New migration pathway helps students seek residency
Education
A NEW state nomination program is helping high performing international students seek residency in South Australia.
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States and territories in Australia can nominate migrants for a range of business and general skilled migration visas, with the Australian Government providing the ultimate visa grant.
The new South Australian pathway offers international students who maintain a high level of achievement throughout their degree, the opportunity to apply for state nomination.
Vice President of the South Australian Committee of the Migration Institute of Australia Chris Johnston said one of the reasons for the new program was to make South Australia’s capital Adelaide a top destination for education.
“Immigration South Australia has been inventive in creating incentives for international students to study in Adelaide,” he said.
“The new pathway gives international students a better chance of migrating, but there are also other methods. If you have a close relative living here then that can help you as well, so long as you make the requirements.
“The initiatives will not only promote South Australia as a study destination, but also draw some of the most talented students to stay beyond that.”
To qualify, international student graduates must be living in South Australia, and have completed one of the following qualifications at a South Australian public university in the past two years:
PhD or Masters by Research Grade Point Average (GPA) of 6.0 or above in a Masters by Coursework degree (following completion of a Bachelor degree in South Australia) First Class Honours in a dedicated Honours year (following completion of a Bachelor degree in South Australia) GPA of 6.0 or above in a Bachelor degree
South Australia is the only state or territory to have implemented this policy, but all states have various residency application policies.
University of South Australia graduate Dung Ho said after completing his degree he wanted to continue living in Adelaide, the state capital, but had found it difficult to get a job.
“I saw I had the chance to apply for the high performing graduate pathway and I thought this was my opportunity,” he said.
“I feel really lucky that I am given this opportunity when I know that other places, they do not have the same opportunity.
“I think with the education system here, they make it easy for students to do well now. You just need to work hard and not be lazy.”
In 2015 more than 32,000 international students were enrolled in universities, education institutions and schools in Adelaide, a 5 per cent increase on the previous year.
Adelaide was voted the fifth most liveable city in the world by The Economist Intelligence Unit, which considered the safety, healthcare, educational services, infrastructure and environment of 140 cities.
The compact size of Adelaide, which makes it similar to other varsity towns such as Boston and Oxford, not only makes life easy but also opens up many opportunities for international students to network with business people and the government.
“Students like to be able to engage with community leaders for their future career development, ” said Study Adelaide CEO Karyn Kent.
“We let students know that they can have a quality education here with highly ranked universities. We are also up to 20 per cent more affordable in terms of living costs than Sydney or Melbourne and we have a great lifestyle.
“The high performing graduate pathway gives us another attractive element. It gives students who want to stay here another option. I really see this being a success.”
Study Adelaide was established in 1998 by the South Australian Government to promote the state as an education destination and help international students settle in to the broader community.
The three long-standing public universities in Adelaide, Flinders University, University of South Australia, and the University of Adelaide, consistently rate highly in the international higher education rankings. The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia were also ranked among the most international institutions in the world.
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