With South Africa’s diverse and highly recommended range of schooling and tertiary education institutions, it is no surprise to know that many foreigners who immigrate to RSA, either as individuals or families with children, will receive the best education for the person(s) concerned. There are so many different options of education institutions (from pre-schools, primary schools, secondary schools and tertiary schooling facilities) to choose from. South Africa is abundant with students who thrive on knowledge and highly qualified teachers/lecturers to provide the knowledge required to go forward in life.
In South Africa, a foreigner who would like to study in one of these institutions would require a study permit (temporary residency). There are two options for this type of permit for the respective foreigner(s):
The first option would be for families immigrating to South African with children from the age 6 to 16 (as all children from the age of 6 Р16 are required by law to attend schooling, therefore, requiring a study permit). If a child is young enough to attend cr̬che, pre-school, etc, provision may be made by the Department to issue a permit to the child(ren), this is done with their own discretion. These permits are issued to the length of the schooling period, the maximum period length of a study permit is 3 years.
What documentation would be required for a study (children accompanying families) permit ?
The documentation required for a RSA (children accompanying families) study permit would include an acceptance letter (“provisionally accepted”) from the RSA educational institution concerned, South African Registered Medical Insurance and proof from the parents (guardians) of financial support for during their stay in RSA while studying.
The second option would be for individual (stand alone) foreigners wishing to continue their studies in South Africa (e.g. university, college, etc). These permits are issued by the Department of Home Affairs to the applicant who has been “provisionally accepted” to a South African Registered Educational Institution. RSA Study permits are issued to the length of the course; this is done with the Department’s discretion.
What documentation would be required for a study (individual) permit ?
The documentation required for a South African (individual) study permit would include an acceptance letter from the South African educational institution concerned, South African Registered Medical Insurance and proof that the applicant can sustain themselves financially during their stay in RSA while studying.
Can a foreigner work on a South African on this permit?
The student (over the age of 16 years) may work 20 hours per week during their term (semester) or when the workplace is a learning institution on this permit.
In order to retain a study permit while in South Africa, the foreigner must attend the courses/school-days. As this permit is a specific permit, if a child/person moves to a different institution or from primary to high school (secondary school), etc – a new study permit would need to be applied for in order to legally attend the new institution. Correspondence courses/distance learning courses do not allow for the issuance of a South African study permit.
South Africa thrives on education. All South Africans and foreigners alike, see education as a significant part of our lives in order to better ourselves and our futures. Therefore, obtaining a permit for education is important to a child or a person continuing their studies in South Africa.
By: Claire Roodman
Posts Tagged ‘3 Years’
Information on South African Study Permits
November 26th, 2009Ultrasound Technologist Schools – What Are the Best Ultrasound Schools in Ontario, Canada?
November 19th, 2009
Why become an ultrasound technologist?
Ultrasound is a highly respected field which involves the use of ultrasonic waves for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes, specifically to image an internal body structure, monitor a developing fetus, or generate localized deep heat to the tissues.
Regardless of how respected a field is though, at the end of the day you want a career that pays well. Ultrasound technologists in the Toronto area make between $40,898 and $76,546 So it is also a well paying field!
What do I need to do to become an ultrasound technologist?
You need to become certified. The most widely recognized certification for ultrasound technologists in Canada is certification from the The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS). Once you have this certification you can start working as an ultrasound technologist all over Canada and the United States.
How do I get certified as an ultrasound technologist?
To get certified, you need to pass the ARDMS exam. However, to be eligible for writing the ARDMS exam you need to fulfill a few prerequisites. These can be found at the prerequisites page on the ARDMS website. To meet these prerequisites you can choose to go to an ultrasound school if your grades are really high and you have the money. You can expect to pay around $5000/year and get certified in 2-3 years.
What are the best ultrasound schools in Ontario?
Even though ultrasound is a growing field in Ontario as well as all of Canada, there are only a couple of ultrasound schools in Ontario. The ones that are most popular are Michener Institute and Mohawk College.
Both these places have ultrasound programs but the major problem is that it is extremely difficult to get admission into these schools. They have long waiting lists of people from years ago who have applied for admission. They also have strict prerequisites. For example, Michener Institute only accepts students who have a BSc or BA in kinesiology or a degree or diploma in a health profession.
So although these ultrasound schools are highly respected and produce great ultrasound technologists, what good is a school if you cannot get admission into it? There is also another way to get certified with as little as $3000 in total investment and in less than 2 years time… read on for details.
What other options do I have to get certified?
If you look closely at the The American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography (ARDMS) prerequisites for getting certified as an ultrasound technologist, you will notice that nowhere does it state that you need to go to a certified ultrasound technologist program like the ones offered by Michener and Mohawk. Here is a link to the prerequisites page just to confirm this.
If you take a close look at prerequisite 3A, you’ll notice that the requirements for becoming certified as an ultrasound technologist include a bachelor’s degree in any major, 12 months of clinical ultrasound/vascular experience along with some documentation.
All these requirements can be completed without the need to go to one of these ultrasound schools!
How? Just learn from an ultrasound instructor who is ARDMS certified and has experience teaching ultrasound. The one that I personally recommend is Dr. Khadija Siddiqui at Mainz Ultrasound in Mississauga. She has taught over 1700 students who are practicing ultrasound worldwide and is an awesome instructor. If you go to her website you can see in detail how she can help you fulfill each prerequisite.
UPDATE: Mainz Ultrasound has recently changed their prerequisites to only accept students who already have some ultrasound background.
Moreover she has small personalized classes and provides you with hands-on training during your course of study. The courses are offered both on weekdays and weekends depending on your schedule and there are no difficult prerequisites for admission.
She prepares you for the ARDMS license exam, as well as teaches you the skills you need to start working and complete your 12 months of clinical/vascular experience at a clinic or hospital. Clinics and hospitals are eagerly looking for these “trainee ultrasound technologists” because they usually bring with them fresh skills and get paid only about half as much as certified ultrasound technologists during their training period.
After completing your study with her, you can write the ARDMS exam and get certified as an ultrasound technologist within 1-2 years.
I hope this information has been helpful. Best of luck in your career.
By: Areeb Bajwa