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.

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.

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

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.

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

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