I live in America at the moment...?

Question

and wanting to move to Australia when i graduate high school. which is less than three years. I'd love to go to college there and maybe end up living there.

does someone have tips or something that could be usefull for this big move?

Answer 1

i would suggest working towards a career that is in need in australia, otherwise you will have a tough time getting in. while the two countries diplomatically are quite close, immigration between the two countries is somewhat overlooked

Answer 2

probably the best thing is to try to get into a college that has an exchange agreement with one of our Australian colleges,also some High schools do this ,My son is probably going to do a years exchange with the college he is thinking of going to in Australia.

Answer 3

My husband is American, and moved to Australia at the beginning of last year. He absolutely loves it here.

The only negatives you might find, and they aren't really that negative, is the higher cost of living - food, fuel etc, and that we're, in my husband's words, 'a few years behind' the States in terms of new products and new technology. For instance, broadband internet is still not as fast as it is in the States, and we pay more for it. Sometimes a new product will be introduced here and my husband will say 'we've had that in the States for a couple of years!'. Our fuel prices are ridiculous here, currently up to $1.72 per litre (that's nearly $7 per gallon) and cars cost more. And forget even trying to buy a house unless you're a high income earner, or are happy to live in a rural location. Most Australian states are now also on water restrictions due to ongoing drought.

These aren't really big drawbacks, but something you'd have to get used to.

Positives are many; great weather in most states, great lifestyle, friendly locals, relatively low crime rates, breathing space, lots of open road and wide open spaces.

Our public health system used to be one of the best in the world, however, recently it's become more and more expensive to access medical help, and the waiting lists for dental care and hospital stays are ridiculous. I recommend private health cover, like your medical insurance in the US.

Our tertiary education system is a little different from yours. Here, students finish high school and either go to university, get a job, or some might study at a trade school such as TAFE (Technical And Further Education).

If it's university that you're wanting to study at, then every capital city here has one, but getting in can be extremely difficult. You need amazing high school grades (usually 85% plus) to get in, and even then, only if there's a space for you. It also costs a fortune - expect to part with $30,000 or more for four years of university study. I believe that some students can access government loans for this, however. At the same time, we do get a lot of foreign students studying at our universities, so you may find your immigrant status helpful there.

If moving to Australia is really what you want, you'll have no real problems doing it.

Best of luck to you!