As a leading immigration lawyer at Migration Guru, with a wealth of experience in Australian migration law, I am here to share important updates regarding the re-alignment of the Temporary Graduate Visa streams. These changes aim to better match the visa streams to levels of study, enhancing clarity and alignment with educational qualifications.
Updated Visa Stream Names
To better reflect the levels of education, the Temporary Graduate Visa streams have been renamed:
- Post-Vocational Education Work Stream: Previously known as the Graduate Work stream.
- Post-Higher Education Work Stream: Previously referred to as the Post-Study Work stream.
Eligibility Based on Qualification
The eligibility for these streams is now strictly based on the qualification used to meet the Australian study requirement:
- Post-Vocational Education Work Stream: Apply if you hold an associate degree, diploma, or trade qualification that is closely related to an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
- Post-Higher Education Work Stream: Apply if you have qualifications at the degree level or higher.
Additionally, previous restrictions for applicants whose first Student visa was granted based on an application made on or after 5 November 2011 will no longer apply.
Post-Vocational Education Work Stream (Formerly Graduate Work Stream)
Key details for the Post-Vocational Education Work Stream include:
- Age Limit: Applicants must be 35 years or under at the time of application. However, Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders are eligible if under 50 years of age.
- Stay Duration: Eligible applicants can stay for up to 18 months. Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport holders may be able to stay for up to 5 years.
- Age Reduction Impact: Those who are no longer eligible due to the age reduction may need to explore other visa options.
Post-Higher Education Work Stream (Formerly Post-Study Work Stream)
For the Post-Higher Education Work Stream, the following are key points:
- Age Limit: Applicants must be 35 years or under at the time of application. However, Masters (research) and doctoral (PhD) graduates, as well as Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders, are eligible if under 50 years of age.
- Stay Periods:
- Bachelor’s degree (including honours) – up to 2 years
- Masters (coursework and extended) – up to 2 years
- Masters (research) and doctoral degree (PhD) – up to 3 years
- Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may be able to stay for up to 5 years.
- Age Reduction Impact: Those who are no longer eligible due to the age reduction may need to explore other visa options.
- Cease of Select Degree Extension: The ‘select degree’ 2-year extension will no longer be available.
Special Stay Periods for Indian Nationals under AI-ECTA
Indian nationals will have unique stay periods under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA):
- Bachelor’s degree (including honours) – up to 2 years
- Bachelor’s degree (with first class honours in STEM, including ICT) – up to 3 years
- Masters (coursework, extended, and research) – up to 3 years
- Doctoral degrees (PhD) – up to 4 years
Second Post-Higher Education Work Stream (Formerly Second Post-Study Work Stream)
The Second Post-Study Work stream is now renamed to the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream, with no other changes made to this stream.
Cessation of the Replacement Stream
The Replacement stream will cease, simplifying the Temporary Graduate Visa program.
These updates reflect a significant realignment of the Temporary Graduate Visa program, ensuring a more streamlined process that aligns better with levels of study and qualifications.
For more information about these changes or any other immigration advice, please get in touch with Migration Guru. Our team, with over 90 years of collective experience in Australian migration law, is dedicated to assisting you through every step of your migration journey. Readers are encouraged to follow us on Facebook for all the updates.
