Student to permanent resident

Studying and Permanent Residency in Australia

Australia’s skilled and employer sponsorship PR visa programs all start with your tertiary education and work experience.  Without this, it will be difficult to obtain PR status unless you seek it through the Partner visa program.  This blog though is focusing on studying and the skilled or employer sponsor visa programs. Learn more about the Partner visa and discover which option is best for you.
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Step 1 – Tertiary StudY

If you are in a position to study in Australia this will be the best start to your PR journey.  It is given good weight when it comes to the visa program requirements (points for Skilled Migration) and employers alike; as you will be able to demonstrate your communication capacity in English and be deemed qualified just like any Australian who is also in that field of work.  It is understandable though that this is not always possible, primarily due to the international student fees associated to studying in Australia.

How do you choose what to study?

This advice is applicable to anyone studying in Australia or back in their home country. 
A good starting place is to work out what you are passionate about.  It is said that if you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life.  That can be hard to determine, especially if you are young and haven’t really had enough life experience to figure it all out. For others, they have known from a young age what they wanted to be.


So, another way to decide where your study pathway starts is to ask yourself this…
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Do I like to study through books and lectures? Or do I like working more with my hands? 

If you like to study with texts and teachers, then perhaps a diploma or university degree is something to aim for.
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If you are more able to learn through hands-on processes, then it sounds like a trade skill is more your calling.
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Step 2 – Choosing the right course for PR succes

Once you have determined the style of education that works for you, you need to decide what occupation specifically you should study for. 

Selecting a broad degree such as Business Management or Humanitarian Arts may seem like a good start, however you will need to select a major and this might mean doing even more study.  Another options is to study at a lower level such as a certificate and build your way up to at a minimum level Diploma.  This will give you the opportunity to work out what you like, or don’t like, without investing too much financially and potentially changing courses along the way.  The main thing is that if you can be more specific early on, it will avoid further studies, fees and time, getting you into the workforce quicker.

So how can you be “more specific”?

​I suggest you have a look at the Skilled Occupation list to see which occupations might peak your interest.  Some occupations will only require a diploma whilst others will require a university degree.

Great Australian Migration can help you narrow down your options and guide you towards good schools and courses that will be the most beneficial towards permanent migration.
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Step 3 – English

No matter if you are studying in Australia or plan to study at home, you are going to need a good command of the English language.  This is in 4 areas – reading, writing, speaking and listening. 

Australian tertiary schools will need you to prove your English level to enrol you in a course.  The Department of Home Affairs may also need this to grant you a student visa… and the two may not have the same pass marks. It may be necessary for you to complete an English (ELICOS) course or a foundation course before starting your qualification studies. Again, this is where Great Australian Migration can guide you. 

If you are in your home country studying, it is recommended that you study English also.  Whether that is part of your formal studies or separately. For any skilled visa or employer sponsored visa you will need to demonstrate your English level through formal testing such as IELTS or PTE.  So the more you study and practice early on, the better mark you will receive and this is invaluable.  An employer who interviews you for a position will be impressed by your command of the language and your commitment to studying.  And for the independent skilled migration visa, the higher your pass mark, the more points you will achieve and more likely will be selected for invitation.
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Step 4 – Work experiencE

Whilst studying if possible, and definitely once you have graduated, you should enter the workforce in your field of qualification. Your work should be full-time and formally paid accordingly.  This must be demonstrated through formal documents such as a work contract, pay slips, salary bank deposits and tax lodgments.  Avoid casual cash-in-hand work as this will not be suitable when it comes time to prove you are skilled in your field. 
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How do you prove you are skilled?  This is through the appropriate skills assessing authority for your occupation. As this is a lengthy process it's best you seek out the assistance of Great Australian Migration to do this process too.  

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As you can see – there is more to Great Australian Migration that just knowing about visa requirements.  We can guide and assist you with all the items you need pre-visa application.

Contact us today to work on your migration pathway – we are ready to help you!