We’ve been getting a lot of enquiries lately: for the study-abroad migration pathway, we keep hearing thatsocial workis great for migration right now — is that true? Is it easy tograduate? Are therejobs?

In response to everyone’s questions,

today we’re going to have a proper look at social work —

why so many people choose this field,

and whether it’s the right fit for you.

What Does a Social Worker Do? //

Many people first hear about social work through migration, and most of what they hear is something like ‘social work is a good pathway to PR’. But if you ask them what social workers actually do, nine times out of ten they’re not quite sure. Some people even picture social workers as community volunteer coordinators.

Before we dive in, let’s define the field. The National Association of Social Workers (NASW) defines social work as: a professional activity that helps individuals, groups, and communities to strengthen or restore their capacity for social functioning, and to create societal conditions favourable to their goals.

So a social worker is someone who carries out this work.Put simply, they are people who provide help and services to specific communities or groups.There are five main employment directions for social workers:

Community development programmes

Child protection

Policy advocacy

Health and medical services

Migration and refugee services

In short,the primary role of a social worker is to support communities and vulnerable groups — and the pay is quite good!

According to PayScale data,the average social worker salary is $68,868 — a very stable income.

Where Do Social Workers Work in Australia? //

We just covered the employment directions for social workers, but many of you also want to know specifically which companies or organisations social workers can work for.

Let’s takeSouth Australiaas an example — two of the better-known organisations in the SA region are:SACOSS and DHS,both of which are government bodies serving communities, children, young people, and women.

Beyond government agencies, private organisations such asCCI and HESTAare also strong options for social workers.

Overall, given the current shortage of social workers, the employment outlook for graduates is very positive.

What Do You Study in Social Work? //

Let’s use theFlinders University in South Australiaundergraduate programme as an example:

You can see that the main areas covered in a social work programme includesociology, psychology, and practical placements.

Worth noting is thatbecause the skills assessment for social work requires 980 hours of placement,the placement must cover two different settings with different areas of focus. Fortunately, SA’s two universities —the University of South Australia and Flinders University — both generously include 1,000 hours of placement in their programmes.So you won’t need to worry about finding your own placement!

PS: Some of you have asked whether school-arranged placements are paid. To be clear,these placements are part of your academic programme,so there is no payment.

Is Social Work Easy to Graduate From? //

A lot of you are naturally wondering whether social work is hard to get through — and whether the study is tough going.

On this point, there are three aspects to consider:

First, are you comfortable writing essays?

Because social work is a very practice-oriented discipline, there’s quite a bit of essay and report writing involved (closed-book exams are basically unheard of in social work). If you prefer exams, this could be a challenge.But if you’re not a fan of exams and essays are fine by you, congratulations — studying social work means you can pretty much say goodbye to exams!

Second, do you enjoy or have a talent for communicating with people?

You’ll be on placement at organisations and schools, and the people social workers serve are almost always individuals — especially those from vulnerable groups. If you say ‘I want to study social work but I don’t want to deal with people — can I just focus on theory?’ — that’s unlikely to work. Studying social work means engaging with people, uncovering and solving all kinds of issues through those interactions.Of course, if you’re a natural at socialising, social work will never bore you!

Finally, let’s talk about failing subjects.

The fail rate in social work is relatively low compared to many other disciplines. As long as you pay attention in class and put in the effort on assignments and essays, you can generally expect quite decent results. Andif you achieve a GPA above 6.0 out of 7.0, you may also be eligible for SA’s Distinguished Graduate pathway, which waives certain application requirements.An exciting prospect!

All in all, while social work does have some requirements, it’s not exactly gruelling — so isn’t it worth considering?

Is Social Work Really That Good for Migration?

Which Pathways Are Most Recommended?

First, let’s briefly coverthe skills assessment for social work.

For graduates of Australian universities, the only real ‘requirement’ isIELTS Academic with four 7s — a benchmark that’s quite achievable for most!

If you’ve completed a social work degree but are finding IELTS a bit of a challenge, feel free to message us — Newstars can offer more tailored solutions!

Due to the current shortage of social workers, there are very favourable policies across multiple states. Even states known for being selective, like NSW, still have a place for social workers. Today we’ll cover the two most popular pathways — if you’re interested in others, feel free to contact us directly for an assessment.

1. South Australia State Nomination

Social work enjoys strong migration opportunities across many states,and SA state nomination currently offers some of the most favourable conditions of any state.Let’s use the two most common pathways — the SA (Distinguished) Graduate pathway and the SA Work pathway — as examples:

SA Graduate Pathway

Graduates in SA can apply forSubclass 190 by working in a social-work-related role anywhere in SA (including Adelaide) for 6 months after graduation.

Alternatively, you can work in a social-work-related role anywhere in SA (including Adelaide) for 3 months after graduation to apply for Subclass 491.

It’s worth noting that if youhave completed 12 months of work experience as an aged care or disability worker, personal carer, social and community support worker, welfare support worker, or disability support worker,you may alsobe eligible forSubclass 491 state nomination.

SA Distinguished Graduate Pathway

The SA Government has also created a ‘fast-track’ pathway for high achievers —if you achieve an IELTS score of 8 in each band, or a GPA of 6.0 or above (on a 7-point scale),you can apply for this pathway. Through the SA Distinguished Graduate pathway,you can skip the 3 to 6 months of work experience requirement and go straight to Subclass 190 or 491!

At this point, you might be thinking — studying inSouth Australia and applying for state nominationshould get youthe best possible package of benefits, right?Exactly! And within SA,the social work programmes at the University of Adelaide (a Go8 university), Flinders University, and the University of South Australia are all highly regarded!

Study abroad, migrate with confidence — South Australia has it all!

SA Work Pathway

What if you’re studying social work in another state and are approaching or have already completed graduation? You can still apply for SA state nomination!The requirements for interstate applicants are slightly higher, but compared to other states,SA’s policies are still clear and favourable.

Interstate applicants need towork in the Greater Adelaide area for 18 months, or in a regional area of SA for 12 months (in a nominated or related occupation) to apply for Subclass 190.Alternatively, work in the Greater Adelaide area for 12 months, or in a regional area of SA for 6 months (in a nominated or related occupation) to apply for Subclass 491.

Social Work — SA State Nomination Success Stories

2. Subclass 189 Skilled Independent Migration

In the Subclass 189 invitation round on 6 October 2022, the data released by the Department of Home Affairs showed thatthe invitation score for social workers was 65 points, both onshore and offshore— essentially the floor score.

So if you already have a social work skills assessment, come and find us to lodge your Subclass 189 application!

High demand. Strong employment. Great for migration!

In summary,whether you’re going through Subclass 189, 190, or 491,the migration outlook for social work is very strong right now. This occupation essentially requires no score-padding —a minimum of just 65 points gives you a chance to receive an invitation!

This reflectsAustralia’s enormous demand for social workers in its society and labour market —both the federal and state governments are eager to attract international graduates and some overseas talent to fill the gap.And this growing demand is expected to continue in the short to medium term,so even if you’re only now considering entering this field, there will still be plenty of work and migration opportunities waiting when you graduate!

If you’re still in China, or you’ve already come to Australia but feel uncertain about your future direction, why not consider social work — it might just surprise you!

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