We have recently received many enquiries from Gaokao students wanting to learn aboutAustralian undergraduate programmesand how to apply. Many students choose Australia for two reasons: first, its outstanding cultural, natural, and educational environment, and second, it is atraditional migration destination, compared with many other countries, offeringinternational studentscomparatively more migration pathways. As a result, students can flexibly prepare their post-graduation migration plans in line with the state nomination policies of whichever state their university is in.
After nearly two years of tough conditions for skilled migration in the 2022–23 financial year, Australia is ready for a turnaround!Skilled migration quotas have increased significantly,with the regional area allocation seeing especially strong growth — rising from 11,200 to25,000 places— primarily through the Subclass 491 Skilled Work Regional (state-nominated) pathway. The Subclass 190 Skilled Nominated quota also grew by 78%, reaching20,000 places. State nomination pathways, backed by strong government support, are set to become the choice of more and more applicants — including a growing number of international graduates.
*The ‘regional areas’ in Australia’s migration framework are not truly remote,they simply reflect areas that need population growth. Currently, everywhere outside Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane is classified as regional for migration purposes— encompassing the capital cities of multiple states as well as economically developed cities. There is a wide range of options!
Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane are great cities, but migration there is far more competitive and the cost of living is higher — it may well be worth considering universities and migration pathways in ‘regional’ areas!
With that in mind, today we want to share with you,within the Group of Eight (Go8),the three universities located inregional areas—
the Australian National University,the University of Western Australiaandthe University of Adelaide
— along with the corresponding state nomination policies for each university’s state.
Top-100 world university credentials + an excellent study and lifestyle environment + migration and settlement
— a complete, integrated plan in one step!
Australian National University (ANU)
Australian National University
2022 QS Ranking: 27th
State and city: Australian Capital Territory, Canberra.Canberra is 280 km from Sydney — approximately a three-hour drive.As Australia’s political hub, Canberra’s population is predominantly public servants and education professionals.The average income is the highest in Australia, and Canberra also has a high level of tertiary education and a relatively young population profile.
ANU’s strongest disciplines:Life Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Social Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering
ANU Gaokao direct-entry requirements:ANU currently accepts applications from Chinese students using Gaokao scores for undergraduate programmes. In addition to meeting the direct-entry score requirement, students must also meet the language proficiency requirement for admission. Applicants to ANU must provide an IELTS or PTE score meeting the entry requirement; the university does not offer a bundled English language course + undergraduate package offer.
The Gaokao direct-entry requirements for ANU’s most popular undergraduate programmes are shown in the table below:
Canberra State Nomination (ACT)
The ACT has developed its own independent points-based matrix system, with invitation rounds held at least twice per month — making it comparatively stable relative to other states, andthe ACT occupation list has been updated, adding 95 occupations. It now covers the vast majority of fields that students are interested in studying and that offer good employment prospects,with the update frequency also changing from once every four months to once per year — so prepare with confidence!
Occupations that have been consistently and stably listed on the ACT nomination list include:Nursing, early childhood education, social work, ICT-related occupations, Engineeringand others.
The current ACT Government’s projected invitation scores under the Subclass 491 matrix are approximately 65 points, and 85 points for Subclass 190. Local ACT graduates have clear advantages in areas such as local study duration, local residency duration, and assets. For a student completing a three-year undergraduate or two-year postgraduate programme in Canberra — without work-experience bonus points or English bonus points —graduates are projected to achieve a score of 65–85 points after completing their studies.
Below is a general overview of the matrix point-scoring items:
The ACT state nomination policy offers substantial support to local graduates, making it an excellent fit for the study abroad + state nomination migration pathway — an integrated plan in one step! Get in touch with us directly!
University of Western Australia (UWA)
The University of Western Australia
2022 QS Ranking: 93rd
State and city: Western Australia, Perth — Australia’s fourth-largest city, consistently ranked among the world’s most liveable cities. Western Australia is rich in natural resources, including coal and mineral deposits, and many mining and minerals-related industries have their headquarters in Perth.
UWA’s strongest disciplines:Minerals and Mining Engineering, Civil Engineering, Structural Engineering, Anatomy and Physiology
UWA Gaokao direct-entry requirements:
Western Australia State Nomination
The Western Australian State Government has signalled thatit will strongly support international students and skilled migration in the new financial year— publishing the financial year’s occupation list and policies well in advance.The WA state nomination Graduate Occupation List has been expanded by 194 occupations. Combined with the previous 130+ occupations, the total number of eligible occupations will reach 331,in order to attract more international students to study in Western Australia.
The requirements for WA local graduates to apply for state nomination are:
– Holds a qualifying Western Australian qualification:
o Certificate III/Diploma/Advanced Diploma or equivalent from Western Australia, studied for at least two years; or
o A Western Australian bachelor’s degree / honours degree / Graduate Certificate / Graduate Diploma / master’s degree / doctorate;(Time spent in a language course counts towards the two years of Western Australian study, but cannot satisfy the two-year study bonus points in the EOI.)
– The nominated occupation is on the Graduate Occupation List
– Meets at least one of the following conditions:
o At least six months of Western Australian work experience in the past five years that is closely related to the nominated occupation (at least 20 hours per week); or
o Holds a Western Australian full-time employment contract of at least six months (35 hours per week; may be combined from two contracts)
Most undergraduate programmes are three or four years in duration. Upon graduation, students can meet the requirements to apply for the Subclass 485 Graduate Work visa,and during the two years on a Subclass 485 visa, holders can work full-time. If the visa holder remains in Western Australia throughout the 485 period, there may be an opportunity to extend the visa by an additional one to two years — providing ample time after graduation to find relevant work and prepare for migration.
University of Adelaide
The University of Adelaide
2022 QS Ranking: 108th
State and city: South Australia, Adelaide — Australia’s fifth-largest city, with well-developed infrastructure. The economy is primarily driven by manufacturing, defence industry, and research. Population growth is rapid.
UOA’s strongest disciplines: Engineering, Minerals and Mining, Oral Surgery, Veterinary Science, Finance and Accounting, Computer Science
UOA Gaokao direct-entry requirements:
South Australia State Nomination
Let us now look at the requirements for ‘SA Graduate’ and ‘SA Distinguished Graduate’ applicants applying for South Australian state nomination:
The requirements for an SA Graduate are:
1) The South Australian programme enrolled in must be a CRICOS-registered course of at least 46 weeks (one year) at undergraduate level or above. The field of study in South Australia does not need to match the nominated occupation.
2) At least 50% of the programme must have been completed in South Australia
3) Must have resided in South Australia for at least one year during the study period
4) Must be residing in South Australia after graduation
5) After graduation, must have worked in South Australia for at least three months in the nominated occupation or a closely related occupation, for at least 20 hours per week (or at least 40 hours per fortnight) (some occupations have higher requirements)
The requirements for an SA Distinguished Graduate are:
Currently residing in South Australia, having completed one of the following qualifications from a South Australian public university within the past two years, and meeting the required Grade Point Average (GPA). The field of study in South Australia must be in the same field as the nominated occupation.
1) A research doctorate or master’s degree by research
2) A bachelor’s degree with a GPA of 6.0 or above
3) First-class honours in an honours programme (must have completed an undergraduate degree in South Australia)
4) A master’s degree by coursework (must have completed an undergraduate degree in South Australia), with a GPA of 6.0 or above (GPA is based on the academic transcript)
The South Australian state nomination list includes fields such asfinance, marketing, teaching, social work, engineering, computer science, architecture, and landscape designand others.
A reminder to students: if you wish to align your undergraduate field of study with your future migration plans,the primary consideration is to choose an undergraduate major that appears on the state’s occupation list for migration.
