Dec 6, 2009

Studying Overseas in Australia


While there are many ways to see the world and different cultures one which has increased in popularity over the years has been studying overseas. The ability to experience a different culture and a different country while also taking in your education is attracting more and more people and studying overseas in Australia is a subject which has been broached in the Australia Forum at Expat forum.com. So what do you need to consider when looking to study overseas and in particular Australia?

Studying overseas in general

In tandem with an increase in the worldwide marketplace, due in the main to the Internet and improved communication systems, more and more people are now looking to study overseas and ultimately remain in their country of choice. However, there are many issues to consider because unless you are 100% certain you are doing the right thing, it can be almost impossible bringing together the pressures of learning your chosen subjects and also coming to terms with life in a different country and a very different culture.

Financing your study period overseas

This particular thread has been started by a US citizen who is looking to study in Australia and has actually received acceptance from an Australian education facility. However, there appears to be a major issue regarding financing the course because while there is a US program to assist those looking to study overseas, the school in question in Australia is not part of this particular program. Indeed it appears that only five or six Australian education facilities are actually part of this particular US funding programme, thereby making it difficult to finance your quest unless you have been accepted by one of the schools in question.

However, the fact that there are so few schools in Australia who are part of the American funding programme would suggest that popularity amongst these particular schools is high and very few people will actually be successful in receiving an acceptable offer to move to Australia.

Student visas in Australia

While the person in question met his partner, who is from Australia, while she was on holiday in the US they have been together for nine months now and are looking to return to Australia together. However, in general the Australian authorities will not accept a spouse or partner unless their relationship can be proven to extend beyond at least 12 months and even then they will be subject to scrutiny by the authorities. One option is for the gentleman in question to move back to Australia with his girlfriend under a student visa and then hopefully complete his education, stay in the country and find himself a job.

In a perfect world, and if their relationship was over a longer period, it would have been possible for the gentleman to follow his girlfriend back to her homeland and receive automatic residency. Whether or not marriage is an option in the short to medium term is debatable but the fact he has given up life in his homeland to follow her back home is definitely a positive sign.

Personal loans for your education costs

As the school in question is not part of the US funding programme for overseas students, a number of options have been discussed which include a personal loan from the US and a personal loan from an Australian bank. There have also been various discussions regarding potential guarantors for any finance which may well include his girlfriend or even his parents back in America. Initially there had been problems with finance, credit scores and the ability to deal with Australian banks but this has been resolved further down the line although it is unclear exactly which route has been taken.

Credit score in Australia

It is worth remembering that even if you have the best credit score in America, once you leave the country and relocate in Australia you will basically be starting from zero again. You will have no credit records, no credit history and ultimately you may find it difficult to obtain finance without some kind of Australian guarantor in the early days. It will be a slow process building up your overseas credit score but it is something which you will have to address sooner rather than later so that it does not interfere with your later life.

Working and education visas

While it’s possible to obtain an education visa there is also the option of obtain a visa which will allow you to work in between breaks in education. This would allow those in question to finance their life in Australia, to increase their knowledge of the area and the culture and allow them to start building their own credit rating. You need to be very careful with these particular visas because some will not allow you to work at all while others will allow you to work in between breaks in education. If you flaunt the rules then you are taking a chance that the authorities will find out and you will not be offered permanent residency in the future.

Moving overseas is a big step

As we mentioned above, moving to any country in the world is a big step let alone taking on an education system and education subjects which may be very different to those in your homeland. If you’re moving overseas with a relatively new partner then there are also other issues such as the potential to split in the short, medium and longer term and how this would impact upon your life in your “new homeland”.

Conclusion

More and more people are showing an interest in education overseas which has helped to bring many different countries and different cultures closer together. While there are funding programs available for specific schools and specific countries, if you’re chosen education facility is not included in these programs there can be difficulties in financing your further education.

In the post in question there is also the issue of moving overseas after knowing your partner for a relatively short amount of time and the potential risks this may attract. In this particular scenario, we have an American citizen moving to Australia, initially without any finance for their education, with work experience not necessarily required by the Australian authorities and with a relatively new partner. While there are many positive factors to such an adventurous move there are also many issues to consider which could have a major impact on your life.

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