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I haven't heard anything on the maximum of 20 hours work condition being withdrawn..and it doesn't make sense as well...because students in many degrees (esp engineering) need vacation work for 12 weeks before they can graduate...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

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.

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.

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.

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.