The Australian Government has announced changes to the Temporary Graduate visa effective from 1 July 2024.
Graduate Work Stream
The Graduate Work stream will be renamed the Post-Vocational Education Work stream. Applicants with a degree-level qualification or higher will no longer be eligible for this stream and must apply through the Post-Higher Education Work stream instead. The maximum age for this stream will be reduced from 50 to 35 years at the time of application, although Hong Kong and British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders will remain eligible if they are under 50 years old. Eligible applicants will be granted an 18-month visa, except for Hong Kong or BNO passport holders, who will receive a 5-year visa.
Post-Study Work Stream
The Post-Study Work stream will be renamed the Post-Higher Education Work stream. Applicants must hold an associate degree, diploma, or trade qualification closely related to an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). The maximum age for this stream will also be reduced from 50 to 35 years at the time of application.
The 2-year extension for select degrees will be discontinued. The new visa grant periods will be as follows:
- Bachelor’s degree (including honours) – up to 2 years
- Master’s degree (coursework and extended) – up to 2 years
- Master’s degree (research) and doctoral degree (PhD) – up to 3 years
For Indian nationals, according to the Australia India – Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), the visa grant periods remain:
- Bachelor’s degree (including honours) – up to 2 years
- Bachelor’s degree (with first-class honours in STEM, including ICT) – up to 3 years
- Master’s degree (coursework, extended, and research) – up to 3 years
- Doctoral degrees (PhD) – up to 4 years
The Second Post-Study Work stream will be renamed the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream, with all other requirements remaining unchanged. The Replacement Stream, introduced for students affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions, will cease on 1 July 2024