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Following the post-pandemic recovery, Australia announced new measures to boost the in-study and post-study work rights of foreign students. Both new and currently enrolled international students will be subject to the 48-hours-per-fortnight (24 hours per week) cap.
Additionally, the new measures will allow eligible international higher education graduates to access an extra two years on a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), on top of the existing additional one to two years of post-study work rights in regional Australia.
70 percent of Australian and overseas-born resident populations between the 2016 and 2021 Census periods were in regional areas (254 local government areas) outside the capital cities – Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, or Brisbane, confirmed the 2021 census.
The capping of work rights in Australia for foreign students is required to help them focus on study and academic assignments which can boost visa status as well as their future careers. The other side of this reality also is how international students may now be left with fewer options to finance their tuition fees and cope with living expenses in Australia.
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Courses Eligible for Extended Post-Study Work Rights from July
Medical studies, physiotherapy, pharmacy, engineering, food science, and data science are all included among 226 eligible courses. Eligible programs range from health, technology, education, and construction, and have been selected to respond to worker shortages in key sectors in Australia.
The government also clarified that future changes to the qualifications list will not impact students starting eligible courses, thereby students will still be eligible for the extension on graduation even if any course is removed from the list.
Eligible bachelor graduates across Australia will see their work rights extend from two to four years, and masters from three to five years, while all doctoral graduates will have their rights increased from four to six years.
The new in-study and post-study work rights will take effect in July 2023.
Eligibility Beneficiaries of New Study Visa Rules
- All eligible graduates with a valid Temporary Graduate Visa on 1 July 2023 or who apply for a Temporary Graduate Visa after 1 July 2023, will be considered for the two-year extension.
- Further, graduates whose visa expires before 1 July 2023 can apply for an extension of their work rights by visiting Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408) Australian Government endorsed events (COVID-19 Pandemic event).
For any other information regarding overseas education abroad, feel free to contact expert study-abroad counselors at CanApprove.
