Unlike in the past, many Bhutanese are now choosing to pursue courses eligible for Permanent Residency or PR in Australia. Becoming a permanent resident offers several benefits such as the right to live indefinitely, sponsor family members to enter Australia, enroll in Australia’s national health scheme and apply for bank loans to buy property. According to the Foreign Minister, the highest number of Bhutanese living abroad is currently in Australia.
A huge number of Bhutanese have been going to Australia over the years for study and work. But going by the trend, in recent years, the number of people trying for a permanent resident visa is increasing although there is no data available to back it up.
Many Bhutanese are increasingly pursuing courses such as medical studies, engineering and IT among others for Permanent Residency.
“The Bhutanese who are on PR rather like to invest in Australia not because they want to invest in Australia but because the rental cost in Australia is really expensive. So, considering the rental, it is a kind of rental saving for the future. It is also an investment for the future as once you retire ten years down the line if you want to go back to Bhutan you can always sell the house for a premium price and use the savings,” said Sonam Tenzin (PhD) the President of Association of Bhutanese in Perth.
“When they come from Bhutan, they attempt to get the course that is on the PR list so that it will be easy for them to get into PR and enjoy the life of luxury and the things they dreamt of when they were in Bhutan,” said Tshering Yangzom in Australia.
“First, would be the stable market that is presented to us by Australia. Second, is the flexibility of investment and the third is a high return. When we are investing in Australia it becomes a bank deposit that we can always source our income if we are planning to come back to Bhutan,” said Sangay Thinley in Australia.
Expressing concern, the Prime Minister during the virtual Meet the Press yesterday said people who are planning to settle permanently in Australia will struggle financially.
“If Bhutanese who work small jobs decide to permanently settle there, then once they stop working, they will not have enough to sustain. So, from rich Bhutanese, if they plan to come back, become poor Australian if they stay there permanently,” said Prime Minister Dr Lotay Tshering.
The Prime Minister added that reforms and transformations are the only solutions to reverse the trend of people leaving.
There are 32,258 Bhutanese in 113 countries registered with various Bhutanese embassies and missions.
According to the data from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and External Trade, Australia has the highest number of Bhutanese at about 10,911 followed by India at 9,519.
The least number of Bhutanese is in Germany with 105.
Kinzang Lhadon
Edited by Sonam Pem
