New Visa Rule for Indian Students in Australia; Know about work rights after study, eligibility for MATES visa

New Delhi: As of today (July 1, 2023), Indian students taking courses in Australia from July 1 can work in the country without visa sponsorship for up to eight years under the Mobility Ar

New Delhi: As of today (July 1, 2023), Indian students taking courses in Australia from July 1 can work in the country without visa sponsorship for up to eight years under the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES). The key feature of this agreement is to release 3,000 places annually for young professionals from India to spend two years in Australia without the need for a visa.

The scheme provides a new mobility pathway for Indian graduates and young professionals with skills in specific areas to live and work in Australia.

Indian professionals from fields such as engineering, information and communication technology, artificial intelligence, financial technology, renewable energy and mining are also eligible for this visa, the new rules say.

The eligible fields for the MATES visa include:

• Engineering
• Mining
• Financial technology
• Artificial intelligence
• Information and communication technology
• Agricultural Technology
• Renewing energy

Suitable for MATES visa are:

• Candidate must be under 31 years old
• Must be a graduate of a recognized and verified university
• Must be a recent passout
• Must be at an early stage in their career.

Visa processing Australia

Australia said in April it plans to overhaul its immigration system to speed up the entry of highly skilled workers.

In an effort to lure skilled migrants, the government said the visa process will be made quick and easy for highly skilled professionals and steps will be taken to retain international students.

Holders of temporary skilled visas, who were even denied the opportunity to apply for permanent residency, will be able to do so by the end of this year. But it will not add to Australia’s annual influx of permanent migrants, she said.

In September last year, Australia increased the intake of permanent migrants to 195,000 this financial year, up from 35,000, to help businesses battle a widespread staff shortage and pledged more staff and money to speed up visa processing.

How to apply for the MATES visa?

Step 1: Check your eligibility.

Step 2: Take the English language proficiency test.

Step 3: Take the skill test.

Step 4: Register your EOI (Expression of Interest).

Step 5: Receive your ITA (invitation to apply).

Step 6: Submit the application

Step 7: Fly to Australia

Australia work hour limit

Also, from July 1, the allowable work hour limit for international students will be increased from 40 hours to 48 hours every two weeks, along with a two-year extension of the work visa.

The revised limit will help international students support themselves during their studies while continuing to make study the primary purpose of their visa.

Work restrictions on student visas were eased during the pandemic and fully lifted in January 2022 to allow holders of K-12 student visas to work beyond their normal limit of 40 hours per fortnight to address labor shortages. to take.

The government also announced that a two-year extension of post-study employment rights is available for international graduates with selected degrees in areas of verified skills shortage.

This extension gives eligible international higher education graduates an additional two years on their temporary graduate visa (subclass 485). The extension is in addition to existing additional one- to two-year employment entitlements for eligible students who study, live and work in regional areas.

For certain bachelor’s degrees, post-study employment rights are increased from two to four years, from three to five years for certain master’s degrees, and from four to six years for all doctoral qualifications.

According to 2022 Ministry of Foreign Affairs data, there are 1,00,009 Indian students studying in various Australian universities.