Australia for Study Abroad - Relaxed Visa Norms Benefit Indians

Indian students stand to gain by the relaxation of visa norms by Australia and the promise of a great study abroad experience.

As per the latest official statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, for the financial year ending June 30, 2020, there were more than 7.6 million migrants living in Australia. 29.8% of Australia’s population had been born overseas. During the same period, 312,500 migrants arrived in Australia on temporary visas. Of these, 22.2% - or 113,100 - were international students.

February 21, 2022 saw the international borders being opened by Australia to travellers that were fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The border was reopened after almost two years of closure in view of the pandemic situation. As tourists returned and friends and family came to be reunited, Australia also came about to reclaim its place among the leading destinations for study overseas.

In 2022, the Australian government relaxed work restrictions, allowing international students to work full time while studying. Through the generous post-study work options available, students have the option to stay on after graduating in Australia.

The most popular courses for Indian students in Australia are - information technology, science, hospitality, law, and business. With a similarity in the 10+2+3 educational structure in India and Australia, it is easier for Indian students to transfer to the Australian education system.

During COVID-19, Australia announced many support measures for overseas students. On February 18, 2022, over 30,000 eligible Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa holders had their visas extended until September 30, 2022. Additional time is being offered to applicants to submit their English language results, such as for the TOEFL iBT.

With Australia reopening borders, students that had been eagerly awaiting their return to the campus can travel for their study abroad in Australia. Those intending to apply for admissions can proceed to do the same without any further delays.

As per the statistics by the Australian government, as of May 2022, around 300,000 international students had returned to the country. Many of these had India as their source country.

Australia is among the top destinations for study abroad for international students in the English-speaking world. High-quality education, a laid back lifestyle, and wide cultural diversity are leading factors that make Australia a good place for study abroad. Australia has a strong Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. A wide majority of Indian students enrol in the VET sector.

Many of the leading global universities are in Australia. Released on June 8, 2022, the QS World University Rankings 2023 features leading institutions from across the world. Australian universities are strong in research, along with excelling in business, STEM, and medicine.

The rankings are based on the factors of - international student ratio, academic reputation, employer reputation, international faculty ratio, faculty/student ratio, and citations per faculty.