Living in Australia

When you come to Australia, you’ll be welcomed to a friendly and vibrant country. Australia is a global leader in education and the second most liveable country in the world.*

Living here, you’ll discover our lively cities and the natural beauty of our landscape, including 19 world heritage listed sites. Think of the Great Barrier Reef, the Sydney Opera House, our rainforests and wide red desert.

You’ll also meet people from all over the world. Australia has a broad mix of cultures, and our people speak more than 260 different languages. You’ll see this diversity in our cultural life and our food – there are so many world cuisines available!

All about Australia

  • Fourth happiest country in the world†
  • Seventh country globally in the 2015 Legatum Prosperity Index†
  • First in the education sub-index†
  • Five of the 30 best cities in the world for students‡

Education in Australia

Australia is a great place to live. But it also offers a top education. Our education system has produced world leaders in every field: business, science, design, education and the arts. Did you know the inventor of WiFi is Australian and studied in Sydney?

International students give Australia top marks. In the 2014 International Student Survey:

  • 88 percent were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their overall experience in Australia
  • 87 percent were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with their study experience in Australia
  • 89 percent were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with living in Australia.

As an international student, you have a wide range of study options. If you study with Navitas English, you have access to our network of more than 60 direct entry partners. These include universities, colleges, Technical & Further Education (TAFE), Vocational Education & Training (VET) and Registered Training Organisations (RTO).

Whether you are studying at Navitas or at another institution, you are protected by certain laws while you study in Australia. They include:

  • the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 
  • the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018 (National Code).

These protect your general wellbeing and the quality of your education.

Working in Australia

You can work part-time while you study in Australia to help you with living expenses and possibly gain experience in your study area.

Most student visas allow you to work a maximum of 40 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and unrestricted hours during course breaks. You can find out more and check your visa on the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) website.

People working in Australia have minimum employment standards. You can find out more at Fair Work Australia.

Navitas English offers job support for students. We can answer your questions and help you develop skills for your job search.

Australia Unlimited

Australia is home to five of the best thirty student cities in the world. This means that there are plenty of fantastic places for you to live and study.

Watch this video and you will get a glimpse of the many amazing things Australia has to offer.

Prepare to be inspired!

Australian slang

Like in any country, Australians use some strange colloquial words.

Here are some of the most popular ‘slang’ words and phrases in Australia:

arvo = afternoon
barbie = barbeque (BBQ)
bottle-o = bottle shop (liquor store)
dunny = toilet
Macca’s = McDonald’s
no worries = no problem, reassurance
rug up = dress warmly
servo = service station
she’ll be right = it will be fine
shout = pay for the next round of drinks
spud = potato
veggies = vegetables
thongs = flip flops

Australians are famous for being friendly. So when you arrive, take the opportunity to practise your slang on a local!

More info

* United Nations’ 2015 Human Development Index (HDI)
† www.prosperity.com/ranking.aspx
‡ Top University Rankings 2016