Australia

Multicultural Australia is a safe, friendly, sophisticated and harmonious society in which students can learn and travel in an English speaking country. Australia offers a unique experience for students. Apart from a world-class education system, it also offers excellent value for money and a standard of living which is among the highest in the world. Living expenses and tuition costs in Australia are considerably less expensive than the UK and USA.

Population
In mid-2005 Australia’s population was 20,265,000. Population density is among the lowest in the world, with an average of 2.5 people per square kilometer.

Climate
Nearly a third of Australia is in the tropics and the rest is in the temperate zone.

Main Cities
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide

Culture & Multiculturism
While Australians love their sport, they also have a special affinity for the arts. From cinema, literature and music to theatre, dance and the visual arts, Australia's varied cities are rich in culture.

Australian culture wouldn't be what it is without its multicultural dimension. Australia continues to benefit from its multicultural make-up – one of the most diverse in the world – enjoying a wealth of ideas, cuisines and lifestyles. The last census reported that 23% of the population is foreign-born, and over 40% of Australians are of mixed cultural origins. Every four minutes and eight seconds Australia gains another international immigrant.

Transport
Australian cities have excellent public (and private) transport systems, making travelling around them simple.

Australia has the third largest number of international students in the English-speaking world after the USA and UK. In some countries Australia is the students' first choice study destination.

Australian qualifications and institutions are recognized globally for their high quality and excellence. Graduates from Australia are very successful in finding jobs and hold prominent positions worldwide. Additionally, they are readily accepted for postgraduate study at leading international universities.

More than 2,80,000 international students from over 195 countries are studying at Australian universities. This is about half of all international students enrolled in Australian courses.

The terms University and Degree are protected in Australia so that only institutions which meet Australia's rigorous quality assurance processes can use the titles.

Australia has 39 universities which are listed on the registers of the Australian Qualifications Framework as well as a number of recognized higher education institutions. Australian universities also have overseas branch campuses, twinning arrangements and exchange programmes for students and staff worldwide. Australia has nearly 4000 formal agreements with universities around the world.

Many Australian universities concentrate on traditional areas of learning and inquiry, while others are more vocational and applied in focus. All, to some extent, combine tuition with research

It is Australia's reputation as an innovative and research-intensive culture that is attracting many international students at the postgraduate level. Australia's expenditure on research and development ranks highly among OECD countries.

Universities
The university level of education is the highest level of education in Australia. A student can study either at the undergraduate level or the postgraduate level in a university. In Australia a student will be expected to conduct independent research at all institutions, especially at university. You can choose from a vast range of courses including traditional academic areas of learning and research, as well as more practical courses with a vocational orientation.

Generally universities follow semester system and for some programs, they have trimester system.

Vocational
Vocational courses are offered by government funded TAFE (Technical and Further Education) institutes and also by some private colleges. These institutions are closely linked with the industry so the courses are practical and skilled based. In Australia’s vocational education and training institutions you will gain career-focussed skills that are valued and sought by employers. You can step directly into a career or use your vocational studies as a pathway to university.

School
It is compulsory for children aged between 6 and 15, with matriculation exams for university generally at 18 years old. Australian schools are public and private.

English Language Institutes
Specialist English language tuition is offered by more than 210 institutions located all over Australia, in major cities as well as country centres.

Australia offers excellent value for money, with living expenses and tuition costs in Australia considerably less expensive than the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA).

The average range of Tuition Fees is as below...

The average international student in Australia spends about A$230 per week on accommodation, food, clothing, entertainment, transport, international and domestic travel, telephone and incidental costs. While these are a realistic guide, it is important to remember that individual circumstances will vary by location, course and lifestyle.

Scholarships are available for international students however the competition is intense and the majority of international students in Australia are full-fee paying students.

English language proficiency is now a requirement when applying for a student visa. The IELTS is the only test accepted by the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs for student visa purposes. Some visa Assessment Levels accept the IELTS entry levels required by the education institution.

Australian education institutions can only accept students with an appropriate level of English proficiency. Institutions set their own English language requirements and may have different IELTS entry levels for the proposed level of course than those required for a student visa. You should check the entry requirements with your proposed institution.

More than 1000 institutions are registered to deliver courses to international students in Australia. Australia has four main education and training sectors offering qualifications from Senior Secondary Certificate of Education to university PhD. These sectors are integrated so you can receive credit for previous study. You can move easily from one qualification level to the next, and from one institution to another.

The main intake for all Australian Institutions is February. All universities have admissions open for all courses in this intake. There is also a Mid-year intake offered by some Australian Universities during July. However, all courses may not be offered in this intake. Whether or not a University will offer a July intake can be found out on the respective university’s website, university brochures or from our counselors. Some universities also follow November – summer intake. It is available only for limited number of universities and limited courses.

Application Fees
Each university has different application fees which could be waived during events like Spot Admissions organized by Zeal Overseas. At Spot Admissions events, students also get an opportunity to meet university representatives personally.

Though each University specifies its application procedure / requirements, generally one can apply for admissions through us at Zeal Overseas, where by all application, admission and correspondence services will be provided by us. You can give us all necessary supporting documents and we will assist you with the entire admission procedure.

Spot Interviews
Spot Interviews are also conducted by several visiting Universities at our offices: In this case, one is required to attend an interview conducted by university staff/ faculty, who will offer the student an on the spot decision, about whether or not he is eligible for admission. Also, further relevant inquiries can be made and are usually answered by the representative.

The following checklist will be helpful while applying to a university in Australia...

There are 2 ways to lodge your visa application...

Zeal Overseas is an authorized representative for lodging eVisa.
Internet lodgement of student visa applications is available to Indian citizens who are resident in India at the time of application. This is part of an ongoing trial of electronic lodgement of student visa applications (eVisa) for Assessment Levels (AL) 2-4 (medium to very high immigration risk) applicants.

A Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) is a mandatory requirement to lodge an eVisa application. Pre Visa Arrangements (PVA) do not apply to eVisa.

Members of the family unit may be included in the student's application. Students under 18 years of age may also apply.
Advantages of eVisa

TT Services has been appointed to collect visa applications on behalf of the Australian Government Visa Office in New Delhi. All visa applications from all states in India and Nepal need to be lodged at TT Services collection centres.

PVA arrangements continue to apply to all AL 3-4 students who make a paper application for the time being.

Under policy, PVA arrangements normally apply to student visa applicants who are AL 3 or 4. PVA requires a student to lodge their paper application with the department on the basis of a letter of offer. The department undertakes initial bona fides assessment of the application. If the application is deemed as meeting evidentiary requirements, the applicant is advised by the department to proceed with medicals (if not already undertaken), pay fees and obtain confirmation of enrolment. A final assessment of the application is then made.

Please contact us at Zeal Overseas personally for further assistance on the above and Visa Procedure.

It is a one-stop shop for any student looking at studying abroad.