{"id":39059,"date":"2018-08-22T13:55:33","date_gmt":"2018-08-22T11:55:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/?p=39059"},"modified":"2018-08-22T13:57:07","modified_gmt":"2018-08-22T11:57:07","slug":"heres-why-you-should-move-to-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/heres-why-you-should-move-to-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"Here\u2019s Why You Should Move To Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many students have aspirations<\/em><\/span> to move abroad<\/strong>. This might be for a number of reasons such as to find a new job, to improve language skills, or experience a new culture.<\/p>\n

Today we spoke to ex-student and employee Maria Guti\u00e9rrez, whose chirpy<\/em><\/span> face some of you may remember from reception before she moved to Australia back in October 2015.<\/em><\/p>\n

She tells us why she decided to move to Oz<\/em><\/span>, what she\u2019s been doing since she arrived, why it\u2019s a great place to live and the different options available to those who fancy starting a new life down under<\/em><\/span>.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Maria\u2019s Story<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Where It All Began<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

 
\n\"Moving
\n <\/p>\n

I had just finished studying a degree in Psychology at the University of Barcelona and I was itching<\/em><\/span> to learn more. But I was also looking for adventure and the opportunity to improve my English<\/strong>, so I started looking for courses outside of Spain.<\/p>\n

One option was London. It\u2019s not too far from Barcelona and it\u2019s a cool city. But the weather can be terrible and there are a lot of Spanish speakers living there. <\/p>\n

I briefly considered moving to the US too. However, the courses were crazily expensive and the visa process was extremely complicated. <\/p>\n

Then I remembered a friend mentioning how much she loved her recent trip to Australia.<\/p>\n

As it turns out, there are some top universities specialising in clinical psychology (which is what I wanted to study). You have to speak English all the time, you can work part time on a student visa (up to 20 hours a week), and the job opportunities are excellent.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Obstacles To Overcome<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

For the masters degree I wanted to apply for I needed to pass the IELTS with a score of 7 across all four bands <\/strong>(reading, writing, listening and speaking). This is the equivalent to a strong pass at C1 Cambridge Advanced. <\/p>\n

I was quite confident, but, after taking the exam a number of times, I couldn\u2019t get a 7 in the writing section. As it turns out it wasn\u2019t as easy as I thought. I was devastated.<\/p>\n

But I wasn\u2019t going to let that stop me. I decided to go ahead and move anyway to improve my English and study for the IELTS from there. The master\u2019s could wait.<\/p>\n

Australia here I come!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Aussie Life<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

 
\n\"Maria's
\n <\/p>\n

When I first I arrived I lived in Brisbane, a city in Queensland on the east coast. I started my IELTS course and within a week or two had found a job in a shop. Perfect.<\/p>\n

I instantly fell in love with the laid back, yet high quality way of life.<\/p>\n

There is very little unemployment, the jobs pay well (even in shops, bars, caf\u00e9s etc.) and it\u2019s really safe \u2013 where I am at the moment I don\u2019t even lock the door. And when I go out and the people are super friendly and easy going.<\/p>\n

Even living in a city you are surrounded by nature and never more than about an hour from a good beach. It\u2019s perfect for those who enjoy the outdoor lifestyle and there\u2019s a lot of opportunity to travel.<\/p>\n

Although I\u2019d recommend Australia 100%, there are a few things to be aware of. The food doesn\u2019t quite live up to<\/em><\/span> the Mediterranean diet I\u2019m used to. There\u2019s not as much fresh fruit and vegetables as you\u2019d expect and people eat a of chinese takeaways and other fast food.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also an incredibly long way from Europe. You can\u2019t just pop home for the weekend when it\u2019s your mum\u2019s birthday. However, as the wages are high, it\u2019s quite easy to save for a flight and I try to come back at least once a year.<\/p>\n

You also need to accept that there will be A LOT of creepy crawlies<\/em><\/span>. Spiders the size of your head, as well as snakes, jellyfish and other creatures that take some getting used to. It\u2019s not all bad though \u2013 there are some cute animals. I think possums are my favourite and I got the chance to hug a koala too.<\/p>\n

\"Maria's
\n <\/p>\n

No Looking Back<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve now been in Australia for almost three years. I finally managed to pass the IELTS with the score I needed and I\u2019m in the middle of applying for the master\u2019s programme I always wanted to do.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve moved to the Sunshine Coast<\/a>, just up from Brisbane and have found a job I really enjoy working with adults with learning disabilities.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve since changed my visa from a student visa<\/a> to a work and holiday visa<\/a>. This lets me work and travel in Australia for up to a year. (You should take into account though that with this visa you can only work for the same employer for up to six months).<\/p>\n

This is a great choice for those who don\u2019t have the money to study for a long period of time (or would rather travel) and is available to a limited number of people from Spain aged 18-31. You also need a minimum of 4.5 in the IELTS and pass a medical test to be eligible for this visa.<\/p>\n

Read more here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Another option for those with a skilled occupation, such as architects, nurses and engineers, could also consider the Skilled Independent Visa<\/a>, which allows you to live and work in Australia permanently.<\/p>\n

Click here for a full list of eligible skilled occupations<\/a>.<\/p>\n

After living in Australia for a number of years on a work or student visa you may be able to apply for a permanent visa, which is what I\u2019m currently doing.<\/p>\n

 
\n\"Maria's
\n <\/p>\n

Get Professional Help<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

I recommend speaking to the experts. The visa process is long and complex and there\u2019s no guarantee you\u2019ll be accepted. However, there are numerous agencies in Barcelona, such as GoStudy Australia<\/a> and AUssieYouTOO<\/a> that can give you free advice and help you apply. They also organise activities so it\u2019s easy to meet new people when you first arrive, assist with visa extensions and even offer discounted flights.<\/p>\n

So what are you waiting for? If you are looking for the adventure of a lifetime and want to improve your English or find well paid work in one of the best counties in the world \u2013 get started today!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

IELTS At Oxford House<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Do you need a certificate to prove your level for visa or work purposes? Oxford House offer intensive IELTS courses<\/a> during the summer and each term to help you prepare for the score you need.<\/em><\/p>\n

For more information visit the website<\/a> or come in to the school today for a free level test with one of our expert teachers.<\/em><\/p>\n

Find out more about travelling the world with IELTS in our article: IELTS: Your Ticket to the World<\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\">
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>\n

Glossary for Language Learners<\/strong><\/h1>\n

 <\/p>\n

Find the following words in the article and then write down any new ones you didn\u2019t know.<\/p>\n

Aspirations (n):<\/em><\/span> something you want to achieve .<\/p>\n

Chirpy (adj):<\/em><\/span> very happy and active.<\/p>\n

Oz (n):<\/em><\/span> another word for Australia.<\/p>\n

Down under (n):<\/em><\/span> another word for Australia.<\/p>\n

Itching (v):<\/em><\/span> want to do something very much.<\/p>\n

Aussie (n):<\/em><\/span> a person from Australia.<\/p>\n

Live up to (pv):<\/em><\/span> fulfill expectations.<\/p>\n

Creepy crawlies (n):<\/em><\/span> a spider, worm, or other small creature or insect, considered unpleasant or frightening.<\/p>\n

\">
<\/div><\/div>
<\/div>\n

Key<\/strong><\/p>\n

n = noun<\/p>\n

adj = adjective<\/p>\n

v = verb<\/p>\n

pv = phrasal verb<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many students have aspirations to move abroad. This might be for a number of reasons such as to find a new job, to improve language skills, or experience a new culture. Today we spoke to ex-student and employee Maria Guti\u00e9rrez, whose chirpy face some of you may remember from reception before she moved to Australia […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":39065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_joinchat":[]},"categories":[268],"tags":[5727,605,5728],"yst_prominent_words":[1341,5726,5702,1041,5719,2470,1044,5718,1031,5725,5724,1253,5717,1557,5701,5716,5715,2111,5294,1078],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39059"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39059"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39059\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":39073,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39059\/revisions\/39073"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39059"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39059"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39059"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/oxfordhousebcn.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=39059"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}