Covid-19 shatters her dreams for better future in Australia

Manmeet Singh Gill

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, May 31

Her plans to fly to Australia for a better future came to a standstill unexpectedly with countries all over the world imposing restrictions on international travel in order to contain the spread of Covid-19.

Manpreet Kaur, who has done a master’s degree in nursing, was all set to pursue her bridging course in nursing, ‘EPIQN-RN’, in a Perth institute from March 19. The course could have opened doors of a well-paid nursing job and the subsequent permanent residency in Australia for her.

Manpreet said, “More importantly, it could have given my mother and me an opportunity to be with my brothers in Australia. My mother was to leave for Australia with me, but now the dream has been shattered.”

For once, she thought that she had all figured it out. “I was so close to realising my dream and suddenly everything has come to a halt,” she added.

While the institute asked international students to wait till Australia opens its borders, it had started the course for local students. “I had received an email asking me to wait for some time. Now, I do not know if I will be allowed to join the course in the coming days,” she said.

Her biggest fear now is that her score of OET, an English language test for healthcare professionals, will expire in August and she does not know if she will have to take the test again or will be eligible to join the course later with her current test score.

“For now, everything is uncertain and obscure. I hope the future will be bright and clear,” she said. Manpreet said life of many students aspiring to study abroad has stuck after the Covid-19 pandemic.