Why This Punjabi Family Sent Their Daughter to Australia Instead of Canada
The Dhaliwal family from Jalandhar had Canada planned for three years. A single conversation with a returned student changed everything. Here's why they chose Australia and what happened next.
The Dhaliwals from Jalandhar — Australia after three years of Canada research
Gurdev Singh Dhaliwal runs a medium-size truck fleet business outside Jalandhar. His daughter Navneet had been preparing for a Canada application — IELTS coaching, financial documents, college research — for over three years. Then, at a family wedding, he sat next to a man whose nephew had just returned from a failed two-year stint in Brampton: couldn't find stable work, visa about to expire, coming home empty-handed.
It wasn't a horror story. But it planted a question. He went home and asked Navneet to research Australia seriously for thirty days before they committed. What she found surprised both of them.
The Comparison They Built Over 30 Days
- Canada post-study work permit: 1–3 years PGWP, now restricted by program type and institution DLI status
- Australia post-study work visa: 485 Graduate visa, 2–4 years depending on location and field, no institutional restrictions
- Australia PR: Skilled Independent visa (189) and state nomination (190/491) open to many occupations
- Minimum wage: Australia has one of the highest minimum wages globally — AUD 23.23/hr (2024)
- Cost comparison: Comparable tuition, slightly higher living costs in Sydney but balanced by higher wage floor
- Job market for Navneet's field (Healthcare Management): Australian healthcare sector actively recruiting internationally trained graduates
We chose Australia because the Graduate visa doesn't depend on which college she attends. In Canada, if the rules change mid-stream, the PGWP rules change. Australia's 485 visa is linked to her qualification, not the institution's status. That felt more stable.
— Gurdev Singh Dhaliwal, Jalandhar
One Year After Landing
Navneet completed her first year of a Master of Public Health at the University of Sydney. She works part-time at a hospital administration office in Westmead. She is already researching state nomination pathways in Queensland and Western Australia for after her graduation. Her father calls her every Sunday. The conversation has shifted from worry to excitement.