Close to graduating and trying to find the right visa that will allow you to stay in Australia?
A common discussion and somewhat a concern we often hear about is regarding students who have graduated or are about to graduate from their studies and are looking to remain in Australia.
Known as the Graduate Visa – Subclass 485, this specific visa allows students to remain in Australia once completing their studies.
Receiving this visa in some cases also creates the opportunity to apply in the future for a permanent visa, something we will discuss shortly.
The 485 graduate visa has two streams:
The work Stream
This stream is for students and graduates who have completed a certificate or diploma level program and their qualification is relevant to the skilled occupation list.
The occupation list basically refers to those who have completed studies as a trade’s person or somebody with technical expertise.
This would include professions such as carpenters and electricians for example. In this stream there is a post study work requirement that is linked to a skill assessment for migration purposes.
This means that if one is undertaking their qualifications, once graduated they can then join a 12-month program where working hours are recorded and an application is put in for a skill assessment for migration purposes.
Once that is done, ideally one will fall into the category of subclass 190 visa or 419 visa and begin the process towards permanent residence.
Post Study Program
This program is for anybody who has completed a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PHD. Depending on which one was completed, they will be granted a two or four-year visa.
As each case is different, we treat every case according to the specifics of the circumstances.
Another detail that is important to mention is that for the post study visa there’s also a second post study 485 Visa. This is a visa that has two key requirements.
The first says that one would have had to complete their studies in a regional area. The second one says that one must have completed one year of work experience within a regional area.
In conclusion, the post graduate visa allows one to stay, allows one to work, and even return to study. It’s a very flexible visa.
For the subclass 485 visa there’s a common criteria that applicants need to know and understand.
The first one is a health check. Like in every visa application, one would need to complete a health check is required. Another criteria relates to character. All applicants will need to prove they are a person of good character.
All applicants will also need to complete an English test prior to lodging a visa application.
Failing to meet the criteria will result in a denial of visa.
Finally, all applicants must have health insurance, something our team at Modern Migration Australia can also help take care of.
Hong Kong and British passport holders.
If one happens to hold one of the above (Hong Kong or British passport) there are several benefits to be aware of. This is something we will address in an upcoming series.
If you are a recent graduate or will be graduating in the near future, we invite you to talk to us about your visa options and the process. This is not something you want to leave to the last minute as the process requires several steps.
With so much information out there, visas at times can be a little confusing so for any further information, contact us at Modern Migration Australia.
We look forward to helping and guiding you in the right direction