Australia Post Study Work Visa (2018) – The Complete Guide

Many overseas students studying in Australia find themselves asking this question: Can I get work permit after study in Australia?  Yes. International students can stay on and work in Australia after their study in an Australian education institution.  There is a temporary visa provided by Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Australia for such student. Post study visa of Australia and the duration for which it is issued is mainly dependent on the level of qualification you have obtained.

The Australia post study work visa was announced by Australian Government in 2013, March.

You can obtain Australia post study work permit on temporary basis under subclass 485. Post study work visa in Australia is also referred as “485 visa Australia”. There are 2 types of visa are available for international students:

1. Post-Study Work Stream Visa
2. Graduate Work Stream Visa

As it applies to all other visas, 485 visa requirements are as below: the applicant for post study work stream visa must be under 50 years with good health condition and should have taken English language proficiency test (IELTS) with minimum score of 6. Read more here.

1. Post-Study Work Stream

This visa is offered for international students who have qualification of graduation and above. Accordingly, these students can stay in Australia from 2 to 4 years’ duration.

Prerequisites of post-study work stream visa:

• The student must have graduated or have obtained master or doctorate from an Australian education institution not more than 6 months back.
• Should have done academic study of at least 2 years in Australia for bachelor’s degree or higher. You may get a single or multiple degrees in this 2 years’ duration, however, that is impertinent.
• The course of study should not have been completed in less than 16 months.
• You must have studied a course / courses offered by CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Course for Overseas Students) and accredited Australian education providers.
• Your first student visa ever applied to Australia should not be before November 5, 2011.

Permitted qualifications for post study work visa:

• Bachelor Degree
• Bachelor (Honours) Degree
• Masters by Coursework Degree
• Masters(Extended) Degree
• Masters by Research Degree
• Doctoral Degree
• If you have graduate degree, you will get up to 2 years of time to stay on and work in Australia.
• If you have master’s degree, you can get up to 2-3 years of time, depending on your qualification (coursework / extended/ research)
• If you have obtained doctorate, you can stay on and work up to 4 years in Australia.

What does this visa mean to you?

With post graduate visa of Australia, you and your family can live, work, study and travel in Australia.

2. Graduate Work Stream Visa

Work permit after study in Australia is granted for those who have lesser than graduation degree too.

Pre-requisites of graduate work stream visa

• The student must have obtained certificate III, diploma, graduate diploma, trade-level certificate not more than 6 months back.
• The academic study must have been undertaken by the student must be for at least 2 years but not less than 16 months.
• The course / course must be offered by CRICOS and provided by accredited education providers in Australia.
• Your first student visa ever applied to Australia should not be before November 5, 2011, when you are applying for post work visa.
• Your obtained qualification should be in high demand list provided by SOL (Skilled Occupation List)
• You must pass Skills Assessment in an occupation listed on SOL.
• The qualification obtained must be related to the skills nominated from SOL.

Since Australia has dearth of skilled workforce in some of the industries, the student applicants having such skills are given graduate work stream visa. These visa holders should find work related to their skills.

• You can stay and work in Australia for 18 months with graduate work stream visa.

What does this visa mean to you?

With post-study work visa, you and your family can live, work, study and travel in Australia.

Acceptable Courses for Post-study Work Visa

1. The course/ courses must be registered with CRICOS
2. The course muse be successfully completed
3. The completion of the course must have result in an eligible qualification
4. The medium of instruction was English
5. The course is completed while the applicant is physically present in Australia
6. The applicant has had student visa while completing the course of study
7. The course is considered just once under Australian education requirements.

Please note that any English language proficiency training courses or programs that you may have undertaken, will not be considered under study requirements to be eligible for work visa after study in Australia.

Other Recommended Reads:

1. 457 Visa (Temporary Work Visa) Abolished and Replaced: What’s in Store?

2. Who Can Apply For Post Study Work Visa (PSWV) For Australia?

3. Australia Student Visa Checklist : Everything You Need to Know!

4. PR Visas for Australia. Everything You Need to Know!

5. Australia Business Migration (2019). The Complete Guide.

Duration of an Academic Session

The 2 years’ study duration is 92 weeks as defined by CRICOS and is the standard duration. CRICOS defines standard duration of each course registered with it. Irrespective of how much time you take to complete the course, you are not credited more than standard duration.

If the qualifications overlap; meaning, if you take up 2 courses back-to-back, the recent course duration is considered for crediting your study duration. And it is considered only once.

As an applicant, you may get confused with study duration credits and which degree is considered (if you have done multiple courses) for granting visa. Our expertise lies in working out these details and filing your application for the best suitable visa.