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Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts

Deportation of Afghan Asylum Seekers from Australia

Author: Farhad Arian

Farhad Arian


Source: South Asia Times


On Monday, 17 January 2011, the Australian Immigration Minister, Chris Bowen signed an agreement with the Afghan Refugee and Repatriation Minister, Jamaher Anwary, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Richard Towel. Signing this agreement is part of Australia's broader attempts for the intention of decreasing illegal immigrants to Australia. This agreement particularly provides the Australian government with an exceptional opportunity to successfully respond to the challenge of Afghan asylum seekers to further send those back home who fail to pass the refugee test.


Despite the promises given by the Australian government in terms of helping the Afghan government to improve passport system, funding a housing project outside Kabul, and providing skills training to Afghans, the government of Afghanistan, with signing this agreement, has ignored the fact that it is no longer capable of protecting Afghan returnees. However, neither the government of Australia nor the Afghan government has paid attention to this issue that the sustainable return of those Afghans not considered genuine refugees to Afghanistan is not a realistic approach to deal with the challenge of Afghan asylum seekers.


First of all, singing such an agreement, that allows for the forced return of those Afghans who do not pass the refugee test, is in contrary to the international human rights obligations of the Australian government. As a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention, Australia is obliged to ensure that people who meet the definition of refugee under the Convention are not sent back to a country where their life or freedom is threatened. As well, Australia has signed the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the 1984 Convention Against Torture (CAT), and the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), obliging Australia to not return people who face a real risk of violation of human rights even if they do not meet the definition of refugee under the 1951 Refugee Convention. As such, signing to further the implementation of this agreement indicates that the Australian government has neither paid attention to its international human rights obligations nor taken serious the life and freedom of the returned Afghan asylum seekers.


In addition to the failure of the Australian government in respecting its international human rights obligations, the government of Afghanistan, with signing such an agreement for returning Afghan asylum seekers, has entirely ignored the fact that the returnees neither in the southern and eastern regions of Afghanistan nor in other parts of the country are safe due to the Taliban-led insurgency. In particular, the government of Afghanistan has denied the fact that all people who leave Afghanistan and seek for overseas asylum are those who cannot return due to serious security concerns to further because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, and political opinion. For example, Professor William Maley from the Australian National University and an expert on Afghanistan and immigration issues points out that the life and freedom of ethnic Hazaras are mostly at risk if they are forced to go back Afghanistan. Thus, regardless of incapability of protecting the returnees, the government of Afghanistan has signed the agreement with the Australian government, demonstrating the carelessness of the Afghan government in protecting the lives and freedoms of its citizens.


Furthermore, regardless of few achievements in improving human rights institutions in the post-2001 era, the Afghan government has failed to systematically protect human rights of the people of Afghanistan. In other words, in spite of signing the major international human rights treaties, the Afghan government has paid less attention in protecting human rights of its citizens. As such, the Afghan Immigration Minister has signed the agreement for returning Afghan asylum seekers with no intention of caring about the protection and improvement of the basic rights of the returnees.


Therefore, signing such an agreement is another step towards violating human rights of Afghan citizens rather than guaranteeing their rights and freedoms because the government of Afghanistan no longer believes in human rights. More specifically, signing such a deal obviously indicates that respect for human rights is not a policy-priority for the Afghan government; unless it did not agree with the Australian government for returning Afghan asylum seekers to a country where respect for the dignity and rights of the people is like a dream that have never come true.


Finally, there is no guarantee that the agreement on deportation of failed Afghan asylum seekers is based on reliable and balanced security assessments of the situation in Afghanistan. As Professor William Maley points out, the security expertise of Australian officials for the purpose of returning failed Afghan asylum seekers is partly doubtful. Likewise, Paul Power, the Chief Executive of the Refugee Council of Australia, points out that even if the returned asylum seekers in Afghanistan are not so much under the threats caused by the government, they will be facing serious threats from the people or groups who are not under the control of the government.


Meanwhile, The Afghan government has signed the agreement without undertaking any security expertise assessments; otherwise the deteriorated security situation in Afghanistan does not allow the Afghan government to agree with the Australian government for returning Afghan asylum seekers. As a result, this agreement is neither prepared based on reliable security assessments in Afghanistan nor pays attention to the security risks that might threaten the Afghan returnees.


To conclude, the 17 January agreement on returning Afghan asylum seekers between the Australian Immigration Minister and the Afghan Refugee Minister is an agreement that is in contrary to the principles of human rights to further violates Australian as well as Afghanistan international human rights obligations. While the agreement ignores the deteriorated security situation in Afghanistan, it is a deal that is not prepared based on reliable and balanced security expertise assessments. In particular, while the agreement is technically an achievement for the Australian government, it does not pay attention to the security concerns of Afghan asylum seekers who do not pass the refugee test in Australia. By signing such a violating human rights agreement, the government of Afghanistan once again proves that it does not value the lives and freedoms of its citizens whether they are at risk or under uncertain security threats.


Tuesday, January 20, 2011



References


Australian Human Rights Commission, (2011), "Asylum Seekers and Refugees", Australian Human Rights Commission. Retrieved January 18, 2011 from www.hreoc.gov.au.


Cronin, D. (2011), "Afghan Deal May Send People Back to Danger", The Canberra Times. Retrieved January 18, 2011 from www.canberratimes.com.au.


Cronin, D. (2011), "Deal to Return Afghan Asylum Seekers", The Canberra Times. Retrieved January 17, 2011 from www.canberratimes.com.au.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/politics-articles/deportation-of-afghan-asylum-seekers-from-australia-4114344.html


About the Author

Farhad Arian is a former Deputy Director of the Office of Human Rights and Women's International Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. Prior to joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he was a Legal Consultant to the General-Directorate of the National Radio & Television of Afghanistan. Farhad Arian is currently undertaking a Master of Arts in International Affairs at the Australian National University (ANU).

Study in Australia

Everyone speaks of Australia as a very cool place to live or visit, but what he studied?

Australia is a leading global provider of education and training. There are more than 400,000 students from 200 countries studying in Australia each year!
There are several reasons why you should study in Australia.

Education in Australia is both challenging and flexible. Australia is a safe, modern and dynamic that is a leader in the Asia-Pacific region and plays an important role worldwide. Australian education is recognized worldwide.

There are several reasons to choose Australia as a destination of choice. Education in Australia is both flexible and challenging but above all he is internationally recognized and respected. Australia is a safe, modern and dynamic that is a leader in the Asia-Pacific region and plays an important role in the world.
 
Here are some good reasons for studying in Australia: 

a) quality, b) affordability, c) a complete experience for education, d) the reputation, and e) Security

Quality

Australian institutions have an international reputation for excellence in all areas of education and training. In fact, Australia offers best practices in the world for quality assurance of education and training. The education system is subject to continuous checks and controls by the government, industries and professional bodies to maintain and improve its already high standards. Several institutions in Australia have also ISO 9001 certification, which guarantees the quality of services they offer.

Australian universities are widely recognized in many areas. In fact, the Times Higher Education rankings placed seven Australian universities in the World's Top 100 universities in 2006. Australia has a reputation for the creation and adoption of new technologies and innovative. Australian universities have placed great importance in the development of world class facilities and research centers of excellence. This reputation was confirmed with eight Australian researchers receive the Nobel Prize in various fields.

Lastly, you will find that graduates from Australia are very successful in finding employment after graduation and develop successful careers in the world. When you study in Australia, study programs, you have often been developed in consultation with various industries. This guarantees that the studies you undertake are relevant and meet the needs and requirements of businesses and industries themselves seeking highly qualified individuals with an internationally recognized qualification.

Affordability

Living expenses and tuition fees in Australia are much less expensive than other countries like United Kingdom and United States of America. The structure of the Australian education system is both affordable and high quality. In addition, international students have the opportunity to work up to 20 hours per week on a casual basis during their studies and full time during vacations provided they hold a work visa question. This offers students the opportunity to gain valuable work experience and / or earn extra money to support themselves while in Australia.

A comprehensive educational experience. Studying in Australia is an experience full of life! International students in Australia while doing to their program of study chosen, have the opportunity to improve their studies by participating in many extracurricular activities offered by all Australian institutions. Most Australian institutions include internships, exchange programs and volunteer program in the regular curriculum to allow students to add value to their experience in international studies. In Australia, institutions know that companies are looking for graduates with a profile complete with international experience and understanding the world around them. 

In addition, the prospect of multicultural Australia allows students to meet people from hundreds of countries worldwide. Remember, there are students from over 200 countries studying in Australian institutions! Where in the world can you walk into a classroom and have the opportunity to network and make friends for life with people from all corners of the globe? The geographical location of Australia also allows the opportunity to travel to other countries in the Asia-Pacific. That is if you consider yourself a citizen of the world!

Reputation

Australia was a popular destination for the study of thousands of international students and has been for many years now. In 2006, around 400,000 international students from around the world studied in Australia. Australian institutions are sensitive to cultural and religious needs and provide adequate, safe, welcoming and quality of services provided to foreign students studying in Australia. 

Australian institutions have years of experience and expertise in hosting and supporting international students and this is provided by the extended support services. They attach great importance to your experience in Australia is as easy as possible and quickly adapt to your new environment. They will help you as best they can to ensure you enjoy your time in Australia and make the most of your study experience. In fact, all Australian institutions must provide comprehensive support to students for their international students by Australian law.

Security

The Australian government has passed legislation to protect foreign students while studying in Australia. In Australia you get a more stringent safeguards in the world for international students through the "education services for students from overseas (SDO) Act 2000.

The ESOS Act is a law that regulates Australian institutions that provide education to foreign students. The ESOS legislation ensures that they meet nationally consistent standards in education delivery, facilities and services. He also directs a nationally consistent approach to registering education providers so that quality programs and support services for students, remains high.

Mesmerizing main attractions to explore Australia Tour

Welcome to the land of wonderments. Yes, I'm talking about Australia, the continent most fascinating of the world. Australia is one of the smallest but the most inspiring continents worldwide. This beautiful continent is situated between the Pacific and the Indian continent Ocean.The beautiful, is in the snow-capped mountains, lush green hills, beautiful beaches and exotic wildlife. Australia is dotted with many beautiful natural attractions and manmade attractions that are worth visiting too. This continent is affectionately known as "down under" and visitors to this continent of visits over the world throughout the year.

Some of the attractions is a pure wonder and that will really cast a spell on you as you visit this wonderments are listed below:

Fraser Island: This island is the largest sand island. This island off the coastline is a wonder and you can find 72 different colors of sand. The formation of sand dunes on the island is not surprising and very huge. Visitors love to enjoy and explore the placid lakes, forests, sand cliffs and wildlife on the island is a true wonder. Surely these will bring memories of striking his heart that will not be released easily. In 1992 this island became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Great Barrier Reef: The reef is another natural wonder and also a UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Australia. The Great Barrier Reef is the glory of tourism in Australia. This is the largest coral reef in the world and is home to wide variety of marine life. This is happiness for those scuba divers who dive and see the sea creatures and life under water. Do not get lost if you are not a good swimmer or diver you can just rest between the beaches here, present here in a hundred. The Reef stretches along the beautiful east coast of Australia. Some of the amphibians, which are easily found here are turtles, dolphins, whales, sharks, crocodiles and many alike.

Sydney Opera House: Sydney Opera House is located in Sydney and is the heart of the capital city of Australia. This wonderful marvel was built in the 20th century and was opened in 1973 and was recently listed in UNESCO World Heritage Sites. This is one of the largest buildings constructed in the 20th century. Visitors on your visit to this elegant house can also see an amazing performance made many of the arts in theater and classrooms built in the complex. All holiday packages in Australia planned from any tour operator would be incomplete and why your visit to "down under" without visiting the amazing Sydney Opera House.

Apart from these there are many more wonders in Australia, which is very well worth visiting, and above all, talked to all package tours booked by any of Australia's leading tour operator of your contact. Honestly speaking attractions in Australia is simply amazing how compelling and never met or visited outside of class types. So come and enjoy the most memorable experience of your life. It is best to visit Australia than to regret in your life.

The Social Engineering of Australia's Early Immigration Policy

There is little, if any doubt, that Australia's immigration  policy was a socially engineered one.  In order to better understand the implications of this claim, it is firstly important to define socially engineered policies as public policies which are designed to satisfy a specific societal purpose or lead to well-defined social outcomes.  Within the context of this question, socially engineered immigration policy refers to an immigration framework which is designed to satisfy a certain image of society and ensure, or at least try to, a specific demographic and racial composition.  Added to that, if Australia's immigration policy was socially engineered as this research will try to establish, the country was hardly unique in this regard.  Indeed, it would not be an exaggeration to claim that most immigration policies, both past and present, are socially engineered.  With that in mind, this research will engage in a historical overview of Australia's immigration policy, for the purposes of establishing that it was socially engineered.

Australia's earliest immigration policies were inspired by the need for labour and, to this extent, were seemingly economically engineered. As Aboriginals were not a significant source of labor for colonial Australia, labor had to be brought in from overseas, initially from Britain. The original means of Australian settlement and development was "transportation," the shipment of convicts to Australia that began in 1788. The use of 'transportation' served a two-fold purpose: a labor force, as available for the settlement of the new colony, and it provided an outlet for Britain's convict population. The United States' Declaration of Independence effectively eliminated the American colonies as a destination for convicts, as had been the earlier practice.The cessation of 'transportation' of convict labor to Australia in the mid-nineteenth century provoked a shortage of workers in the pastoral industry and raised the idea of replacing convicts with indentured workers or "coolies."It need be noted here that even though the described policy was largely informed by economic imperatives, it was, arguably, socially engineered on both the British and the Australuan sides.  On the British side it was socially engineered in the sense that Britain dictated that policy in an effort to cleanse its own society from criminal elements.  On the Australian side, it was partially socially engineered to the extent that the earlier waves of settlements were white Anglo-Saxons and other races were hardly welcomed as citizens, or settlers.

In further confirmation of the fact that economic imperatives did not distract the Australian public or its policy makers from the social aspect and societal consequences of immigration, reactions to blackbirding are quite informative.   During the 19th  and early 20th  centuries, there was a practice of enslaving, often by kidnapping, natives of Fiji, Samoa, and the South Pacific islands to work on the cotton and sugar plantations of Queensland. This practice of kidnapping and enforced enslavement,  blackbirding, sheds light on the confluence of economic, racial, and political motivations in early Australia. Despite government efforts to control and eliminate the practice, it flourished.  The reasons why it flourished were that the practice satisfied an economic motive.At the same time, it is important to note that there was a public outcry against it, not because of its illegality or blatant disregard for the humanity of others but because the popular and official perception was that blackbirding, which effectively introduced Kanakas into Australian society, threatened its Anglo-Saxon and racial composition.Therefore, even when economic imperatives dictated a specific type of forced immigration, social concerns protested the said policies and led to their elimination.

As indicated in the preceding and as confirmed by Elazar and Medding, the Australian tendency towards the adoption of socially engineered immigration policies manifested itself from the outset.  By the mid to late nineteenth century, Australia had a significant Chinese/Asian population, numbering close to 25,000 in Victoria alone and the Australian public was intolerant of the situation.  It was thus that the government embarked upon the adoption of a discriminatory immigration policy, on the one hand, and legislature which gave the government the right to deport any Kanakas from the country following 1906.It was within the context of the above described environment that Edmund Barton, Australia's first Prime Minister and his government effectively legislated the 'White Australia' policy through three means. First, a dictation test was required for non-British immigrants based on one introduced in Natal, South Africa in 1897; it was normally given in a language not understood by the intending immigrant and was not a test of literacy.Second, non-whites were allowed to enter Australia only on a temporary basis and under special permitThird, shipping companies simply would not issue tickets to non-Europeans who, in any case, were not likely to attempt to settle in the knowledge that it would not be allowed.   However, the Immigration Restriction Act itself was simply a shell. It contained almost no reference to the categories of immigrants the Australian government wished to encourage. There was no requirement that there even be an immigration policy. Moreover, procedural safeguards and appeal rights were absent. Officials were permitted a great deal of discretion to exclude an unwanted immigrant. The White Australia policy had, to all intents and purposes, come into effect and with it, the rigorous social engineering of Australian society.

The "White Australia Policy" effectively excluded Asians and other non-whites and also strictly regulated the admission of non-British Europeans through various legislated and discretionary policies. For example, there were restrictions of specific groups of Southern European immigrants in response to "particular, and at times threatening, political situations."  There was an apparent dual immigration policy: the encouragement of British and the restriction of European and certainly all Asian immigrants. This was enforced through the imposition "of quotas which were not necessarily made public so that their existence was often unknown to immigrants" and through the requirement of landing-money, a rigid requirement "that was well-publicised and designed to deter European immigrants."

Indeed, restrictions on immigration had several forms at the end of World War I, solidifying the claim that Australia immigration policy was socially engineered.   First, there was specific exclusion of ex-enemy aliens. Germans, Bulgarians, Hungarians, and Turks were prohibited from entering Australia for a period of five years. In addition, in the 1920s the government opposed  the idea of an influx of Jewish refugees from Poland. Polish immigrants were considered undesirable because it was thought that they were poor, uneducated, and would cluster in the poorer urban areas and be exploited "by the enterprising business Jews." British Jews, however, were welcome in any numbers. Although Jewish immigration was being limited, it is important to note that immigration from other parts of Europe (the "non-Aryan" parts, in terms of the prevailing racial typology) was limited as well.

In 1945 a Department of Immigration was created and the country was opened to refugees and other immigrants leaving war-tom Europe. The goal, according to Arthur Calwell, first Minister of Immigration, was to "populate or perish" and "30 million was essential to ensure the country's security from threats from the yellow peril to the north"  This goal had the support of all political parties, a consensus which continued until the early 1970s. Two percent was regarded as the desirable annual level of population growth to which immigration might contribute one percent.

The passage of the 1958 Immigration Act replaced the Immigration Restriction Act 1901. As Chandmsekhar says, "This did not mean that the 'White Australia' policy was abandoned. The exclusion of Asians and other non- whites continues but the method of exclusion is changed. Instead of the 'dictation test.' ministerial discretion is introduced. The new Act was based, instead, almost exclusively on discretion. This discretion gave the Cabinet and the Department of Immigration the capacity to take steps to vary the size of the intake and the nature of the selection procedures without necessarily having to submit these changes to Parliament.The government changed its policy at will, often without informing the public. Immigration officers could enforce these changes with little interference from those people who were affected. The exclusion of Asians was administratively rather than legally enforced, but it was even more effective because of that. "Racial appearance was the important criterion rather than country of origin or culture. and exceptions were made for Asians of  predominantly European heritage and appearance.

The effective exclusion of non-Europeans lasted until 1966. In that year, the Minister for Immigration announced that a few well-qualified immigrants from Asia would be admitted under stringent conditions. This was the first crack in the racist immigration policy which had been zealously applied since 1945 - to the point of denying entry to Asian wives of returning Australian soldiers.This "crack" occurred not because of a legal change, but rather because of the extreme discretion that could be exercised under the 1958 Immigration Act. Downer's third category mentioned in 1959, the distinguished and highly qualified' people noted above, was widened to include practically anyone who had skills that would ensure employment in Australia, and in 1966 the period of temporary residence required before permanent status was granted was lowered to five years. In that same year the government announced that

application for entry by well-qualified people wishing to settle in Australia will be considered on the basis of their suitability as settlers, their ability to integrate readily, and their possession of qualifications which are positively useful to Australia …The number of non-European people entering - though limited relative to our total population - will be somewhat greater than previously, but … the basic aims of preserving a homogeneous population will be maintained.

The exclusion of Asians was not officially repudiated until 1973. The number of Asian immigrants remained at the same level that year as had been since 1970, that is, between 7,000 and 10,000 a year. This number did not increase until the arrival of large numbers of Indochinese refugees in 1977. The 1981 census figures showed the longer range effects of the repudiation of the 'White Australia' policy very clearly, however: between 1976 and 1981 the number of Australian residents born in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong increased by 68 percent from under 29,000 to almost 41,500.

When the Whitlam government abolished the 'White Australia' policy in early 1973, the lack of a coherent policy in immigration selection was addressed. An impetus for reform, in addition to the removal of the racist element, was that changes were occurring in Australia in the area of administrative law. This issue, although not coming to a head until somewhat later in the 1970s, resulted in Australia's Human Rights Commission and the Administrative Review Council conducting inquiries into immigration law. The central concern of these inquiries was to promote legal norms such as fairness and consistency.

As may have been deduced from the foregoing argumentative research, Australia employed discriminatory and exclusionist immigration practices from the mid-nineteenth century to the 1970s, practices enacted for a variety of reasons including eugenics, economics, xenophobia, and nationalism. Over this period of nearly one hundred years, the 'White Australia' policy remained virtually unchallenged. When the 'White Australia' policy finally fell in 1973, the new immigration system scuttled the policy of racial hegemony and removed the opportunity for discretionary action.  Within the context of the stated, it is more than apparent that Australia's immigration policy, at least for the one-hundred years analysed, was socially engineered.

Tradesmen Needed in Australia

Currently, Australia is in need of skilled tradesmen and as a result there are opportunities galore. Perhaps you've acquired the skills but you don't have the necessary official qualification papers to qualify for Australian Immigration ?

No worries, there is a solution - are you willing to do what it takes?

Currently, trades persons earn much more than graduates. This is due to the high demand for trade skills.

The opportunity to study a trade in Australia ensures an opportunity to migrate  to Australia successfully. Over 30 percent of TAFE (Technical and Further Education) students in Australia already hold bachelor degrees but are training for trade skills to gain lucrative jobs.

How can you benefit?

The bottom line is – Australia’s economy is booming. Fortunately for you, the growth is restricted due to shortages of skilled people across many of the trade industries. In fact, there are huge infrastructure developments that are on hold because of this great shortage of skills.

Currently, tradespersons are earning much more than graduates. This is due to the high demand for trade skills.

Study in Australia? The  study options avaliable are open to international students. This will allow these students to gain skills to qualify in a number of occupations that are in demand. If you already hold a degree you're able to gain admission to two year post graduate courses to gain recognition as accountants, teachers, nurses and IT Specialists. If you've attained a HND (Higher National Diploma) you're able to gain credit into a Bachelor degree. You can then qualify in a wide range of occupations. You'll also enhance your chances of gaining skilled migration.

If you don’t have qualifications

You can train as a cook, hairdresser, bricklayer, automotive mechanic, cabinet maker or backer (there are more trades that you can train for). Of course, those in the above mentioned categories can also train for these trades.

How to go about it...

Generally, Australia aim to attract young people that have proficient English skills and are qualified in skilled occupations. Preferably, these applicants want to settle in regional areas. An Eligibility test will determine the above factors. The eligibility points allocate points to applicants based on age, skill, English language ability, work experience and a few other factors.

For skilled Migration you'll need 120 points.

How are points gained?

If you study specific programmes in Australia for at least 2 years will allow you to gain points for;

Skilled Occupations – amounts to 40, 50 or 60 points

If you study in Australia for two years you can gain 5 points

If you studied in a regional area in Australia you are given a bonus of 5 points

If you graduate with qualifications included on the Migration Occupation In Demand List (MODL), you may attract an additional 15 points.


The Age Requirement

Persons under 30 years of age with good English skills and qualified in a 60 point occupation (through 2 years of study in a regional area in Australia) will gain 120 points which is the current target.

Various occupations are shown on the Skilled Occuptations List (SOL)

Sought-after Trades Skills

Which skills are in demand?

Nurses, Accountants, Cooks, Hairdressers, Bricklayers are on the MDOL.

The MODL is reviewed at least every 6 months. This is done in line with the current workforce demands at the time. For example, If you proceed to do cookery courses , ensure that when by the time you're expected to complete the course, your newly attained skill will still feature on the MODL. Remember, not all courses will qualify you for a migration outcome. In order to be granted points, you'll need to meet the criteria that are set down by the relevant assessing body. Particularly for the occupation you're studying for as shown on the SOL.

The Requirements

Ensure that you're in possession of the necessary requirements. You'll need one of the following;

Degree or Postgraduate qualification that is on the assessing body’s accredited list. Examples; accountants or IT Specialists. Certificate III in a specific subject and 900 hours that are recognised as relevant work experience is needed. Examples; bricklayers, hairdressers’ or Automotive Mechanics. Recognised qualification that incorporates a minimum amount of days done under supervised work experience.


High English Score - For example, teacher and nurses require 7.0 on the international English Language Testing System Test or;


Diploma or Degree that features on the accredited list

Applicants must ensure that the course that they're studying for will meet the criteria of the relevant assessing body. These requirements may change. Throughout the past five years to qualify as a cook and attain 60 points, the TRA assessing body required students to have the following;

  • One year Certificate III in Commercial Cookery,
  • Have Passed Skills Test,
  • Hold a Certificate III (in conjunction with a minimum two year study package) and
  • 900 hours of relevant work experience.


What's worth Knowing?

Once you’ve applied for your student visa, it can take up to 3 months to be granted, before courses commence. You're obligated to attend at least 80 per cent of your classes. You're also expected to meet your course requirements. Moreover, immediate dependent family members are generally included on the student visa. Child Dependants of school going age must be enrolled in a school before your visa is granted. It's greatly advised that you consult a clued up consultant that is proficient in dealing with such cases.

It's also important to remember that you'll not be allowed to work until you've started the course and applied for work rights.

Once you’ve applied for work rights, you'll be permitted to work for 20 hours per week during term and full-time during holidays. Your partner or spouse will be allowed to work 20 hours a week during the entire student visa period, once he/she has been granted work rights. Note that spouses of students studying towards a Masters or research Masters or PHD are permitted to work full-time. Although work that is registered as part of your course will not be included in the limited 20 hours.

Migration can become a very real possibility once you’ve completed your studies. So, hang in there and give it all you’ve got!

Want more information from one of our trained professionals? Fill out our FREE ASSESSMENT form or call us on 0845 2 606030 on a no obligation basis.

Disclaimer: While all due care has been taken to ensure that the information within this article at the time of publication is correct, I.U cannot accept responsibility for the content for any inaccuracies that occurs as a result of changes in immigration regulations, policy or other variables affecting the eligibility of individual applicants. Immigration laws, skill shortage determinations etc are subject to change by appropriate authorities and thus are outside of our control. Please contact us for further advice before taking steps towards immigrating. This article is published in good faith.

Australia in the 20th Century

In 1901, the six colonies of Australia adopted a federal constitution and became a self-governing dominion of the British Empire, thus the Commonwealth of Australia was established. One of the first acts of the new Parliament was to pass the Immigration Restriction Act in 1901, with the purpose of restricting non-European immigrants. The formal implementation of a "White Australia Policy"1 was welcomed by a majority of the Australian population. People who applied for immigration were required to pass a "Dictation Test", a 50-word test in a European language, with which they were not necessarily familiar.

The non-indigenous population at the time of establishment of the Federation was 3.8 million. Half of it lived in capital cities, three quarters were born in Australia, and the majority were of English, Scottish or Irish descent. From 1900 to 1914, great progress was made in developing Australia's agricultural and manufacturing capacities, and in setting up governmental institutions and social services.

Although World War I was fought in Europe, as a member of the British Empire, Australia automatically followed Britain into war in August 1914 and pledged to defend the "motherland" Britain to "our last man and our last shilling". This was surely a tremendous display of patriotism. The war was a disaster for Australia. It suffered a higher casualty rate than many other participant countries. Unlike other countries involved in the war which relied upon conscription, all members of the Australian armed forces who served overseas were volunteers. 

There were no more than 3 million male citizens in 1914, but nearly 330,000 of them volunteered to take part in the war. The conscription issue became one of the most important issues in Australia during the wartime period because of the tremendous loss of men. William Hughes (Australian Prime Minister from 1915 to 1923) tried, but failed to introduce conscription on two occasions, which led to his expulsion from the Labor Party. Disagreement over conscription became much more serious, which led to the split in the Australian Labor Party at a time when unity was essential; William Hughes resigned and subsequently founded the Nationalist Party.

In 1901, the six colonies of Australia adopted a federal constitution and became a self-governing dominion of the British Empire, thus the Commonwealth of Australia was established. One of the first acts of the new Parliament was to pass the Immigration Restriction Act in 1901, with the purpose of restricting non-European immigrants. The formal implementation of a "White Australia Policy"1 was welcomed by a majority of the Australian population. People who applied for immigration were required to pass a "Dictation Test", a 50-word test in a European language, with which they were not necessarily familiar.

Dreaming in Australia

Simply humbling. There is no other way to put it. Despite skyscrapers, theme parks, and other monuments of technological progress, Australia is still deeply rooted in its aboriginal culture and myths. In fact, Australia owes much of its charm and mystique to the daring aborigines who first settled in the land more than 40,000 years ago.

And thus Dreamtime began. As they explored the new land, the aborigines wove a set of beliefs about the origin of things around them. For them, humans, plants, animals, everything on earth is part of a complex network of relationship, all pointing to a bigger existence. We are all interconnected, and the littlest of our actions have an effect on everything. Sounds like heavy stuff, but it gets better. An interesting aspect of Dreamtime is its "all-at-onceness"; to Dream is to simultaneously exist in the past, present, and future. Linear time disappears, and what replaces it is a freer version of existence. If all these talk starts to become baffling, try thinking of Dreamtime as a guideline for living that the aborigines follow to maintain the web of life.

What's amazing about all these is that Dreamtime is still here, kept alive and ticking by the aboriginal citizens. It is one of the oldest continuous myth in our planet. It's time to think of Australia as something deeper than just plain beaches and surf.

Holiday Gifts you Simply Must Get From Australia

It's that time of the year again when people scurry to the malls and grab the first available merchandise on the shelf that could adequately pass for a gift. Yes, gift-giving is fun, but sometimes it becomes obligatory. Fortunately, the adage “It's the thought that counts”, still rings true. So, the next time you rummage for the perfect holiday gift, think hard. Or that may not even be necessary anymore since listed below are just some of the neat gifts exclusive to Australia which you could give your loved ones.

Boomerangs. Much better if they are the returning kind, since, of course, that's what they are made for. Boomerangs in Australia are personalized and engraved by authentic aboriginal artists, and each artwork is a masterpiece. Note that boomerangs are still a weapon though, so do your throwing only in a wide open area where there are no other people around. To throw a boomerang: simply hold in right hand almost vertically with arms pointing forward. Grip close to end with its rounded side facing you, then throw at approximately 30 degrees to wind direction, with a flicking, wrist-twist motion.

Animal plush toys. Koala, Platypus, Kangaroos, Wombats, Kookaburras, Emus, and lots of other animals only the Land Down Under has under its wings. Surely, everyone has a home in their heart for a stray adorable koala stuffed toy, or a charmingly behaved kangaroo doll. Digeridoos and Clapsticks. The didgeridoo is a musical instrument of the Aboriginal peoples, consisting of a long hollow branch or stick that makes a deep drone when blown. Clap sticks, meanwhile, accompany didgeridoos and provide the rythm to make the most brilliant earthen music. Both digeridoos and clapsticks are hand-painted and burnt by Aboriginal Artists, and they sound full and rich for any occasion.

Merino wool. Knitted into most gorgeous of clothings including hand-knitted sweaters and jackets, as well as beautiful soft blankets and bedding. Australia's 101 million merino sheep yields the longest, not to mention luscious wool fibres in the world. Always look for the Pure New Wool label to guarantee quality. Australian flowers. The warm Australian climate breeds an almost endless, lovely and exciting array of flowers: kangaroo paw, eucalyptus gumnut, banksia, peppercorn, leucosperum, and wattle, just to name a few. Freshly delivered to your loved one's doorsteps, a uniquely Australian bouquet of flowers sends all your warmest holiday greetings where no words can do. For best results, deliver your gifts personally. After all, it's the thought that may count, but your presence definitely speaks louder.