Why International Students Are Not Getting Jobs In Australia
It is a dream for every international student in Australia to find a reputational job in the country itself. If the student has completed the Post Graduate program, then they have the option to extend the visa to upgrade their professional skills, extend the visa to do a particular job, and return back to their native country. It is from the nations of China, India, and Pakistan that most of the traffic regarding international students is witnessed by the universities of Australia. But the recent trends and happenings in the country have raised a common perception that international students are not getting jobs in Australia. As per the national survey conducted, it has been revealed that almost half of the international students have left for their own nation after completing their postgraduate courses. Whereas around 8% of the international students have decided to move on with higher studies, 3% have moved on with the self-employment program. The below discussion will verify whether this argument is a hoax or a reality.
Major Job opportunities for international students in Australia
The majority of the students from the Indian sub-continent choose courses related to the disciplines like Information Technology, Engineering, Medical science, Earth Science, etc. The major reason behind this is the fact that around 80 to 85 % of the graduates from this discipline have assured reputable jobs in the relevant field. As per the national economic survey, the average income for male degree holders is between $ 38000 and $ 77000, whereas the average salary for women ranges between $ 32000 to $56000. Though it is a rough estimate, the high range of salary offered by Australian companies is an eye-catching factor for international students to pursue their professional careers in Australia. Considering the magnitude of job opportunities and the range of income offered, it is still quite unclear whether international students are not getting jobs in Australia.
Major reasons that international students are not getting jobs in Australia
We have been contacted by a lot of students from Australia who are pursuing their last year in the academic course. Most of them intend to secure respectable jobs in their respective field of expertise. The students from Asia claim that the working environment in Australia is far more relaxed, and the people are so supportive that it best suits their professional growth. Even students from a background of arts discipline could easily secure high-paying jobs in Australia.
But the rising issue of international students not getting jobs in Australia intrigues them the most. The fact that the international student should hold a Permanent Residency to apply for a job in Australia makes it very difficult to further continue for a job in the country. The condition is even worse than the companies are not ready to provide an internship to the international student with a Permanent Residency. The parameter is so much taken into consideration that the application of the candidates without Permanent Residency is not even replied to. While at the same time, the local students would not have to go through such complications or challenges. Such a stance taken by Australian entrepreneurs regarding the case of international students intensifies the argument that international students are not getting jobs in Australia.
The restrictions laid down for acquiring a Permanent Residence and securing a job are in contradiction with each other. Whereas you require a permanent residence to secure a job in Australia, the government won’t allow permanent residence without work experience. The situation poses a large dilemma for international students, and eventually, they end up being deported to their own countries.
It doesn’t require a special mention that working in Australia without a proper visa is illegal. The person is bound to leave the country if the validity of the visa is expired. It is a common occurrence that international students have to leave the country after the completion of their academic courses. However, international students have the option to apply for a Temporary Graduate Visa, which is classified under the category of subclass 485. Almost 17 % of international students extended their stay in Australia by using a Temporary Guide Visa in 2013. Since the students are allowed to seek a job without being restless over the work experience as provided under Temporary Guide Visa, it has turned out to be the favorite one among international students.
Regarding other working visas, acquiring one in Australia is very hard and complex. Only around 0.5 % of international students are selected under Employer Nomination Scheme Visa program. Similar is in the case of the Skilled Independent Visa, which comes under the category of subclass 189, where only 3.6 %-person international students were selected.
It is very hard for international students to secure other forms of Australian visas if they have failed to be eligible for a 485 Visa. Without being an expert outlook on the immigration laws of Australia, it is nearly impossible to secure a job visa in Australia. The high complexity in applying for other types of visas gives value to the argument that international students are not getting jobs in Australia.
In the year of 2013, there was an instance that around 32 % of international students extended their stay in Australia by taking a Tourist visa. Though it was a backlash for them since a person with a tourist visa in Australia is not allowed to carry out a particular occupation. Though by reading these facts, you should not lose hope in securing a high-paying job in Australia. There are numerous success stories of international students under our guidance who have secured permanent residence in Australia.
Another major concerning factor for international students is that though they contribute to be the major workforce in Australia, the post or the status of they are in the companies bothers them. Though international students pursue very advanced and high-end courses in the universities of Australia, most of the candidates get satisfied or end up in low entry-level positions. It is majorly because of the high desperation to get a job on behalf of the international student. If compared with the level of education and the expense made to achieve it by international students, they should be categorized as underpaid or underemployed.
The fact that life after a post-study work visa turns out to be very costly in Australian cities forces the international students to find out the source for their expenditures as soon as possible. Achieving a long-term career will only be made possible if the student has relevant work experience from the relevant disciplines. But the factor of high living cost forces them to work in irrelevant fields like hospitality, retail, groceries, etc.
International students are mostly employed in the hospitality and retail section of Australian institutes. Because these sectors are constantly in demand for cheap human resources, any candidate with a limited set of skills could get a job in the institutes. Though the training and education sector situation is a little bit different since the candidates are well aware of the working rights they are entitled to in Australian companies. The particular knowledge about the norms and immigration laws gives a particular sense of confidence in them.
The foremost thing an international student should do while pursuing an academic course in Australia finds an appropriate mentor. The senior international students from the same national background would help you the most since they have gone through all the complex processes of both native and Australian systems. Only by a proactive and broad-minded approach can international students secure high-paying jobs in their respective fields.
The situation of international students in Australia could only be improved if there is appropriate and efficient communication between the Education Department of Government and the entrepreneurs. The complexities in providing a post-study work visa and thereafter extending the visa restrict Australian entrepreneurs from employing international students in their institutes.
Though these restrictions exist before international students from securing a job in Australia, around 80% of them are still hopeful in continuing their professional careers in the country. In the wake that the UK reintroducing the conventions of post-study work visas, international students are also optimistic regarding the positive change in Australia. The current situation in Australia gives high significance and value to the argument that international students are not getting jobs in Australia.
Sectors which international students should focus to find jobs
Though the common notion exists that international students are not getting jobs in Australia, there is a high demand for skilled graduates in the tertiary institutions of Australia. There is less chance that a candidate with multilingual capabilities would remain unemployed in Australia. After a shortfall of the Australian economy in 2014, it has shown tremendous growth among the developed countries. Hence, there is always a strong demand for skilled human resources in Australia’s manufacturing and technological sectors.
Sectors like healthcare, tech industries, and hospitality are still hungry for human resources, and ironically most of them are filled with foreign employees. Any student with an appropriate and relevant degree is still considered a precious factor in these sectors. The high rate of industrialization has increased the overall demand for employees who have managerial skills. A large pool of vacancies is waiting for the students who have completed their academic courses in Managerial discipline. There is also substantial demand existing for job designations in healthcare sectors like Clinical managers, doctors, nurses, lab technicians, physiotherapists, web developers, etc. The high availability of jobs in these sections somewhat weakens the argument that international students are not getting jobs in Australia.
How to find jobs in Australia?
It is crucial to know how to find jobs in Australia for those concerned with the statement that international students are not getting jobs in Australia. The students should use various online sources to find an appropriate job in Australian Companies. The web portals like Gumtree and Seek.com would provide you with a large database of relevant jobs. Try to enlarge your contacts in social media while pursuing a course that would be helpful while looking for a job in Australia. The same network should be maintained further in the future, even if you get a reputable job. Letting the network know about your plans and strategies would help you get unprecedented help from people. Be vigilant and focused on your career.
We hope that this article on International students not getting jobs in Australia was quite helpful to you. Thank you, and best of luck with your career.
