What Most People Want from Study-to-Migration

As many people planning to study and migrate to Australia know, the most common wish list for a study-to-migration programme looks like this:

Limited budget, limited English — but looking for a programme that leads to good employment and a pathway to migration.

Most importantly — the work you end up doing must not be physically exhausting. White-collar work preferred!

Early childhood education? No good — skills assessment is difficult, and caring for children all day is exhausting!

Commercial cookery? No — cooking is hard if you’re not experienced, and dealing with oil fumes all day is exhausting!

Automotive mechanics? No — too physical, and it’s a male-dominated field where heavy lifting is unavoidable!

Carpentry? No — too labour-intensive. Just not happening….

Field

Yes, it exists!

A recent Victoria-invited client of ours

opened our eyes to exploring new TAFE programmes!

Civil Engineering Draftsperson!

TAFE courses are extremely affordable, with low English requirements, and the occupation is on the skilled migration list!
It is on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) — eligible for Subclass 189/190/491/485.

Ticks Almost Every Box for Study-to-Migration!

This programme genuinely checks every box for international students coming to Australia on a tight budget:

Graduate work visa available! No work experience required to pass skills assessment with Engineers Australia!

Very affordable tuition — as low as AUD 24,000 for two years at the cheapest institution! Cheaper than one year of university fees at many institutions!

Entry English requirement: overall 5.5 (IELTS or PTE accepted)

And right now this occupation has excellent migration prospects!

Under current migration policy, you can consider lodging a Subclass 189 EOI or pursuing state nomination via Subclass 190 (Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia) where requirements are relatively low. English requirement is 4×6 in IELTS, and a score of 65 points is enough to enter the pool.

What Is a Civil Engineering Draftsperson?

Commonly known as a drafter — someone who produces technical drawings for construction and civil engineering projects. This TAFE-level programme is genuinely excellent. Unlike many other TAFE courses that require physical labour, this one only requires basic drawing ability — everything else is software-based draughting skills you can learn. It suits both men and women. Most importantly, it is an in-demand occupation in the current Australian market. Fully qualified engineers charge a premium to produce drawings, but the tier just below that is highly sought after by employers — a perfect fit for those working towards PR.

Some will point out that certain employers try to cut costs by sourcing drawings cheaply online, but such companies are in the minority. Local construction firms predominantly hire qualified draftspeople.

TAFE

/

Civil Engineering Draftsperson

Course Overview

This programme is offered by TAFE institutes across multiple states. The one we recommend today has campuses in several states.

Programme name: Diploma of Civil Construction Design + Advanced Diploma of Civil Construction Design — or at some institutions: Diploma of Civil and Structural Engineering + Advanced Diploma of Civil and Structural Engineering.

Duration: 2 years

Intake months: January, April, July, October

Campuses: Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane

Total tuition: $24,000 / 2 years, plus materials fee: $400 (2023 pricing)

Partner engineering firms for work placement:

English entry requirement: overall 5.5, no band below 5

Eligible occupations for skills assessment via this programme:

Want to learn more about this programme?

Get in touch with us directly!

Civil

Drafter

Skills Assessment Requirements

Civil Engineering Draftsperson

After completing this 2-year programme, graduates can apply for a Subclass 485 graduate work visa. The main skills assessment pathways are EA (Engineers Australia) or VETASSESS. The occupation code is 312211: Civil Engineering Draftsperson, which is on the MLTSSL. As the focus of this article is on fast-track skills assessment, we won’t go into the VETASSESS pathway here.

The Engineers Australia (EA) pathway is the key one to discuss — and it does have one drawback compared with other EA-assessed engineering programmes: you cannot apply for skills assessment immediately after graduation; you must prepare a Competency Demonstration Report (CDR). This is because the role sits in the Engineering Associate category, and EA requires 2 years of Australian study at Advanced Diploma level.

However, Civil Engineering Draftsperson has a notable advantage: unlike many engineering roles, you do not need one year of post-graduation work experience to pass the skills assessment.

Civil

Drafter

States With Favourable Migration Policy This Financial Year

VIC: Victoria has opened up its state nomination programme and is welcoming skilled applicants. Both Subclass 190 and 491 are available. For this occupation, the invited EOI score is 75+5. Similar to the Exceptional Talent stream, there is a modest score requirement.

WA: Under current Western Australian policy, study two years in WA, achieve 4×6 in IELTS, and a job offer after graduation is sufficient for state nomination under Subclass 190. If you are open to Subclass 491, no job offer is needed — there is a realistic chance of receiving an invitation.

SA: Both Subclass 190 and 491 are viable through South Australia. Under current SA policy, study two years in SA, achieve a points score of 65, meet the 4×6 IELTS requirement, and have 6 months of relevant post-graduation work experience — and you have a good chance of receiving an invitation.

Of course, there are other options!

If Civil Engineering Draftsperson does not appeal to you but you are considering other engineering-related occupations, the following are also 2-year diploma programmes — affordable tuition, migratable, no work experience required for EA skills assessment, graduate work visa available, and all on the MLTSSL.
Electrical Engineering Draftsperson (312311)
Mechanical Engineering Draftsperson (312511)
Telecommunication Field Engineer (313212)
Telecommunications Network Planner (313213)
Telecommunications Technical Officer or Technologist (313214)

We will continue to research specific programmes for these occupations.

That wraps up this article. If you have any questions about Civil Engineering Draftsperson programmes, institutions, skills assessment, or migration planning — feel free to get in touch!

Previous Articles — Click image to read

Subclass 887 Finally Gets a Grants Shower — Subclass 190 Still Leads on Approvals!

‍ ‍

WA Issues 2,000 Subclass 190 Invitations — Accounting, IT and Engineering Roles Invited at Bare 70 Points

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Department of Home Affairs Confirms: Parent Migration Queue — At Least 12 Years. What About Contributory Parent Visas?

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2023 Recommended

Year-End Backlog Down by 400,000! Is Temporary-to-Permanent Conversion the Reform Priority?Click“Original Link” — Migration Weekly Video Edition

TAFE Courses for Study-to-Migration: No Work Experience Needed for Skills Assessment — Affordable, Migratable, and Not Backbreaking!

Subclass 887 Finally Gets a Grants Shower — Subclass 190 Still Leads on Approvals!

WA Issues 2,000 Subclass 190 Invitations — Accounting, IT and Engineering Roles Invited at Bare 70 Points

Department of Home Affairs Confirms: Parent Migration Queue — At Least 12 Years. What About Contributory Parent Visas?

Department of Home Affairs Confirms: Parent Migration Queue — At Least 12 Years. What About Contributory Parent Visas?

Department of Home Affairs Confirms: Parent Migration Queue — At Least 12 Years. What About Contributory Parent Visas?

Department of Home Affairs Confirms: Parent Migration Queue — At Least 12 Years. What About Contributory Parent Visas?

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