Advertisements

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.

Melbourne Campus Map


View Melbourne Campus in a larger map