Australia offers extended post-study work visa for international students

Australia has announced extensions to post study work rights for international students for in-demand occupations.

The annoucements were made by the Australian Government at the recent Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra.

Key highlights include:

Increased Permanent Migration

Home affairs minister Clare O’Neil said the government would increase the permanent migration number for 2022-23 to 195,000 people, up from 160,000.

Increased work rights for International Students

Graduates with selected bachelor degrees will be able to stay in the country for upto 4 years, those with selected master degrees can stay upto 5 years and those with PhDs for upto 6 years.

Eligible occupations for increased work rights

The list of eligible degree programs has not been published yet. Nursing, Engineering and Technology are the focus areas.

A working group will be established to advise on which courses will be eligible and the group will report to the government before the end of October.

The group will include representatives from the International Education Association of Australia, the National Tertiary Education Union, Universities Australia, and the government’s home affairs and education departments.

The Australian Government has also announced an additional AUS$36.1 million investment in visa processing, following delays that have hampered the international education sector’s recovery since borders reopened earlier this year.

Prime Minister Anothony Albanese said the government was still to have further discussions about the mix of places offered, such as what type of skills would be prioritised, but said increasing the migration intake number was vital to attracting more workers.

My starting point is in favour of giving people the security that comes with a path to permanent migration, a path to being an Australian citizen.”

We need to be more attractive in the global labour market for the skills that we need. One way to do that is by providing that path to permanency.

Australia’s international education sector has welcomed the announcements, with stakeholders expecting the measures to both help boost the workforce and increase the country’s appeal to prospective international students.

You can read more news and updates on our blog here.

Are you looking for help with your Australian visa application?

Contact SSA Migration Consultancy on on 📞 +61-414-027-102 (AU) for a free consultation.