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Tips for applying for a student visa
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Tips for applying for a student visa

A good GTE leads you to visa approval

2018-06-10

I don't know whether or not you have discovered that it's getting harder and harder to stay in Australia with a student visa now! The main reason is that when the Ministry of Immigration is now reviewing student visas, the most important thing is to look at the so-called GTE (Genuine). Temporary Entry), the focus of this document is to inform the Department of Immigration Australia that the purpose of my visa is mainly to be a “short-term” student in Australia. The Department of Immigration will use this document to determine if you have a genuine intention to study in Australia. Still just want to stay in Australia with a student visa or to act with a non-visa purpose.

There are many people in Taiwan who are currently working in Australia. After two years of vacation, they feel that Australia is very good. They want to spend more time in Australia. Therefore, a student visa is a good choice. Or some students actually have the intention to immigrate to Australia and want to study in Australia for at least 2 years of professional courses, and then apply for skilled migration after graduation. Regardless of your purpose for studying in Australia, good GTE is absolutely necessary to successfully obtain a student visa!

Here we summarize how we can write a good GTE

  1. Why you chose your proposed program?
    Your specific knowledge of the program, including its course/content
  2. How your proposed program is relevant to your previous study or employment?
    If you have changed your field of education, explain your reasons
  3. Why you chose the University Xx in Australia?
    Include the research you undertook into other Australian providers.
  4. Why you chose to study in Australia instead of in your home country?
    Include the research you undertook into study options in your home country and other countries
  5. How your proposed program will help you achieve your career/education goals?
    Include the research you undertook into your potential career outcomes.Include your salary expectations in your home country.
  6. How the financial investment in an Australian degree will improve your circumstances in your home country
  7. Explain any gaps between your studies
  8. What reasons do you have to return to your home country after you complete your studies (eg assets, job offer, and family responsibilities)
Here we compare what is known as good GTE and what is bad GTE (taking actual experience as an example)
Background: After the 25-year-old applicant has completed the Australian working holiday visa, he wants to apply for 1 year English course and 2 years of cooking school to stay in Australia.

    Bad GTE:

    1. Why you chose your proposed program?Your specific knowledge of the program, including its course/content
    2. How your proposed program is relevant to your previous study or employment?
      If you have changed your field of education, explain your reasons
    3. Why you chose the University Xx in Australia?
      Include the research you undertook into other Australian providers.
    4. Why you chose to study in Australia instead of in your home country?
      Include the research you undertook into study options in your home country and other countries
      The reason why I chose to study in Australia was because I was in Taiwan for 7 years and I was very familiar with the Taiwanese food and beverage system. But I would like to own my own restaurant. So I have to have an education system for foreign cooking systems. Study I hope my own restaurant has the advantages of Chinese and Western style
    5. How your proposed program will help you achieve your career/education goals?Include the research you undertook into your potential career outcomes.Include your salary expectations in your home country.
    Studying abroad and studying can allow me to have different institutional experience in various aspects. It can make me fill in my shortcomings in Taiwan.
     
    My goal is to fulfill dreams. I need to be stable. And then there is the expectation of salary. I don't need to be very wealthy to make my family feel comfortable.
    1. How the financial investment in an Australian degree will improve your circumstances in your home country 
    2. Explain any gaps between your studies 
    3. What reasons do you have to return to your home country after you complete your studies (eg assets, job offer, and family responsibilities)
    This kind of GTE is written by most of the students, or writing GTE is not very serious. If the above GTE has not been changed, send it directly and the result is a refusal!!
     

    Good GTE:

    Later, with our help, we helped him change to the following version

    1. Why I chose this proposed program
      I studied in Hospitality Management when I was in Taiwan. I love cooking but from my previous studies there wasn't many courses being taught towards to cooking. The professional course I choose includes certificate 3+ Certificate 4 in commercial cooking combined with English course and Diploma of Hospitality Management in XXX College in Adelaide.  This qualification reflects the role of commercial cooks who use a wide range of cookery skills. I am expecting to learn sound knowledge of kitchen operations. The course will also teach me to work with some independence and under limited supervision and may provide operational advice and support to team members. 
      After finishing the course, I plan to go back to Taiwan and work in 5 star hotels starting the career as cook, and hopefully one day I can become a famous chef. 
    2. How the proposed program is relevant to my previous study or employment?
      I didn't go to normal high school but vocational school which was XXX Vocational high school.
      During the time of studying in High school, I had internship in Japanese restaurant while I worked in TGI Fridays when I was studying in University. Personally though I like Japanese food, but the working environment in Japanese restaurant I really different than western restaurant. In Japanese restaurant, you had to respect your senior and obeyed whatever they told you regardless if you think it's correct or not while in western restaurant I can show my creation or giving some suggestions which makes me feel more being respected. 
    3. Why I chose the XXX College
      1. First of all, this college is located in Adelaide, South Australia. I spent two years living in Adelaide while I was on working holiday visa. Therefore, Adelaide is the first option for me when choosing the studying location. 
      2. I have also done some research of comparing the tuitions and teaching quality. Before choosing this school, the following schools are my options.
      3. (The following course comparison only based on Cert3 + Cer4 + Diploma of Hospitality
      4. Le cordonbleu – 2 years AUD$61,063 for international students.
      5. TAFE SA –2 years AUD$30,000 for international students
      6. YYY School–2 years AUD$61,000 for international students
      7. XXX School -  2 years AUD$25,000 for international students
        Option 1 & 3 are not my options because it exceed by studying budget. I was considering TAFE SA before but I read the news in mid 2017 that TAFE SA had some issues of international management, and lots of international students will face the recognition of their studies. Therefore, it is not my choice.  Then I found XXX School which I think the tuition is very reasonable and I also searched for the review of this college, it seemed they provide good quality teaching and the course provided and syllabus meets my expectation.     
    4. Why I chose to study in Australia instead of in my home country?
      As I mentioned before, I am much more interested in western cooking instead of Japanese or any other Asian dishes. Australia is also only about 9 hours flight from Taiwan compared with Europe, Canada and USA which has much longer flight time. Besides, I have spent my two years working holiday in Australia, so I know Australia much better than other countries. Australia is also a multi-culture country which I can have chance to learn all different kind of western food such as French, Italian, Greek and German…etc. Another important factor is that Australia is an English speaking country, I will have to learn English first and my English will be improved after completing my studying. I am hoping to go back to Taiwan to work in 5 star hotel. Most of 5 star hotels requires English speaking cook in the restaurant so they can understand Foreign chef's instruction. Some examples are as following:
    Link1
    Link2
    Link3
    Link4
     
    1. How my proposed program will help you achieve my career/education goals?

    1. First of all, salary is the major concern when looking for the job. I wish by speaking English well as well as holding Australian qualifications can help me achieve the salary expectations in Taiwan
    2. Link
    3. Above website is the salary range for Western cook. It can be clear seen that the better qualification you have, the better pay you will get even from the entry level. Of course, the more experience I get, the more salary I will receive as well. (The charts shows in NTD as monthly salary)
    4. Link
    5. Above website is the salary range of Chinese cook
    6. Link
    7. Above website is the salary of Japanese cook
    8. It is clear seen that western cook has the highest level of salary even for the entry level which Japanese cook has minimum entry level. That s why I think choosing western cook is very necessary.
    9. My current plan is studying English in Australia first, improving my English and then going back to Taiwan, finding a 5 star hotel and start working there as a cook. I am hoping after the studies and I can be a chef or even a sous-chef in the western restaurant in the hotel within 5- 7 years.
    1. How the financial investment in an Australian degree will improve your circumstances in your home country 
      Let's do the calculation in this way. (1AUD= 22 NTD) The tuition I spent in Australia for professional courses for two years plus English courses and living cost can be between AUD 80,000 to 100,000 depends the way I choose the live. It might be much less if I live on budget. Let's say I find an entry level in 5 star hotel as a cook, if I speak English well plus Australian qualification, the salary will be higher than normal entry level staff. The monthly salary will be from NTD$35000 – NTD$38,000 per month for the first 3 years, and it will increase to NTD$38,000 – NTD$48,000 per month after 3 years. Compared with Chinese cook and Japanese cook, monthly salary is about NTD$3000-8000 more per month. For an experienced cook in 5 start hotel, monthly salary can be over NTD$68,000 per month wile experienced chef is more than NTD$100,000 per month.
      It can been that speaking well English plus Australian qualification can be easier to apply job in 5 stars hotel in Taiwan as entry level. However, I am only making assumption as only be able to find entry level job. I have 4 years working experience in TGI Fridays in Taiwan plus 3 years internship, which I regard myself as mid-level cook. Therefore, the above calculation based on worse scenario can be even turns to be more benefits for me when I am back to Taiwan.
      If I didn't invest this tuition and opportunity cost in Australia, I will be no more different than other cook/chef in Taiwan. 
    2. What reasons do I have to return to your home country after I complete my studies 
      All my close family members are all in Taiwan includes my parents and my younger sister. I do not want to leave my family and live separate with them permanently. Parents will get old and my sister will get married eventually. I am the only son in the family. In our culture it is really against our family value that leaves parents alone, without looking after them and living overseas. I don't want that because I only want to stay in Australia temporally and going back to Taiwan after my studies. 
      Studying in Australia can only be done before I get married and have kids. This will be the only period of time in my life to be able to study overseas. If I miss this period of time in my life, I don't think I will be able to study overseas after my marriage.  
    Simply put, the Department of Immigration hopes that students are real students. That is, when students decide to come to Australia to study, they must do their homework first and know why they have chosen Australia as a professional course. Not to say that student visas for elite schools will not be refused, nor does it mean that cheap schools will definitely refuse to sign, return to the point of focus, and writing good GTE is the biggest priority for getting a student visa!
    In addition, I also want to remind people in good faith that if you want to apply for a skilled immigrant after graduation, you must never write silly in the GTE. For example, I would like to take nursing courses because I know that Australia is moving into an aging society. After I graduate, I want to apply for permanent residency and stay in Australia as a nurse and give my expertise to the Australian people. This writing must be refused!!
     
    We provide professional GTE modification services. If necessary,  
    welcome to contact us by email. ontact@dragongate.com.au
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