Dear Australia,
Why do you hate visitors?
Do you think we smell bad? Are we jerks? Do we take all of your jobs? Or do you just think we’re going to bring rabbits into you and watch them wreck havok?
I know you worked hard to provide information for people who want to visit, but all of the information I find is simply disheartening or confusing. Examples:
- Do I need a family member living in Australia to sponsor me, or can it be just anyone I know?
- How do I prove I’m of good character? If my life’s plot hasn’t advanced much and the setting is miserable, it’s assumed I have good character, isn’t it? Otherwise it would just be a miserable existence and those haven’t been popular since Dickens!
- If I’m looking for a job, how exactly can I afford the $1305 charge for a Visa?
- Why do you hate us so?
I doubt John Howard himself would be able to get a visa.
When I first visited, a $300 for a student visa seemed okay, but now, looking for any other possible way of going back, I’m thinking I’ll only be able to if I go for a student Visa again.
That all presupposes that I get accepted to a grad school (Maq, USydney or ANU) and received a scholarship to boot. ANU says that the scholarships are “highly competitive,” but my favorite ‘screw-you’ comes from the University of Sydney’s prizes and scholarships page. It’s completely blank.
I’m not a rich person, I have $1200 in my ‘back to Australia’ fund, but it’s looking like it’s going to cost a hell of a lot more than that. The absolute cheapest I could even find a flight to get to Sydney would be in September 2007 and even then it would cost $1400. This doesn’t include a visa of any sort nor does it leave money for me to live on while I’m in Sydney. It seems like I may never get a chance to go, but I promised Ex_cal and I’ve not broken a promise since I was 15.
As much as I hate to admit it: I might just have to work for a year and hope I have enough money saved up to visit for a few months before grad school starts. Oi.
Why do you hate visitors? Do you think we smell bad? Are we jerks? Do we take all of your jobs? Or do you just think we’re going to bring rabbits into you and watch them wreck havok? I know you worked hard to provide information for people who want to visit, but all of…
You could always try to get a job with a company that outsources labor to China and wants someone who is willing to travel. Even if they don’t have a base camp in Australia, you might be able to swing through on your way back.
Let’s try this again: Tag.