Dreaming about travelling to Australia to work, learn and play on a study based visa? There have been some changes made (as of 23 March 2013) to the Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) – it now has two streams.
- The Graduate Work stream is as the original singular visa – no changes made;
- The Post-Study Work stream is the second of two streams and is a newly launched alternative.
Both streams allow you to live and work in Australia temporarily after you finish your studies at an Australian study institution.
The Graduate Work stream is tailored to fit international students who graduate skills and accreditations that relate to a profession listed on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL): Schedule 1. A visa in this stream is granted for 18 months.
The Post-Study Work stream has been introduced to benefit international students with an eligible qualification. This stream is only available to students who were granted their first student visa on or after 5 November 2011. The new stream is designed to give students a longer post-study period in the workforce. The higher your qualification, the longer the visa is granted for (up to 4 years).
Both streams will allow you and your family to reside in Australia temporarily whilst you complete your studies. Don’t forget to travel, work and play! You are entitled to work 40 hours per fortnight during the semester, or 40 hours a week during your study break.
You can apply for this visa (in either stream) if you:
- are younger than 50 years of age;
- are currently in Australia;
- hold an eligible visa;
- have at least competent English;
- meet the two year Australian study requirement in the last six months;
- meet health and character requirements;
- have health insurance in Australia; and
- meet the specific requirements of the stream in which you are applying for this visa.
Both visa streams offer an excellent opportunity for students to gain working experience post-study that could lead you onto your dream career path. The employment opportunities in Australia are endless with our vast array of industries and wide-open spaces. This is a lucky chance not to miss!
To find out more about the type of new visitor visas and your eligibility, please contact ONE derland Consulting now on +61 8 9477 5831.
