studentsA new work visa to allow foreign students work in Australia after completing their studies was announced by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

Also known as Post-Study Work Visa, this will be an additional stream under the existing 485 visa subclass (Temporary Skilled Graduate) and will be renamed to ‘Temporary Graduate’.

A graduate should have a Bachelor’s, Master’s or a Doctoral degree from an Australian university to qualify and is only available to students who applied for their first student visa after 5th November 2011. This means that if a person has applied for a student visa before 6 November 2011, they will not be eligible. The visa will have a minimum validity of two years depending on the qualification of the person.

This visa however is not connected to skilled migration meaning it is not a pathway to becoming an Australian PR. Therefore, applicants will not be required to submit skills assessment or nominate a skilled occupation to qualify.

To know more on how we to migrate to Australia, ring us at +65 6299 0245 or try our free migration assessment to let our consultants provide you with advice on your immigration options.