campus has gone into defence mode this week, publishing "The Economic Benefits of CQU Melbourne Campus to Victorian GDP " on its website. In recent weeks the campus has had very bad press, following student protests against the large number who failed a final year accounting exam. Patrick O'Keefe, RMIT Student Union President reported in Melbourne Indy Media that "a vast majority of students enrolled in this course have been failed by the University, following an examination which tested students on material not covered in the course material, or included within the syllabus. Today [March 30th] marks the final day that students can re-enrol in the subject, for which the University is charging an extra $2,000. This is despite the fact that students have already paid $24,000 to complete the two year course."

The plight of UCQ accounting students has been widely reported in Australia and has even reached The Times of India. The message is clear. Students should choose their University and course very carefully, and not just enrol in a course because the occupation is currently on the Australian MODL (occupations in demand) list.

As a local Melbournite I find it difficult to understand why anyone would want to study at the CQU Melbourne campus. When you look at University rankings, CQU is well down the list. For example in the"The Australian" teaching performance 2005 rankings UCQ ranked 35th. Why would you go to a 35th ranked University when the location, fees and living costs for Universities in the top ten are much the same?

Can I work while studying in Australia?

Working and Taxation: A Brief Rundown

Here's a quick rundown of work rights and taxation:

Normally your student visa will be initially issued without permission to work. Once you commence your studies, you can apply for a work permission. This will cancel the original visa and replace it with a student visa of equal duration with condition 8105 on it. This allows you to work:

20 hours per week during ALL advertised periods of semester, including examination periods
Full-time during advertised periods of vacation (e.g. mid-semester break)

You also need to obtain a Tax File Number from Australian Taxation Office. Working without a TFN will result in a 46.5% tax deduction from your income. The taxation system in Australia is very elaborate, and a bit brutal to an extent; part time jobs are not exempt from tax. Tax rates are progressive, but the rate applicable to students is generally 15%. There's currently no tax on the first $6000, and 15% after that up to $25,000.

Some employers tend to offer "cash-in-hand" jobs. This may seem to save you tax, but it may fall under tax evasion under certain cases. Therefore, it it not advisable to go for "cash-in-hand" jobs.

by Ahmad

Reproduced from the Study in Australia community on Orkut

26 April 2007

New Rules for Applications for Australian Permanent Residence

New rules for applications for Permanent residence (P.R) will apply from 1 September. The new rules are available on the Department of Immigration website: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/changes/index.htm


Ahmad has been studying the changes, attending information sessions and leading a discussion on the Orkut “Study in Australia” community. Excerpts from the discussion are reproduced here with Ahmad's permission.


Ahmad wrote:

There is very high chance that the two years study rule may be changed such that the two years must be the result of one single qualification, effectively ruling out any people who use multiple qualifications to make up two years.


Furthermore, MODL (Migration Occupation in Demand List ) points will no longer be given without work experience, and a 18 month TR (temporary residence) will be introduced.


The asked:
So the overall picture is positive or negative for future students?


Ahmad replied:


"Positive for:

  • Students studying for 3 yrs or more
  • Students with higher IELTS scores at time of application
  • Students willing to stay on and get work experience before
  • Students completing occupations in many diverse fields, as the incentive of MODL is not immediate, and is now dependent on 1 years' work experience


Negative for:

  • People trying to use an MODL occupation as a pathway to a PR using qualifications that were often unrelated to each other and sandwiched together to make up 2 years, which is nothing but exploitation of migration rules, and the fact that it had lead to market saturation, thereby disadvantaging more deserving applicants


  • People with low English language proficiency, which often meant a low factor of work-readiness


In general, the new rules are meant to reduce the concentration of people in areas like IT and accounting, and better prepare people for the job market by encouraging them to get work experience and more proficient English language skills."

Ahmad discusses the new PR rules

Ahmad wrote:

The Australian qualifications rule has been amended as:

25 points for PhD
15 points for Bachelors + Masters in Australia, each at least 1 yr long, totaling at least 3 yrs
15 for Bachelors + Honours (total study at least 3 yrs)
15 for Bachelors with at least 2nd class honours results, at least 3 yrs long
5 for diplomas or any other qualifications of 2 yrs or more

the criteria for determining 2 yrs study have not yet been published, but there is high change that "sandwiching" shorter qualifications in unrelated disciplines to make up 2 yrs will be excluded.


There will be no changes to points for SOL and Age. They will remain as:

18 to 29 years: 30 points
30 to 34 years: 25 points
34 to 39 years: 20 points
40 to 44 years: 15 points

Occupations can be nominated to be either 60 or 50 points for ALL applicants, against the older rules only allowing 50 point occupation for PhDs.


Under the new Points Test, to claim MODL points you will need:
• a suitable skills assessment in your nominated occupation that is on the MODL; and

• a total of at least 12 months skilled work experience in that occupation or a closely related occupation.


Australian Work Experience:

10 points for 1 years' work experience in the field you nominate for PR, or a closely related occupation.

English Language:

25 points for a minimum score of 7.0 in each IELTS component
15 points for a minimum score of 6.0 in each IELTS component


485 graduate skilled visa:

This visa will be up to 18 months in duration, allowing people to travel/study/work.

It will be granted to:

People who meet the 2 years study requirement
People who have applied for a skills assessment

During this visa, people can apply for a PR any time within the 18 months. People can claim 10 points for Australian work experience and any MODL points if applicable. People can also improve English language proficiency.


Australian work experience:

10 points for people with work experience of 12 months in a field closely related to their occupation within the last 48 months.

Applicants who can meet the points test requirements without work experience may be granted 885 visas without work experience.

THE PASS MARK WILL BE ANNOUNCED AT A LATER DATE.


The asked:


Diploma Course
They have not mentioned anything about Diploma courses. How many points will be awarded for a 2year diploma course? If the occupation is in SOL?


Mobilash asked:

What about the 5 points for regional Australian study and residence? I didn't find any mention of that in the proposed changes to the GSM points test. Will it stay the same or has it been deleted? Any idea?


Ahmad replied:


More information will be coming up later on...

A 2 year diploma will give you 5 points.

Nothing has yet been said on regional Australia, but the original research document recommends that it stays as it is.


Jitin asked:

Do you have any information regarding changes/increase in total points required? Is it going to remain same, i.e.120?


Ahmed replied:

They haven't published the exact passmark yet, but estimating from the increase in points for aussie qualifications, but I guess it will be set at about 140.


Jitin:

Yes. I agree with you.

However, most of the crucial points have been taken out of Bob Birell's report so I think direct PR will be on the cards if you score 7 or above on the English language test (provided you already have 115 from a 60 point profession).


Ahmed agreed:


Which of course means the probability of 130 is very high.

60 - skill
30- age
25 - IELTS
5-15- 3 yrs study in australia (Bachelors in 2nd class honours, bachelors + honours or bachelor + master, or 2 yrs degree/diploma to get 5 points

10 one year work experience while on a TR
15-20 MODL if applicable after 1 yr work experience

Adding up the black points gives: 60+30+25+15 = 130

Now this is likely to be the new passmark, or it may be around 140 if they include the red points as well (1 year work experience).
___________________________________________________________________
However, the Visa Restructure document says that :

Q:Will all overseas students be required to gain work experience in order to apply
for a permanent onshore GSM visa?

A:No, overseas students who meet the requirements for a permanent GSM visa
will still be eligible to apply upon completing their studies.
____________________________________________________________

It means that the compulsion for work experience will likely not be there, and the possibility to complete the passmark without getting the TR will be there for people with high IELTS scores. Hence its safe enough to assume a pass mark of 130 at the moment. However, nothing can be ruled out until further correspondence from Mr Andrews (the Immigration minister) is published.

There is another new situation in the new rules:

You could nominate a 50-point occupation for your PR as well. For example, if you are an economist, which is a 50 point occupation, you may be able to complete the points using 1 years' work experience.


Jitin replied


It's highly likely that pass mark won't be increased because, in the FAQ section, it's mentioned that if someone has high score in IELTS he/she can apply for PR without the need of 18 month of work visa after Sep1,2007. This would be applicable to only 60 points professions. So that itself means that

1. 120 can be achieved by getting 7 in IELTS.
2. If in case someone doesn't achieve this score then he/she can take up Work experience option or have to study a professional year. 10 points will be given for either one of them.


Ahmad countered:


You are right as well...but since we haven't had a word from Mr Andrews and Ms Bishop on this yet, we can only guess that it will be in between 120 and 135.



Reproduced from the Orkut "Study in Australia" community with permission from Ahmad and Jitin.

25 April 2007

When should I file for a student visa for Australia for Feb 08 intake?

The Immigration Department says Student visa applications normally take 3 months.

I just spoke to a friend from China who said her visa only took 1 month, so you've got plenty of time before Feb '08. Do take care if you are planning to arrive in early Feb that things may be a bit slower here in January over the Australian summer holiday period.


You can apply for a student visa online through a migration agent*, which may speed up the process. If you are going through an agent, you should know that all the Universities pay agents to attract overseas students . If you would like to go to Monash for instance, contact information about their international agents who can help you with your application is freely available from the Monash recruitment services unit.

*currently only from India, Indonesia, Thailand and The People’s Republic of China

24 April 2007

Where is my campus in Melbourne?

The locations of University and TAFE campuses in Melbourne are marked on the map at the bottom of the page.

Zoom in to see local features.

21 April 2007

How to search for an address or instructions for driving

Many of you who are new to Victoria will be looking for means to find out how to get to a place ? There are few good sites which can be used for such searches, all you need is the address where you want to goto ?

1. www.streetdirectory.com.au -> This is electronic version of MELWAY (everyone here knows what this means). All you need to do is to fill the address and then hit search, you can even move maps to see what are the places around.

2. Second comes to this catagory is www.whereis.com , its from Sensis, a well known name in Australia also producers of UBD and part of Telstra.

3. If you are looking for driving directions there is another good tool which can be used is www.tavelmate.com.au

4. Yahoo and Google direction searches can be used as well.

This post is copied from the Melbourne Community on Orkut: Rajan's thread, First time in Melbourne? Few tips for you, with permission from Rajan.

Rajan, will these clothes be sufficient?

Will these much clothes will be sufficient ???
like i m bringing in Feb...
5-6 jeans
4-5 kargos
2 formal black trousers
1 comlete formal suit reymond
6-7 half sleve t-shirts
5-7 full sleves
6-7 printed shirts
3-4 formal shirts
3-4 jackets (formal + informal)
anything + or -
advice will be highly appreciated
thanx in advance


That is more than enough i guess.

This post is copied from the Melbourne Community on Orkut: Rajan's thread, First time in Melbourne? Few tips for you, with permission from Rajan.

20 April 2007

How can I accompany my fiance?

Hi Rajan.
Awesome Information rendered! Hats off to your dedication!! My query follows:
1. My Fiance in India has applied for a Student Visa,any idea how much time would it take to get a Visa?
2.Can i come with him as a Dependent? If yes, wht are the requisites?If no , what are the other ways to come with him?
3.How much monthly would it cost for both of us [for travel,living,accommodation etc.]
Awaiting your reply!!


You will have to show that you are legally married to your fiance to count as a dependent. Check more details here:

http://www.immi.gov.au/students/students/bringing_family/index.htm

usually the primary applicant has to be in Australia for at least twelve months before he/she can bring dependants.

18 April 2007

Puma Factory Outlet Sale

Puma Factory Outlets are offering 30% off everything until 22nd April, at

111 Keys Road Moorabbin
Ph: 9256 8241

DFO Cheltenham
Shop T58, Cnr Centre Dandenong & Grange Road Cheltenham
Ph: 9584 4809

DFO Essendon
Shop T22, Cnr Tullamarine Fwy & Bulla Road Essendon Airport
Ph: 9937 7259

17 April 2007

Rajan advises: Travelling from the Airport to Melbourne Suburbs

Another useful piece of info would be how to get to the city/some suburb from Melbourne airport using public transport.. Apparently the public transport connections from the airport are very bad in Melbourne, so this info would be useful to almost anyone.

I tried once.. took me 2 hrs 20 minutes to get from Airport to Fairfield using a combination of bus/train/train/bus



This would be open question, there are factors what decides how you want to do it ?

1. How much money are you willing to spend ?
2. how far away is the place you want to go to ?
3. What time of the day are you landing ?

If you want to go to city which is the hub for going anywhere... cheapest is to take the Airport shuttle service from SKYBUS.

It charges $15 one way to take you to Spencer Street Station. It's service is every 15 minutes from the Airport.

Same way as SKYBUS there are other shuttle or pick-up services which can be used if you do not want to get a CAB.

One Example of such services is AIRPORT BUS. More information can be found at http://www.fapas.com.au/fares

From the Orkut Melbourne community. Republished here with permission from Rajan.


16 April 2007

Rajan's advice on jobs and immigration to Melbourne

Hi Rajan, I must say that this person is really amazing and I wish that Rajan gets all the good things in his life for the effort he is putting in just to help others. Great work buddy. Let me tell you about myself. I am Raaj here and I am a Delhite, coming to Melbourne on a student visa in January. Just want to ask what are the opportunities for hairdressers there? I am a hair stylist here with Loreal and I want to do a lot of hair cuts there. Can you help me in that? I mean can you tell me about the demand for hairdressers in Melbourne and is there any racism against Indians, and what is the living cost for a bachelor like me for say a month? Take care, thanks.


Hairdressing.... a really good prospect....heaps and heaps of jobs if you are good at it. Everyone is looking for hairdressers. You should not face much problem after being trained by Loreal. Living costs are not as high in Melbourne as compared to Sydney. But still as I said before in this thread. It depends on your preferences.


Thanks Rajan, you are a real sweetheart, and can you please tell me that do you have Indian food easily available there or not? And how much would a room will cost me? And the most important thing is how much do hairdressers like me who will work part time earn in a day? And how much is enough if I want to lead a normal life. I am just looking for a rough idea of living cost for a month. Take care dear and I must say that you are really nice.


I do not have any friend who is doing hairdressing as a job so I would not be able to help you in that regard. For living expenses, if you will be sharing with other people it would be about $1000-$1500 a month. But I saw people living of on less than that. But its all about priorities.


Architects

Thinking of immigrating to Australia, Melbourne soon. Any ideas if there are any good prospects for architects, photographers and social workers? Would really like to get to know someone who already lives there so I can get some insight into what its really like to settle in Melbourne career wise and education wise..because I'm planning to continue with my studies as well...like in social sciences or something...


Architects, have prospects but since I am only a IT engineer I most know about IT and cookery (through friends). For photography I am not sure.. but I guess if your work is exceptional then you might find good work. Social work: are you talking about old age care? If that is so then yes there are heaps and heaps of jobs. But you might have to get police clearance as well as some local experience as a volunteer. Nursing is also in demand. Not enough nurses in Australia.



Hi rajan ... first of all HATS OFF to U .. its really helpful to find such info for the first timers like me ... I will be joining Uni of Melbourne for Master of Telecommunications Engineering ... i ll be coming for the Feb intake ... any idea about the prospects in the telecommunications sector .. i also want to know bout INTERNSHIPS during the semester breaks as we have here in India ..I don't have any idea bout what's the common practice in Australia... does your UNIVERSITY name have any impact on finding jobs at all ... I have chosen Uni Melb because of its ranking.


Melbourne University is one of the best universities in Australia in almost all the faculties. Its well known for Medicine and related studies.

For telecommunication internships I would not have clue. I am aware of people who did really well in telecommunications and then joined come ISP or telco companies. But I could not still tell you about any internship programs.

Hello Mr Rajan,
I will be in Melbourne soon for a two year course on accounting. . .and looking for PR . . .do you have any advice for the terms of the PR for my kind of study?


Accounting is everyone's choice these days. Currently its getting you good points which you need for your PR. Look at the MODL list from immi.gov.au

Its on the list, but this gets reviewed every year or 6 months... one of these... so we do not know how much demand will be there in next two years since everyone seems to be doing Accounting... but we all hope for the best... best of luck with your studies and move to Melbourne.


Hi Rajan, no words for your appreciation but still wanna say great work for for all students,
I was about to come to melb but changed my mind for the next two years as per the MODL list, because you are right its changes in every six months and who knows which course would be in demand after 2 years especially for those who want PR, and PR also depends on points...I think now the Australian government has introduced a new policy that every student will have to work for a certain duration in their respected field(course) to get PR. My sister and Jijaji are there but don't have PR yet...one more year to get that. They also advised me to come after some time so that I can get points from their PR. Can you please put your opinion on the PR process? Your suggestion or advice?


You Sister is right, I would recommend you start working in India and file for residency from there. Since your sister will be a resident in Australia you should get the points needed.



From the Orkut Melbourne community. Republished here with permission from Rajan.



15 April 2007

First time in Melbourne? Some tips for you. Rajan's advice thread.

Advice from Rajan for Indians thinking of studying and working in Melbourne.


Can I use my electronic items?

The Australian standard is 240 volts with frequency of 50Hertz. Most of the universal converters are available in super markets.

Happy wrote:
If I want to drive taxi part time there in Melbourne then what should I do?

Happy...my question to you is why do you want to drive a cab? Just because a lot of friends told you that they are doing the same here? Its easy money but a bad job..especially when you are dropping people home when they do not know what they are doing (Drunk)... anyway you asked this question so I can tell you that you need first of all a Full Victorian License ... you need to clear driving tests for this. then you need to attend a course with the Taxi directorate. Then they also give you exams. Look for taxi Directorate Victoria on Google for more information.


Gorav asks:
Can you please tell about job prospects in the IT field? I've enrolled for a masters in network computing from Monash in Feb'07 session. Its a 1.5 yrs course. I've seen other postings in different communities and they've suggested that its really a bad time for guys in this field, thats why now I'm feeling a bit afraid of making this investment. Please help.

Hi Gorav, I did my Masters of Network Computing from Monash. Its a good course but problem is Australia has not grown up to be a really good market for IT professionals. Prospects for programmers are not many as compared to China, India, USA, UK and Germany.

The rest is all about luck. You never know. I know people here who work for companies like TCS, Infosys, EMC and other. Depends on how hard you can try and how good you are. You also require a reference. As a fresher its a hard and long way to go.

Hey Rajan, I have my real sister also there, she's in Canberra workng with Accenture.....will her reference do? Or i'll still have to struggle a lot!!!

Buddy. MNC from Monash lets you decide what you want to do. Its up to you to go for programing based subjects or the ones related to Network Security and System Administration. All depends on you that what do you want for you.

If you are really good at programing and you can prove that. I would suggest you to work for MNC in India and after having experience move where ever you like. If you sister works in Accenture ask her what she can do for you. She would be able to tell you better than me.

Vicky wrote
How much money can I carry from India to Melbourne. I am coming on a student visa in Feb 07 ?

Rajan's advice
In my understanding you do not need to declare if you are carrying less than $10000. I am not sure if you get questioned in India about this. If you want to bring more than $10000 then you need to declare it in Australia.


Vicky wrote
But Sir, what about travellers cheques. How much money should I take?
I mean the expenses of accommodation and all before I get a job there ... and what about jobs. What kind of jobs are there? Are call centre jobs easily available there?

Rajan's advice
Vicky, that is the hardest question you can ask us. It all depends upon where you want to live and what facilities you want to have.

Fully furnished places will be expected to be expensive, so do the ones closer to the city and universities.

Best is to stay in a university campus for 1-2 weeks and meanwhile start looking for people who are looking for house mates. Believe me there are a lot of them

Vicky responded
“Thanks sir ... just sir my question is still not answered fully...
well I am getting temporary accommodation for $220/ week with meals for a single ...later I will look in some suburban area for share accommodation... so what amount should I carry with me as a travelers cheque so that I can manage before I find a job to earn my living?

Rajan's advice
Vicky, the question you are asking is very broad... there are so many things which matters like do you want to live close to the city ? Close to uni ? Close to public transport ? All these places will be expensive to live in.

To be on the secure side at least keep $A5-8K with you. In case you will find it hard to get a job which can pay for your accommodation.

Sumit wrote
“Hey Rajan, I will be there in July, but at that time I will be just 18 years old. Will it make any difference to anything like my job?”

Sumit, your age not not affect your working capability. 18 years is a good age except for few jobs which involve driving because you will not have a full license.

Networking Jobs
Hi Rajan .... I am a Networking Engineer with 7 years of experience in a Large Scale ISP network. Can you please tell me what is the job prospect of such Network Engineers in Australia?

Hi There,

Telling you the truth there are jobs in the market. But not as many jobs as the professionals who are here. Usually companies promote internal staff to the next level. Still there are chances to score a job but you might have to start with small job. But we never know if luck is with you, you might get a good job in the beginning (Usually as we say you could be in the right place at the right time).

Cheers,
Raj


I am flying in Plane for the first time. What should I carry?
In your hand luggage you should carry
a) your passport and student visa, aeroplane ticket, money, important documents and valuables
b) Items that will be declared at Australian Customs
a spare copy of the front pages of your passport and visa
c)emergency clothing and a jacket
d)suitcases and other luggage should be 'LOCKED' and tagged with your name, address and contact telephone numbers.

From the Orkut Melbourne community. Republished here with permission from Rajan.

06 April 2007

Buying a Wireless Modem

I'm sick of all the electric cables and computer cables around the place & want to buy a wireless modem. I've been shopping around the internet, and was about to buy a Netgear DG834G from warcom.com.au for $179 when I chanced on the Shopferret website. Why didn't anyone tell me about this site before? After comparing about 10 shops on Shopferret, I was about to buy a D-Link modem from SkyComp for $113, when I checked the sites on my Discount-Melbourne Swicki & found the same D-link modem from PCWorld for $109. PCWorld doesn't have such a good rating from Shopferret, so I'll check them out for real in Dandenong tomorrow.

11 February 2007

Job sites

The biggest site for jobs in Melbourne is www.seek.com.au, but some advertisements are only posted on mycareer.com.au
If you are looking for work in non for profit organizations the website is www.infoxchange.org.au it also has a link ifyou want to do some volunteer work, another one is www.jobsearch.gov.au for government jobs.

Search for Jobs at MyCareer.com.au.


Melbourne Campus Map


View Melbourne Campus in a larger map