Australia is famous for its sandy beaches, beautiful reefs, mountains and landscapes all around the globe. However, there is another significant reason that Australia is known for and it is the quality education and each year, a plethora of international students enroll in Australian education institutes through scholarships and regular permit.
According to the QS annual ranking, many Australian cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Brisbane among others have been named the student cities and enable the international students to enjoy top educational, entertainment opportunities as well as professional.
Pakistani Students in Australia:
In recent years, a large number of Pakistani students have been choosing Australia for its quality education and bright professional future. According to Australian Bureau of Statistics for 2017, The total number of Pakistani students who were in Australia on a student visa in the first six months of 2017 was 510,348, showing growth of over 14 percent than 2016. Higher studies in Australia is officially encouraged in Pakistan through its scholarships.
Australia is home to the best universities and educational institutes worldwide, offering almost every major subject and allow students to enjoy the liberty for enrollment in up to nine courses in the country without any form of restriction. Australia offers many government funded and university-specific scholarships to Pakistani students. In this article, we are going to provide a comprehensive account of Pakistani students’ lifestyle as well as the professional and entertainment opportunities they enjoy in Australia. So, let’s begin:
Entertainment and Pakistani Food:
Pakistani food is very popular in Australia, and there are various Asian grocery stores in the country especially the main cities where a wide variety of Pakistani food items are available.
Food and Groceries:
Numerous Pakistani restaurants are offering tasty and spicy traditional food throughout the country, and many provide exclusive student deals and discounts. Whether it is Khan Baba in Sydney, Khyber Pass in Melbourne, Khan’s Kitchen in Brisbane, Islamabad food in Perth or Zaika in Adelaide, all of these are restaurants providing authentic, delicious Pakistani recipes among many others.
Cricket:
Australians loves cricket, and the Pakistani cricket team regularly tours Australia and are much admired in this part of the world. Top cricket grounds in various Australian cities offer chances to Pakistani students to play and enjoy the sport as they used to do in Pakistan.
Cinema:
The Sydney Film Festival, which takes place in mid-June each year, regularly screens films from Pakistan. Apart from this, Pakistani students enjoy many cinemas in the country showing movies from all around the world.
Pakistani Occasions:
Independence Day and Eid Milan functions are regularly arranged on every occasion. These are not only celebrated through the Pakistani embassy but are also observed in many educational institutes with the collaboration of PSAA.
Urdu News:
Sada-e-Watan Sydney is a prominent English/Urdu newspaper delivering news on Pakistan-related events in Sydney to Pakistani community while SBS Radio has a daily Urdu news program that is also available as a podcast.
Financial Opportunities for Pakistani Students:
Australia is a country with a strong economy and very low levels of unemployment and has the highest minimum salaries in the world. Students usually pay between $150 and $300 per week in rent, depending on their area selection. However, they earn enough to fulfill their basic needs, entertainment and also send a considerable amount home. The minimum hourly rate is roughly $20 per hour which means a student earns quite a good amount of sum even if he serves in the unskilled job sector.
On the other hand, skilled students earn considerably plus with a sponsor, many Pakistani students receive a minimum salary of about $4,300 per month and in many cases much more. Australian Universities’ careers services also offer numerous programs designed to give students work experience and assist in job placement in a wide range of industries.
An Australian student visa holder can work for 20 hours a week and will not need a further work permit or residence permit to work in any sector without any discrimination. The employment rights include sick leaves, break periods during working hours and protection from uninformed and illegal dismal from work. The Australian Government ensures that students are paid as per their time and abilities.
Associations for Pakistani Community:
Australia and Pakistan have friendly ties, and many associations are working in Australia to look after the Pakistani community and especially the students. The role of the few of them are mentioned below:
The Pakistan Australia Friendship Association (PAFA) is a non-profit group which promotes cultural ties between Australia and Pakistan and regularly includes the Pakistani students to play an active role in the activities.
The Pakistan Student Association of Australia (PSAA) is a non-profit student-body organization formed in 2009 that actively represents the interests of growing Pakistani students in Australia. The organization works closely in partnership with government bodies, student clubs, institutions, and community organizations.
Its prime concern is to boost the experience of Pakistani students in Australia by providing them guidance for integration with the mainstream Australian community. It is also a platform for social activities and assists students with suitable and timely advice to counter their problems.
PAWA or The Pakistan Association of Western Australia promotes friendship and goodwill between Pakistanis and Australians communities in Perth and Western Australia and actively engages the Pakistani students.
Participate in Community life:
Student life in Australia ensures quality studies, institute environment, facilities and accommodation, and entertainment opportunities. Pakistani students are encouraged and included in community activities, and many receive scholarships due to their active role in community participation.
Australian institutes massively focus on practical learning and give the students prospects to use their knowledge in a real environment. Australian education ensures that Australian and international employers pursue its studies upon completing the programs.
