Beginning in July 2023, the Australian government will extend the Temporary Graduate Work visa (subclass 485) to more than 400 bachelor's, master's, and PhD programs.
As a result, undergraduate students enrolled in any of these 400 programs will now be permitted to live and work in Australia for a period of four years rather than just two. Instead of three years, master's students in the chosen fields will be allowed to stay for five.
Each PhD graduate will be permitted to stay in Australia for six years rather than four. According to a government announcement, graduates who meet the requirements for a number of vocations, including engineering, psychology, optometry, pharmacy, teaching, medicine, agriculture, food technology, and information & communication technology
It is the responsibility of the student to determine whether their academic fields qualify for the extended post-study work visa. In July, restrictions on overseas students' employment hours will also be reintroduced. They will, however, go from 40 to 48 hours every two weeks.
Due to strict border closures during the height of the Covid-19 outbreak, the government eased this restriction 18 months ago to address the labor shortage in the nation.
"The present skills crisis emphasizes the essential need to retain more of these students, when and where there is a clear need for their talents, to complement our indigenous workforce and boost productivity and economic growth," Universities Australia's chief executive Catriona Jackson said.
She continued, "The choice to extend employment privileges for PhD students, in particular, will significantly accelerate the growth of Australia's knowledge sector."