STUDY, WORK & SETTLE IN AUSTRALIA
Study, Work & settle in Australia
The Australia Graduate Temporary (Subclass 485) Visa is a short-term permit for students who have held a student visa within the past six months. Unlike other migration visas to Australia, this visa has a simpler and quicker assessment process since applicants have often already spent considerable time in the country. FNDOVERSEAS can assist in leveraging your Australian education to apply for the Graduate Work Visa. Our experienced teams can help you prepare a strong application package to maximize your chances of success.
Following the Australian Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit in September 2022, there was a significant announcement regarding a two-year extension of post-study work rights for international graduates in fields with verified skill shortages.
The extension of post-study work rights for international graduates includes:
– From two to four years for select Bachelor’s Degrees.
– From three to five years for select Master’s Degrees.
– From four to six years for all Doctoral Degrees.
This extension will apply to the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) for eligible graduates or will allow those who already hold a TGV to apply for an additional two years.
Details on the measure and the indicative list of occupations and eligible qualifications were announced, with the measure taking effect from 1 July 2023.
For graduates who studied, worked, and lived in regional areas, this extension does not affect their eligibility to apply for the Post-Study Work Stream, which provides an additional 1-2 years on top of the extended period.
Australia Graduate Temporary Visa Program Details:
The Graduate Temporary Visa is a short-term visa granted to students, allowing them to live and work in Australia for 18 months to 4 years. For visas issued from December 1, 2021, this period has been temporarily extended to 24 months. There are two primary types of visas available under this scheme:
1. *Graduate Work Visa* – Designed for students who have held a student visa within the last 6 months before applying and have sought skill assessment for an occupation listed on the Skilled Occupations List.
2. *Graduate Post-Study Visa* – Intended for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher. This visa focuses on educational qualifications and does not require the applicant’s occupation to be on the Skilled Occupations List.
Both visa types permit you to live and work anywhere in Australia with your family, pursue further studies, and travel in and out of Australia for the duration of the visa, which generally lasts between 18 months and 4 years, with a temporary extension to 24 months for those granted from December 1, 2021.
Eligibility for Australia Skilled Migration Program
The Australia Graduate Temporary (Subclass 485) Visa evaluates the educational qualifications of students, aiming to retain skilled individuals in the country, offering a viable path to permanent residency. The main eligibility requirements include:
– Being under 35 years old
– Holding Australian educational qualifications
– Having studied in Australia for at least 2 years
– Demonstrating proficiency in the English language
– Having an occupation listed on the Skilled Occupations List
– Possessing relevant work experience
– Passing health and character assessments
Eligible qualifications:
- The list of qualifying credentials was created by aligning in-demand jobs from the Skills Priority List with appropriate qualifications. These lists of jobs and qualifications will be regularly monitored and updated annually to adapt to labor market changes and manage emerging risks. Future modifications to the qualifications list are designed not to disadvantage students who have already commenced an eligible course that is later removed from the list. Graduates with a qualification that was deemed eligible at the start or completion of their studies, or both, will still qualify for the extension.
Re-alignment of the Temporary Graduate visa streams to levels of study-
The Graduate Work stream will now be known as the Post-Vocational Education Work stream. Similarly, the Post-Study Work stream will be renamed the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
Your eligibility for a specific stream depends on the qualification you use to satisfy the Australian study requirement; other qualifications will not be taken into account.
If you possess an associate degree, diploma, or trade qualification, you should apply for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream. This qualification must be closely related to your nominated occupation listed on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). If your qualification is at the degree level or higher, you should apply for the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
Post-Vocational Education Work stream (former Graduate Work stream)-
The maximum eligible age for applicants under the Post-Vocational Education Work stream will now be set at 35 years or younger at the time of application. However, Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders can still apply if they are under 50 years of age. Those who exceed the new age limit will no longer be eligible for this work stream.
Successful applicants can remain in the program for up to 18 months.
Additionally, Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport holders may qualify for a stay of up to 5 years.
Post-Higher Education Work stream (former Post-Study Work stream)-
The maximum age limit for applicants under the Post-Higher Education Work stream will be reduced to 35 years or younger at the time of application. However, holders of Hong Kong and British National Overseas passports will remain eligible if they are under 50 years old. Those who are no longer eligible for this stream due to the age limit change will be affected accordingly.
Additionally, the two-year extension for the ‘select degree’ category will be discontinued.
The new stay periods will be as follows:
– *Bachelor’s degree (including honours)*: up to 2 years
– *Master’s degree (coursework and extended)*: up to 2 years
– *Master’s (research) and doctoral degrees (PhD)*: up to 3 years
Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may be allowed to stay for up to 5 years. For Indian nationals, as per the Australia India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), the stay periods will be:
– *Bachelor’s degree (including honours)*: up to 2 years
– *Bachelor’s degree with first-class honours in STEM (including ICT)*: up to 3 years
– *Master’s degrees (coursework, extended, and research)*: up to 3 years
– *Doctoral degrees (PhD)*: up to 4 years.
Second Post-Higher Education Work stream (former Second Post-Study Work stream)-
- The Second Post-Study Work stream will be rebranded as the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream, with no other modifications to this stream. The replacement stream, which was available during the COVID period for those who were offshore and unable to remain in Australia, allowed for an additional 485 visa. This replacement stream will end in July 2024.
List of eligible occupations
| ANZSCO code | Occupation title |
| 233212 | Geotechnical Engineer |
| 233611 | Mining Engineer (excluding Petroleum) |
| 233612 | Petroleum Engineer |
| 234912 | Metallurgist |
| 241111 | Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher |
| 254111 | Midwife |
| 254411 | Nurse Practitioner |
| 254412 | Registered Nurse (Aged Care) |
| 254413 | Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health) |
| 254414 | Registered Nurse (Community Health) |
| 254415 | Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) |
| 254416 | Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability) |
| 254417 | Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation) |
| 254418 | Registered Nurse (Medical) |
| 254421 | Registered Nurse (Medical Practice) |
| 254422 | Registered Nurse (Mental Health) |
| 254423 | Registered Nurse (Perioperative) |
| 254424 | Registered Nurse (Surgical) |
| 254425 | Registered Nurse (Paediatrics) |
| 254499 | Registered Nurses nec |
| 261112 | Systems Analyst |
| 261211 | Multimedia Specialist |
| 261212 | Web Developer |
| 261311 | Analyst Programmer |
| 261312 | Developer Programmer |
| 261313 | Software Engineer |
| 261314 | Software Tester |
| 261317 | Penetration Tester |
| 261399 | Software and Applications Programmers nec |
| 262111 | Database Administrator |
| 262114 | Cyber Governance Risk and Compliance Specialist |
| 262115 | Cyber Security Advice and Assessment Specialist |
| 262116 | Cyber Security Analyst |
| 262117 | Cyber Security Architect |
| 262118 | Cyber Security Operations Coordinator |
| 263111 | Computer Network and Systems Engineer |
| 263112 | Network Administrator |
| 263113 | Network Analyst |
| 263211 | ICT Quality Assurance Engineer |
| 263213 | ICT Systems Test Engineer |
| 121311 | Apiarist |
| 133111 | Construction Project Manager |
| 133112 | Project Builder |
| 133211 | Engineering Manager |
| 225411 | Sales Representative (Industrial Products) |
| 233111 | Chemical Engineer |
| 233112 | Materials Engineer |
| 233211 | Civil Engineer |
| 233213 | Quantity Surveyor |
| 233214 | Structural Engineer |
| 233215 | Transport Engineer |
| 233311 | Electrical Engineer |
| 233915 | Environmental Engineer |
| 233999 | Engineering Professionals nec |
| 234111 | Agricultural Consultant |
| 234114 | Agricultural Research Scientist |
| 234115 | Agronomist |
| 234212 | Food Technologist |
| 234711 | Veterinarian |
| 241213 | Primary School Teacher |
| 241411 | Secondary School Teacher |
| 241511 | Special Needs Teacher |
| 241512 | Teacher of the Hearing Impaired |
| 241513 | Teacher of the Sight Impaired |
| 241599 | Special Education Teachers nec |
| 242211 | Vocational Education Teacher / Polytechnic Teacher |
| 251211 | Medical Diagnostic Radiographer |
| 251212 | Medical Radiation Therapist |
| 251214 | Sonographer |
| 251411 | Optometrist |
| 251511 | Hospital Pharmacist |
| 251513 | Retail Pharmacist |
| 251912 | Orthotist or Prosthetist |
| 251999 | Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals nec |
| 252312 | Dentist |
| 252411 | Occupational Therapist |
| 252511 | Physiotherapist |
| 252611 | Podiatrist |
| 252712 | Speech Pathologist / Speech Language Therapist |
| 253111 | General Practitioner |
| 253112 | Resident Medical Officer |
| 253311 | Specialist Physician (General Medicine) |
| 253312 | Cardiologist |
| 253313 | Clinical Haematologist |
| 253314 | Medical Oncologist |
| 253315 | Endocrinologist |
| 253316 | Gastroenterologist |
| 253317 | Intensive Care Specialist |
| 253318 | Neurologist |
| 253321 | Paediatrician |
| 253322 | Renal Medicine Specialist |
| 253323 | Rheumatologist |
| 253324 | Thoracic Medicine Specialist |
| 253399 | Specialist Physicians nec |
| 253411 | Psychiatrist |
| 253511 | Surgeon (General) |
| 253512 | Cardiothoracic Surgeon |
| 253513 | Neurosurgeon |
| 253514 | Orthopaedic Surgeon |
| 253515 | Otorhinolaryngologist |
| 253516 | Pediatric Surgeon |
| 253517 | Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon |
| 253518 | Urologist |
| 253521 | Vascular Surgeon |
| 253911 | Dermatologist |
| 253912 | Emergency Medicine Specialist |
| 253913 | Obstetrician and Gynaecologist |
| 253914 | Ophthalmologist |
| 253915 | Pathologist |
| 253917 | Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist |
| 253999 | Medical Practitioners nec |
| 254212 | Nurse Researcher |
| 261111 | ICT Business Analyst |
| 261315 | Cyber Security Engineer |
| 261316 | Devops Engineer |
| 272311 | Clinical Psychologist |
| 272312 | Educational Psychologist |
| 272313 | Organizational Psychologist |
| 272399 | Psychologists nec |
| 411211 | Dental Hygienist |
| 411214 | Dental Therapist |
Visa Fees:
| Category | Fee Effective from 1st July 24 |
Subclass 189 | Main Applicant — AUD 4765 |
| Applicant above 18 yrs — AUD 2385 | |
| Applicant below 18 yrs — AUD 1195 | |
Subclass 190 | Main Applicant — AUD 4770 |
| Applicant above 18 yrs — AUD 2385 | |
| Applicant below 18 yrs — AUD 1190 | |
Subclass 491 | Main Applicant — AUD 4770 |
| Applicant above 18 yrs — AUD 2385 | |
| Applicant below 18 yrs — AUD 1190 |
HOW FNDOVERSEAS CAN HELP ?
FNDOVERSEAS has processed thousands of applications for Australian immigration and boasts one of the top immigration departments in the world. We provide comprehensive support with:
– Complete Migration and Application Processing
– Expert guidance from Registered Migration Agents (RMA) based in our Melbourne office
– Assistance with Application Forms, Documentation, and Petition Filing
– Help with Medical Requirements
– Support with migration petitions and representation as needed
– Regular updates and follow-ups with the Consulate
– Visa Interview Preparation, if necessary
– Job Search Assistance (additional fees apply)
Contact us to find out how we can help you work in Australia after graduation.