Important Updates: Australian Student Visa Changes from July 2024
Australia is making changes to its Temporary Graduate visa programs as outlined in its recent Migration Strategy. These changes are anticipated to come into effect from 1 July 2024, pending the approval of legislative amendments. Here’s an overview of the proposed changes and additional information related to this topic.
Graduate Work stream Renaming: The Graduate Work stream will be renamed to the Post-Vocational Education Work stream.
Age Limit: The maximum eligible age for Post-Vocational Education Work stream applicants will decrease to 35 years of age or under. However, Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders will still be eligible if they are under 50 years of age. If applicants are no longer eligible for this stream due to the age reduction, they may explore other visa options.
Qualification Requirement: Applicants must hold an associate degree, diploma, or trade qualification closely related to their nominated occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). However, applicants with a degree level qualification or higher will no longer be eligible for this stream. Instead, they should apply through the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
Stay Duration: Applicants may stay for up to 18 months, while Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport holders may be able to stay for up to 5 years.
Additional Information: It's important to note that applicants who are no longer eligible for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream due to the age reduction may find eligibility for a number of other visas. Exploring alternative visa options is advisable.
Post-Study Work stream Renaming: The Post-Study Work stream will be renamed to the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
Age Limit: Similar to the Graduate Work stream, the maximum eligible age for Post-Higher Education Work stream applicants will decrease to 35 years of age or under. However, Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders will still be eligible if they are under 50 years of age. Applicants who are no longer eligible due to the age reduction may explore other visa options.
'Select Degree' Extension: The 'select degree' 2-year extension will no longer be available.
Stay Periods: Stay periods will change for different degree levels:
- Bachelor degree (including honours): up to 2 years
- Masters (coursework and extended): up to 2 years
- Masters (research) and doctoral degree (PhD): up to 3 years
Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may be able to stay for up to 5 years.
Stay Periods for Indian Nationals: Stay periods for Indian nationals, as outlined in the Australian Indian – Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), remain as follows:
- Bachelor degree (including honours): up to 2 years
- Bachelor degree (with first class honours in STEM, including ICT): up to 3 years
- Masters (coursework, extended, and research): up to 3 years
- Doctoral degrees (PhD): up to 4 years
Second Post-Study Work stream Renaming: The Second Post-Study Work stream will be renamed to the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream. There are no other changes to this stream.
Replacement stream Ceasing: The Replacement stream will cease to exist.
These proposed changes aim to better align the Temporary Graduate visa program with Australia’s current economic and educational needs. Applicants are encouraged to review their eligibility and explore the various visa options available to them.
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