Introduction
Hospitality together with tourism is one of the world’s largest service industries and a key driver of economic development in many destinations around the world. You can find famous tourist cities and landmarks across Australia. Hobart’s Primeval Forest National Park, Melbourne Art Gallery, Sydney Opera House, the Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park, and the Aboriginal culture attract thousands of domestic and foreign tourists every year.
Based on these incredible urban landscapes and the natural scenic areas, Australian tourism and hospitality management has a strong employment demand, which provides many opportunities for international students to work on this industry during and after graduation. Moreover, Australia’s advanced tourism and hotel management model will undoubtedly provide advanced management concepts for the students who aspire to return to their hometown to work or build their own hospitality business.
Why study hospitality in Australia?
- High salary: Working in the tourism and hotel industry can bring you a high salary. According to the Indeed job search, a hotel manager’s average base salary in Australia is around $102,422 per year.
- High employment rate: The hospitality and tourism industries have boomed in the last 10 years in Australia, and as a result many jobs are in short supply. The employment rate of hospitality graduates is much higher than the students in other majors. The employment level of Accommodation and Food Services is 907,300 in 2022 and is predicted to climb up to 971,800 in 2025.
- High quality of hospitality courses: Most of Australia’s tourism and hotel management courses provide students with a combination of theoretical courses and practical operations, in which the internship programs range from half of year to one year.
What hospitality courses are available for international students?
Hospitality courses are available at all study levels, from Certificate, Diploma, Undergraduate and Postgraduate. For international students who want to stay and work in Australia after graduation, they better have completed at least the Diploma level of Hospitality. The following are some of the majors you can study in this field: (1) Ecotourism, (2) Catering, (3) Event management, (4) Hospitality management, (5) Hotel and hospitality studies, (6) International tourism, (7) Resort management, (8) Restaurant management, (9) Tourism management and (10) Wine tourism.
If you want to know which hospitality course is suitable for you and which hospitality course will help you stay further or even permanently in Australia, contact us. We will offer you free counselling and free application process.
School Recommendations:
Diploma Level:
Bachelor Level:
Master Level:
What are the entry requirements for international students to study hospitality courses in Australia?
For a Diploma course, normally applicants are required to have completed Year 11 or equivalent and attained IELTS 5.5.
For a Bachelor course, normally applicants are required to have completed Year 12 or a Diploma and attained IELTS 6.5. However, some universities can accept applicants who only obtained an IELTS overall 6.0 with no band score under 5.5, for instance, Torrens University, University of Canberra and Latrobe University.
For a Master course, normally applicants are required to have completed a Bachelor and attained IELTS 6.5.
Unsure if you meet the entry requirements for Hospitality courses? Leave your contact details on the enquiry form, our education counselling will contact you within 24 hours to give you a free check of your eligibility.
How much does it cost to study hospitality in Australia?
For Diploma of Hospitality courses, the total tuition fee can range from AUD10,800 to AUD28,100 depending on the quality of facilities, the length of training and the reputation of education providers.
The total tuition fees for Bachelor of Hospitality courses are higher, from AUD50,676 to AUD90,000; however, international students are able to stay for 2 years in Australia after graduation with a 485 visa.
For the Master level, the total fees international students must pay are between AUD42,000 and AUD86,000. The tuition is worth as you may be eligible for a 485 visa that allows you to stay further 3 years in Australia after having completed your study.
Contact us to learn more about tuition fees and available scholarships of the universities or colleges of your choice. All for free!
What are career outcomes?
The salary and social welfare of the hotel industry are much higher than in other traditional industries, and its social status increases steadily with the increase in work experience. Graduates will be able to work in tourism, hotels, large-scale conferences and exhibitions, sports and leisure services, or economic management.
How to pass a skill assessment for Accommodation and Hospitality Managers?
Accommodation and Hospitality Manager ANZSCO 141999 is listed on the short-term skills occupation list. This allows you to stay longer and/or permanently in Australia with a visa 190, 491, 494 or 482.
The authority to assess the skills assessment for Accommodation and Hospitality Managers is VETASSESS. Occupations that are considered suitable under this ANZSCO code include:
- Backpackers Manager
- Casino Duty Manager
- Hostel Manager
- Boarding House Manager
- Guest House Manager
- Reception Centre Manager
- Serviced Apartment Manager
To obtain a positive skills assessment, international students must meet one of the three criteria:
- You must have completed at least a Diploma course in Hospitality, with a highly relevant major to the nominated occupation AND have accumulated at least 1 year of highly relevant work experience in the last 5 years.
- If you have completed at least a Diploma course, but the major field of study is not highly relevant to the nominated occupation, then you must have completed at least AQF Certificate IV level with a highly relevant major AND have accumulated at least 1 year of highly relevant work experience in the last 5 years.
- If you have completed at least a Diploma course and your major field of study is not highly relevant and you have not had an additional highly relevant qualification, then you must have accumulated at least 2 years of highly relevant work experience in the last 5 years.
Obtaining a positive skills assessment is the foremost step you need to take to migrate to Australia. Contact us today to ensure you achieve it!
What are the PR visa pathways for hospitality students?
Step 1: Apply for a 485 visa
By studying two years or more in a higher education degree, students will be eligible for a 2–5-year Post-Higher Education Work stream Visa subclass 485 depending on your degree and nationality.
Graduates can use these visa opportunities to get more work experience. However, if you undertook and completed at least 2 years of study in a ‘Regional Area’ such as the Gold Coast, Adelaide or Perth, you can be eligible for an additional 1 or 2 years of the 485 Visa Thus, you will have more time to prepare yourself for permanent residence (PR) or a temporary visa that can lead to a PR. For some Hospitality & Tourism Management major students, they will also have migration opportunities if they can accumulate required work experience after they achieve their qualifications in Australia.
Step 2: Apply for a PR
There are many visa options under the Accommodation and Hospitality occupation that can lead to Permanent residency in Australia. Below are the common options:
- 190 – Skilled Nominated (subclass 190) – is a permanent residence visa but you need a nomination from one of Australian states or territories to apply for this visa. Each state may have its own occupation list and additional requirements, so you must investigate if you meet all the state’s eligibility criteria before asking for a nomination.
- 491 – Skilled Work Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 491) is not permanent, but it can lead to a PR (visa 191). You must commit to stay and work in your nominating regional Australia for a minimal period and achieve at least 65 points to be apply for this visa.
- 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) (subclass 494) is applicable for you if you have a regional employer who is willing to sponsor you. You must accumulate at least 3 years working as a accommodation and hospitality manager and obtain a relevant skills assessment.
- 482 – Temporary Skilled Shortage (subclass 482) Short-term Stream – allows you to stay and work in Australia for up to 4 years. To apply for this visa, you must have an employer who is willing to sponsor you.
At SOL Edu and Migration, we have four experienced registered migration agents who successfully process more than 5000 visa applications over the past 5 years. Contact us to see which PR option best suits you!
FAQ
Can hospitality students get a PR visa in Australia?
Yes, hospitality students have a high chance of getting a PR (visa 190, 491 and 494) in Australia if they have completed at least a Diploma course in hospitality and have got at least one year of work experience postgraduation. Remember that you should choose to study for at least 2 years, fulltime basic, in Australia to be able to stay further (with a 485 visa) after graduation, so that you have time to look for a job and prepare for a PR application.
Why should I study hospitality in regional Australia?
If you study the whole course (at least 2 years on a full-time basic) in regional Australia, you will have 5 points for your PR applications.
For the postgraduate visa – subclass 485, studying in a regional area currently give you extra one or two years living in Australia.
- The normal 485 visa duration for a bachelor graduate is 2 years. However, you will be able to stay and work in Australia up to 3 years if you finish your Bachelor in regional areas category 1 (e.g., Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast), and up to 4 years if you have completed your Bachelor in regional areas category 2 (e.g., Toowoomba, Gatton).
- The normal 485 visa duration for a master’s degree graduate is 3 years. However, you can stay in Australia up to 4 years after completing your course in regional areas category 1, and up to 5 years after graduation from a university in regional areas category 2.
What certificates do I need to work in hospitality?
If you work in venues that sell alcohol, food or have gaming machines, you are required to get certificates such as Responsible Service of Alcohol, Food Safety, or Responsible Service of Gambling. Getting these certificates is not difficult, you can learn and complete the quiz online.
What are the visa benefits when working in the hospitality industry?
Since the pandemic Covid 19, International students working in the hospitality industry can be granted with a Covid visa – subclass 408 that allows them to stay in Australia for up to 1 year. They can use this time to gain enough work experience and fulfill other requirements for a PR application in Australia.
What is the difference between Hospitality and Tourism?
Hospitality and Tourism are two industries that very much relate to each other. The key difference between them is that Hospitality aims to provide customers with great services and experiences of travels, accommodations, food and entertainment while the purpose of Tourism is to advertise the selling points of a place to attract as many people as possible. Therefore, you will mainly work on tourism events and activities while working in this industry.
I have graduated from a hospitality course, what sectors of hospitality can I work in?
The hospitality industry is an umbrella term and many small business sectors are covered under this industry. Some examples are:
- Accommodation (e.g., hotel, motel, backpacker)
- Food and beverage (e.g., restaurant, bars, pubs, café)
- Travel and transportation (e.g., air, rail, car, bus)
- Meetings and events (e.g., conferences, exhibition, meetings)
- Entertainment (e.g., bars, clubs, cinema)
- Reaction (e.g., spa, fitness, wellness)
- Casino
You may rely on the major that you took in university/college to decide which sector you may work on.