Post-study work visa in Australia: A complete guide by Davesars
Australia is the largest country in Oceania and the world’s sixth-largest country by total area. The population of 26 million[7] is highly urbanized and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Many international students from all across the world wish to study and work there for their better livelihood. Fortunately, the land of kangaroos offers a plethora of job opportunities for international students across the spectrum which attracts them for their post-study work visa.
In this blog, you’ll get elaborated information about the Australian post-study work visas, their application process, eligibility requirements, visa fees, and visa processing time.
- Types of post-study visas (Australia)
| VISA TYPE | KEY FEATURES |
| Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) – Graduate Work Stream | ~Visa Fees: starts at AUD 1,650 ~Allows you to bring your family members ~Visa processing time: 3 to 4 months ~ stay duration: up to 18 months ~Visa type: temporary. ~Applicable for the recent graduates. |
| Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) – Post Study Work Stream | ~Visa Fees: starts at AUD 1,650 ~Allows you to bring your family members ~Visa processing time: 70 to 90 days. ~Stay duration: between 2 to 4 years (depends upon your qualification). ~Visa type: temporary. ~Applicable for recent graduates from an Australian university. |
| Skilled Recognized Graduate Visa (Subclass 476) | ~Visa Fees: starts at AUD 405 ~Allows you to bring your family members. ~Visa processing time: 12 to 13 months ~stay duration: up to 18 months ~Visa type: temporary. ~Applicable for recent engineering graduates. |
- Terms and Conditions of Post Study Work Visas Australia:
International students have to fulfill the eligibility requirements for Post Study Work Visas that has been set up by The Australian Department of Home Affairs. The requirements may vary, as it depends on the visa that one is going to applying for and the duration for staying in Australia.
Let’s discuss the terms and conditions of different types of post-study work visas:-
Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) – This type of visa is for such students who just only wish to study, temporarily work and live in Australia. This visa type is further categorized into two subtypes- Graduate Work Stream and – Post-Study Work Stream
The Graduate Work Stream allows you to stay in Australia for up to 18 months. Whilst, the Post-Study Work Stream allows you to stay in Australia for around four years, depending on the qualification you have. The requirements of 485 visa are mentioned below for each stream.
1. Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) – Graduate Work Stream:-
- You must be under 50 years of age.
- You must be a recent graduate with skills and qualifications relevant to the professions mentioned in the skilled occupation list.
- You must also fulfill the character and health requirements as mentioned.
- If your visa has been refused or canceled before, then your application for the Graduate Work Stream will not be considered.
- You must not be a former holder of Subclass 485 or Subclass 476.
- You must have a valid PTE, TOEFL, IELTS, Cambridge C1, or OET test scores to prove your English language proficiency.
- You must hold an Australian study visa, and your study medium should be in English.
- You should fulfill the Australian study requirements, i.e. you must have a degree, or a diploma in a CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) registered course.
2. Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) – Post-Study Work Stream:-
- You must be under 50 years of age.
- You must have a graduate degree in a course registered with CRICOS.
- You must also meet the health requirements and have adequate health insurance.
- You should meet the Australian study requirements.
- You are required to study with an Australian education provider and hold either of the degrees – bachelor’s degree, bachelor’s (honors) degree, Masters’s degree, extended master’s degree, master’s (research) degree, and doctoral (Ph.D.) degree.
- You should be a current holder of the student visa or must have held it in the past (usually 6 months before applying for the Temporary Graduate Visa).
- You should not be a previous holder of the Subclass 476 visa or 485 visas Australia.
- If you have a trade qualification or a diploma, you cannot apply for this visa.
- You must provide proof of your English language proficiency by taking tests like PTE, IELTS, OET, TOEFL, or Cambridge C1 Advanced Test.
3.Skilled Recognized Graduate Visa (Subclass 476)
This sort of visa is specifically available for graduates in engineering. Moreover, this visa allows an individual to study, work, live and travel to Australia for a time period of up to 18 months. Following are the requirements required by such type of visa:-
- You must also meet character and health requirements as specified.
- You must not be a previous holder of Subclass 485 or Subclass 476.
- You must have an engineering degree from a specified educational institution.
- You must prove your English Language proficiency, but if you have a passport from countries like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, the Uk, or the Republic of Ireland, you are not required to meet 485 visa English requirements.
- You must be below 31 years of age.
- Important Documents Required for Post Study Work Visa
- Identification documents
- Character document
- Study documents
- 485 visa health insurance documents
- Partner documents (if taking him/her along)
- Dependants over 18 years of age documents (if required)
- Dependants under 18 years of age documents (if required)
- How to Apply for a Post Study Work Visa?
There are two methods available for international who wish to apply for a post-study work visa.
- The paper form: It is mostly accepted in situations when there is a ‘No further stay’ condition available in the current visa of a student.
- Online via (ImmiAccount): In this type, the candidate is required to visit the official website of the Australian Department of Home Affairs.
Moreover, an individual is suggested to apply for the post-study work visa within six months of the completion of your course. Below is the step-by-step guide for applying for the post-study work visa:-
- Step 1: Before filling the application form, collect all the supporting documents.
- Step 2: Visit the ImmiAccount website.
- Step 3: Log in to the ImmiAccount, if you already have one, or click on ‘Create ImmiAccount’, if you are a new user.
- Step 4: Fill in the post-study work visa application and attach all the required documents.
- Step 5: If you want to take family members along, add their details as well.
- Step 6: After completing the form, pay the visa application fees online via PayPal, Credit Card, BPAY, or Union Pay.
- How can International Students Stay Longer in Australia?
Australian immigration is always ready to provide permanent visas to students who contribute to incline the economy of the country. Skilled immigrants wanting to work in Australia are evaluated on a points-based method with points given for language proficiency, qualifications, and work experience of an individual
If you want to become a permanent resident (PR) of Australia, firstly you need to submit an EOI (Expression of Interest) through the SkillSelect process. If your EOI is accepted, you can start filling out the application form for a permanent visa. There are many permanent visas available, but the popular ones for recent graduates are given below:
- Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189)
- Skilled Nominated Visa (subclass 190)
- Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
To explore more permanent work visa options in Australia, you can visit the Australian Department of Home Affairs.