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Graduate Careers Australia

International Students

Working in Australia - Visa Info

Australian citizenship or permanent residency (PR) status is required for many graduate programs in Australia. If you do not have your PR it is important to check on the eligibility requirements of individual employers.

The good news is that employment prospects for graduating international students have improved recently with changes to the Australian Government's General Skilled Migration (GSM) program. In September 2007 the Government introduced a temporary Skilled – Graduate visa which allows eligible international students to pursue work options in Australia once they have completed their studies.

Temporary Work Visa for Skilled Graduates

The Skilled – Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 485) allows overseas students who are unable to pass the point test for a permanent GSM visa to remain in Australia for 18 months to gain skilled work experience or improve their English language skills. There are no restrictions on work or study with this visa, so you are free to do any of the following during your period of stay:

  • travel
  • work
  • study to improve English skills
  • complete a professional year.

Holders of a 485 visa can apply for a permanent GSM visa (if they are able to pass the point test), or an employer-sponsored visa.

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for you if you are an overseas student who:

  • is under 45 years of age
  • is currently in Australia and holding an eligible visa
  • in the last six months has completed an eligible qualification(s) that require at least two years study in Australia
  • is unable to meet the passmark on the points test for one of the onshore skilled visas 
  • has the skills and qualifications that meet the Australian standard for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL)
  • has a nominated occupation classified as either a 60 point occupation or a 50 point occupation.

For further details of other eligibility requirements see www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/485/index.htm .

Other GSM Visas

Other visas which you can apply for if you are currently in Australia and hold an eligible visa include:

  • Skilled – Independent (subclass 885): permanent visa
  • Skilled – Sponsored (subclass 886): permanent visa
  • Skilled – Regional Sponsored (subclass 487): a three-year provisional visa. Holders of this visa can apply for a permanent Skilled – Regional visa (see below) once they have lived for two years and worked full-time for one year in a specified regional area of Australia
  • Skilled – Regional Sponsored (subclass 887): a permanent visa for holders of Skilled – Regional Sponsored (subclass 487 and 475) visas.

For more information about these visas and migration options and processes please see www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/visa-options.htm .

For further information regarding visas and employment issues, the following weblinks may prove useful.

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