International students in Australia face new visa regulations and work-hour caps starting July 1
Indian college grads who earned their degrees in Australia on or after July 1, 2023, will be eligible to apply for an eight-year work visa. The change in visa requirements follows last month's signing of a bilateral agreement between India and Australia.
As part of this pact, Australia would offer 3,000 visa-free work and travel visas to young Indian professionals per year through the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES).
S-5 visas, which allow Australians to stay in India for up to three years or the duration of their research assignment, have been made available as part of the migration pact.
Students who have just graduated from accredited Indian universities in specialized fields may be eligible for the MATES visa, a temporary visa program. The MATES visa's cost and processing time have not yet been made public.
Engineering, mining, financial technology, artificial intelligence, information and communication technology, agricultural technology, and renewable energy are all professions that qualify for the MATES visa.
Candidates seeking a MATES visa must meet the following requirements:
- They must be under 31;
- They must have graduated from an accredited educational institution;
- They must be recent graduates; and
- They must be in the early stages of their professional careers.
Graduates from foreign universities who meet the requirements will get an additional two years of work authorization starting July 1, 2023. Graduates from foreign universities who meet the requirements will have their Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) extended by two years.
Eligible students who study, live, and work in rural areas will receive an additional one to two years of work privileges.
As of July 1st, there will be a new employment limit for students in Australia.
During the epidemic, Australia lifted its 40-hour-per-fortnight cap on primary and secondary student visa holders' employment to meet labour demand. This cap was lifted entirely in January 2022.
However, beginning on July 1st, all student visa holders (except those in the elderly care industry) will once again be subject to work limitations, this time set at a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight.
Student visa holders can focus on their studies, earn money, obtain work experience, and contribute to Australia's labour force needs because of this policy.
Until December 31, 2023, student visa holders working in the aged care sector on May 9, 2023, can keep working without limits.
Even while there is leeway in the number of hours overseas students can work, they must still:
- Keep their classes,
- Show up regularly, and
- Make good grades.
If a student visa holder stops attending courses or withdraws from their program without making adequate academic progress, they may violate their visa terms.
