Country Comparison: Canada vs. Australia

This article focuses on the top two countries which stand against each other every academic session that is, Canada and Australia. The article would also throw light on the recent popular courses at each level in Canada and Australia along with the costs of studying, living, and much more. 

Latest Updates:

• Canada’s new Indo-Pacific region will work towards bringing a larger number of Indian and other country students and immigrants to it. An amount of $74.6 million will be invested by Canada over five years in order to accelerate the process of visa application in Chandigarh and the national capital as well as in some other regions.
• Moving back to the pre-COVID levels, the number of Indian students moving to Australia for higher education has been increasing. The number dropped in 2021 to 48,346 from 2020, when it was 63,264. The Australian Trade and Investment Commission released data which stated that by June 2022, the number of Indian students beginning their studies in Australia was 52,186.
• Post-COVID, Indian students in Australia have been witnessed opting for more diverse courses such as sustainable development, health sciences, AI programs, specialized IT courses, and environmental studies. This data has been provided by Professor S Bruce Dowton, President of Macquarie University.
• It has come to notice that the Australian immigration department has been rejecting student visa applications of Indian students suddenly due to reasons unknown.

Canada & Australia Higher Education Highlights

Factors	Canada	Australia
Total International Students	3,88,782	3,70,000
Total Indian Students	1,80,275	96,000
Average 1st Year Tuition Fee	INR 26.45 L	INR 21.94 L
Top Universities	McGill University University of Toronto University of British Columbia University of Alberta University of Montreal McMaster University University of Waterloo	Australian National University The University of Melbourne The University of Sydney The University of New South Wales The University of Queensland Monash University The University of Western Australia
Average Cost of Living	C$20,000 to C$30,000	AUD 1,870 per month

Popular Courses in Canada & Australia

This section aims to throw light on the popular courses opted by the majority of international students in Canada and Australia. Read on for more details:

Canada Popular Courses

Following is a list of popular courses offered in Canada to international students:

• MBA in Canada
• Hospitality Management
• Computer Programming
• Nursing
• Engineering
• Media & Journalism
• Health & Management

Popular Courses in Australia

The following are some of the most popular courses in Australia that are taken up by international students at large:

• MBA in Australia
• Architecture
• Psychology
• Agricultural Sciences
• Tourism and Hospitality Management
• Accounting
• Cybersecurity
• Business and Management

Admission Requirements for Canada & Australia

The admission requirements for Canada and Australia vary to a great extent. The following sections have been divided and detailed information for admission requirements for Canada and Australia have been outlined.

Admission Requirements for Canada

For undergraduate (UG) courses, you need to have completed 12 years of schooling. To get admission, you need to appear for the SAT exam. the duration for degree courses is four years, and that of a diploma is two to three years.

In postgraduate (PG) courses, getting admission to vocational courses is easier as the admission criteria are a lot more relaxed. To get admission for management degrees you will have to appear for GMAT, and for engineering degrees you need to give the GRE exam. 

The concept of cutoffs doesn’t apply to Canadian Universities. Colleges provide average scores accepted to different courses on their websites. That will give some idea about what’s considered a good score. You will also need to appear for language exams like TOEFL or IELTS, irrespective of the degree. There are some colleges that may not require language tests for Indian students, but it is advisable you still give either TOEFL or IELTS as they are important for the purpose of getting a visa. If the visa interviewer is not sure of your spoken skills, they may not grant you the visa.

Check: TOEFL Practice Papers

Australia Admission Requirements

For UG courses in Australia, almost all universities require 12 years of pre-university education, which makes it easier for Indian students to get admission directly to the course/degree of their choice.

In PG courses, you can get admission after finishing a three-year UG degree. In the case of engineering, you will need a four-year UG degree in engineering. To get admission in PG courses you will have to appear for GMAT, while the GRE exam is hardly accepted for PG courses admission at Australian Universities.

You might not be required to have work experience in the case of management courses at some colleges. In the case of no work experience, you need to enrol in a graduate certificate or graduate diploma program. TOEFL or IELTS may be waivered by the university but are important for the purpose of admission. Read here for IELTS Dates.

The overall cost to study and living in Canada and Australia is dependent on many factors like university, course, and location.

Cost of UG Courses in Canada vs Australia

The following table draws a comparison between studying an undergraduate course in Canada and Australia for various types of courses:

Particulars	Undergraduate courses in Canada	Undergraduate courses in Australia
Average Tuition Fee	BSc: INR 19.82 Lakhs BTech: INR 22.08 Lakhs BBA: INR 16.37 Lakhs	BSc: INR 15.05 Lakhs BTech: INR 20.74 Lakhs BBA: INR 16.80 Lakhs
Average Living Expense	INR 5.90 Lakhs	INR 6.37 Lakhs
Duration	3-4  Years	3-4  Years
Exams Accepted	IELTS, TOEFL	IELTS, PTE

(Source: studyabroad.shiksha.com)

Cost of PG Courses in Canada vs Australia

Cost of pursuing a postgraduate course in Canada versus Australia for various courses are compared in the table below for reference:

Particulars	Postgraduate courses in Canada	Postgraduate courses in Australia
Average Tuition Fee	MA: INR 9.50 Lakhs MS: INR 11.28 Lakhs MBA: INR 25.89 Lakhs	MA: INR 19.89 Lakhs MS: INR 26.18 Lakhs MBA: INR 90 Lakhs
Average Living Expense	5.90 Lakhs	INR 6.37 Lakhs
Duration	1.5-2 Years	1-2 Years
Exams Accepted	IELTS, TOEFL	IELTS, TOEFL

(Source: studyabroad.shiksha.com)

Student Visa for Canada & Australia

International students who qualify for admission to Canadian and Australian universities have to apply for a student visa in order to study at these universities. The student visa requirements vary for each country, the following details have been elaborated country wise for reference:

Canadian Student Visa

The Canadian student visa has the following regulations -

• You will have to apply for a post-graduation work permit within 90 days of finishing your studies.
• The visa application process to Canada requires a compulsory medical test for Indian applicants.
• Spouses can also work full-time if his/her stay is for a year or more.
• It costs $150 to apply for this visa.
• You cannot work more than 20 hours per week. During holidays, breaks and summer sessions, the student may work up to 40 hours per week.

Australian Student Visa

For this visa, these rules apply -

• Australian student visa is not granted in the form of a sticker.
• It costs AUD 680 to apply for this visa.
• Spouses get dependent only if the student is pursuing a Master's degree or PhD. The spouses of Master's and PhD students can work unlimited hours.
• Student visa holders are allowed to work up to 40 hours per fortnight during their study in Australia. 

Post-graduate Work Visa in Canada & Australia

There are certain requirements which need to be fulfilled in order to qualify for a post-graduate work visa. The requirements for both Canada and Australia have been given below:

Canada Post-Graduate Work Visa

The Canadian Post Graduation Work Visa allows students graduating from any post-secondary institute to work post-studying for an uptime period depending on the duration of their course to a maximum of three years. Under this work permit, the student can work in any field or industry.

Post-Graduate Work Visa for Australia

Graduates who have completed a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree from Australian Universities and hold a study visa are eligible to apply for a post-study work visa. Diploma holders or other qualified graduates may be eligible to apply for an 18-month subclass 485 visa through the graduate work stream in Australia. 

Also Read: All about Post Study Work Permit in Australia

Popular Job Sectors in Canada & Australia

Canada

Jobs like nurse practitioner, programme analyst, teacher, pharmacist, financial manager, construction manager etc. are some of the most sought-after positions in Canada.

Also Read: Most Popular and Highest Paying Job Sectors in Canada

Australia

Top jobs in Australia are in education, medical services, the hospitality industry, computer system design, accounting etc.
Note - The Indian concept of campus placements and on-campus recruitment does not apply to foreign universities. Students are expected to look for internships and jobs on their own.

Also Read: Life after MBA from Australia: Placements and Job Prospects

PR in Canada & Australia

Canada

During this period of Post Graduation Work permit, you can apply for Permanent Residency under the Canadian Experience Class. Since the country is sparsely populated, there is a shortage of highly skilled employees. Compared to most other countries, getting PR in Canada is very easy.

Read:

Express Entry Canada	What is SPP Program?
Indians see a 200% increase in Canadian PR invites	Provincial Nominee Program and its Benefits

Australia

Getting a permanent residency permit to Australia is possible but it is a long process. The immigration officials conduct a thorough background check on the candidate to make sure s/he is not fraudulent. Because of the complicated process, the PR permit may take some time to get approved but it is possible to get Australian citizenship.

Check:

• PR Courses in Australia
• How to get PR in Australia with Student Visa?

Scholarships for International Students in Canada & Australia

Abroad, most of universities have a provision for financial aid. You can find out about the scholarships your university offers through its Financial Aid department. Apart from universities, there are a lot of scholarships made available to organizations, funds etc. here are a few scholarships for Indian students interested in studying in either Canada or Australia.

Canada scholarships	Australia scholarships
International Research Linkages funded by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada	University of Adelaide Ashok Khurana Scholarship for Indian Students
Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships funded by Government of Canada	University of Queensland Postgraduate Coursework Scholarships
Canada Asia-Pacific Awards (CAPA)	University of Queensland India-Australia BEL Excellence Scholarship
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship is funded by Government of Canada	Australian Leadership Awards (ALA)
Sauvé Scholars Program by the Jeanne Sauvé Youth Foundation	Endeavour Awards

Climate in Canada & Australia

Canada

Weather in Canada varies widely depending on where you are. Canada stretches from the Pacific to the Atlantic Ocean, covering five time zones. In Toronto, winter is milder than most Canadian cities, yet still cold and snowy. Montreal Weather in winter is cold and snowy. Usually, the country experiences pleasantly cool summers.

Australia

The country is located in the southern hemisphere. This means Australia's summer starts in December and winter begins in June. Nearly a third of Australia is in the tropics where the average temperatures are in the mid 20 degrees Celsius. The southern areas are in a temperate zone.

Read More: All about Post Study Work Permit (PSW) in Australia for Indian Students