well....many prc want to create a mini china in oz.....or singapore.....even criticise sporeans of offensive smell cooking curry...

the main group affected will be prc's......msians/sporeans/indians after studies in oz should be able to achieve 8.0 with some practise......

send to who?

if it is a person, post it....need not be registered......

if it is a bank, also post it, but better registered, as receipt of draft will be recorded.........

alternately, ask someone who going to bring it with him/her.......

btw, there are no more bank drafts, it's called banker's cheque nowadays.........

1. For the first time, have some cash ready for incidentals during the first few days, maybe aud200. The rest, buy a banker's cheque in AUD and bring it with you. The cheque should be in your name. When you arrive, go to a bank and open an account, and deposit the cheque immediately. It takes 3 working days to clear.

2. Subsequently, when your parents want to send money, they buy a banker's cheque (in AUD) in your name, put it into an ordinary envelope, and post it. If you want more security (but often slower), send by registered post. That is NOT post laju/express. They will put a sticker on the envelope with a tracking number and give your parents a receipt. The downside to registered post is, when it is delivered, someone MUST acknowledge receipt of the letter, so if the postman finds nobody at home, they cannot deliver, but leave you a notice. You may then either arrange a time when you are home for them to deliver, or (in lazy msia) you will have to go to the main post office to collect it..........

after you receive the cheque, just go to your bank and deposit it, like a normal cheque......

you cannot open accounts vis internet......unless you are already an existing customer of the bank....

oz is still relatively lax, but you will still need some documentation of identity....

uk is now VERY strict with opening new bank accounts, and you will need a covering letter from the university before they will allow you as a foreigner to open accounts........

there is one bank however that allows you to open an account in uk, if you are already their customer in msia......but they have a minimal presence in oz....

i am not aware they have now decided to allow internet application for foreigners.......

however, going through the details, there are a few caveats....

you have to apply well in advance, commonwealth bank recommends 6 weeks.....

you have to transfer money into the account within 3 weeks of notification of opening, or the account will be closed....this will need to be done by tt or some sort of international transfers.....and will cost you money.....

you have no access to the account or money until you physically present yourself at the selected branch to verify your identity and activate the account.....

so i guess unless you have plenty of time, are familiar with the place you are going to to nominate a nearby branch, and don't mind paying some money ($11 to credit into your account, plus tt fees here), you may be better off bring a bank draft and some cash....you will have a better idea which bank, which branch, which account will be better for you.....

like i said, oz is pretty slack on this......you will NOT be able to do this in uk.....

many people have no accommodation confirmed till very late, sometimes only after they have arrived........

the foreign (receiving) bank charges a fee for depositing a tt.....it is taken from the transferred amount.....in this case, since it's your own account, you pay the charges yourself.....

in any case, i guess this is an option for some new students, if all the caveats are not issues.....

otherwise, just bring the cheque and some cash........

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Added on September 8, 2011, 11:06 pmi just have recent trouble with trying to open an account in uk, so it is very fresh in my mind, the tight rules they have.........

looks like cba is going to corner the international student market.....

This post has been edited by limeuu: Sep 8 2011, 11:06 PM

there is a ceiling on charges.....varies with banks....but usually about aud20 max....suncorp took $18 from me for a $5000 tt years ago....

still money....

i would just bring a banker's cheque over.....but that's me.....don't believe in paying money if i don't have to.....

at that kind of fees, it would be stupid for any international student to go study purely for the studies....he can get the same for much cheaper in uk/us........therefore the only reason why any international student will be willing to pay a premium to study in oz, is that he will have the option to stay on, if he so wants to....

that was what drives the flourishing english/trade courses, before changes in migration rules killed that sub-industry overnight.....

any move to remove graduate visas will do the same for mainstream uni courses......as it is, skilled migrant rules changes have already put a big stumbling block in many international students path, particularly the one needing ielts 8.0 to get enough points......

all oz unis operate as 'community colleges', and hence it is relatively easy to enter most courses (save quota restricted ones of course), hence while they rank quite high on international rankings, they will NEVER be able to reach the levels of oxbridge/ivies......not unless they change their model to the elite uni model.....which is unlikely to happen due to the egalitarian aussie culture.........

This post has been edited by limeuu: Sep 17 2011, 07:51 PM

do aussie unis offer accounting as a degree?.....i understand what they offer is b. commerce.........

the only significant change is the visa processing for some countries, in this case, principally china and india....it will not affect msia, which is in tier 1 and visa is easily granted with payment of the 1st semester fees....

as for the post study work, it already exist as the graduate visa, for 18 months......now extended to 24 months.....

the basic engine of aussie full fees foreign student education programme remains the same.....basically they sell immigration repackaged as education....

not a bad deal....since australia wants and needs immigration anyway......they need 100k-150k a year to keep the labour market filled.....and what better way than to get these immigrants to pay for their own education, automatically in the process self selected from the brightest of export countries, then allow them to stay and work and pay taxes for their whole entire working life.....smart move.......

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Added on September 23, 2011, 5:11 pmi wouldn't worry too much about this....they will sort it out.....i have not known anyone who have not got houseman jobs yet......so far......

This post has been edited by limeuu: Sep 23 2011, 05:11 PM

you need the coe, which is issued on payment of the first sem's fees.......

the fact remains that you need the coe and the medical, for issuance of visa....

there may be some schools or colleges desperate enough to issue a coe without the 1st sem fees, but afaik, all the major universities will need you to pay up for the 1st sem and the oshc fees before they issue the coe.....

btw, for info, the coe is electronic, and the high commission will have your coe on their records.....so you don't really need the hard copy at all....

the aussie unis are desparate!...

well, if they are willing to loosen the visa process for china and india, i guess they would loosen it for msia too.....maybe in future, as long as you reply and say yes...they will issue the coe....

you obviously have never flown before...

you have 20kg check in allowance.....and you can bring 7kg of hand carry.....(actually 5kg, but mas usually will allow 7) and a backpack of notebook and stuffs...

if you join the grads programme they do allow 30kg check in for students.....

but.....this is an unusual time to start studies.....they are midway through the 2nd semester....

that is not true....of course if you create a mini msia around yourself, you may not experience the full impact of that different culture, but nevertheless, it is different.....

as for roi for studying in oz, the reality is that oz is selling migration through education....so unless people are clear in their mind that they are willing to pay for an education and return home, it is wise to choose a course that has potential in enabling you to stay on and work.....

which is sad, that it has come to a point that many choose a course based on immigration rules rather that your interest....

you can do part time work as a student, and full time during vacation time........

you can stay on and work, if you have applied for a graduate or pr visa, while on a bridging visa.....

however, without a substantive temporary or permanent resident visa, there will be some difficulty in getting jobs.....

just on rent alone then, it is more than $1560 a month....

you cannot work if you are on a tourist visa......the eta for msians is valid for 1 year, and allows a maximum stay of 3 months per entry.....

if it is part of your course, you will have to apply for one of the other categories of short term visitors visa, your college should be able to advise which category is appropriate.....

if it is just an unpaid internship/attachment, it is often best to just use the tourist eta....

locals gets csp's and pay a subsidised fee of generally 1/3 of full international fees.....

in addition, citizens have hecs, where you can loan most of that fees, which you pay back when you start working, through a deduction via income tax when income goes over a threshold.....(pr is not entitled to hecs)....

however, do note that critical courses (ie quota restricted courses) are very competitive, and it is generally more difficult for locals to get in, compared to international students (generally, they get in with atar score of 2 points lower)......

if you think you can walk in and claim a pr just like that, you are greatly mistaken.....

the application process from outside oz takes a long time......up to 3-4 years....and conditions have gone difficult again lately....