How Many Years Post Study Visa In Australia

One of the most popular visa categories for international students is the post study work visa. You will have to apply for a Temporary Graduate Visa if you are studying in Australia and want to work here afterwards. In this case, you should look no further, because you’ll definitely find the answer to your question ” How many years post study visa in Australia?” in this article.Anyone who wants to study in Australia as an international student would come across various post study options after completing their Australian qualification. The most popular and common post study visa option depends upon the particular course a student pursues while applying to study in Australia.

How Many Years Post Study Visa In Australia

Many overseas students who arrive in Australia might choose to stay here after their studies are over. Many people assume that students are only allowed to stay in Australia for the duration of the degree they study. This is not true. Students can apply for a regional Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 402). With this post study visa, they are allowed to stay in Australia for 2 years after they complete their studies. The subclass 401 and 402 visas are open to study at either an Australian educational institution or a registered foreign provider with a Course Student Visa Subclass 500 (this includes VET FEE-HELP courses).


Post study work visa in Australia

How to get a post study work visa and work in Australia after studying

The ‘post study work visa’ allows Indian students to work in Australia after completing their Masters (MS, MBA etc), Bachelors or Doctoral (PhD) degree in Australia. Read this post to find out how you can be eligible for this visa once you complete your studies in Australia.

What are the eligibility criteria for the post study work visa?

It’s really quite simple. To be eligible for the post study work permit, international students must:

  •  Graduate with an ‘eligible qualification’, that is, one of the following:
    • a Bachelor or Bachelor (honours) qualification or
    • a Masters or Masters (extended) or Masters by research qualification or
    • a Doctoral (PhD) qualification
  •  Have at least two years of academic study in Australia at the Bachelors level or above (that is, at the Bachelors, Masters or PhD level)

An eligible qualification

There are two important things to note about the type of degree required for a visa under the ‘post study work’ stream. First, students who have completed academic programs that result in only Diploma qualifications are NOT eligible for the post study work visa. With just a Diploma you might, however, be eligible for a visa under the ‘Graduate Work’ stream. The post study work visa is one of two streams of the Temporary Graduate via (or subclass 485). The other stream is the Graduate Work stream details of which can be found here.

Second, the subject area or field of study does NOT affect the students’ eligibility for a post study work visa. You may complete a Bachelors, PhD or Masters in Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Professional Accounting or any other field – as long as it is a recognized Masters, Bachelors, PhD or MBA it doesn’t make a difference. You will still be eligible for the post study work visa provided your course meets all the other conditions.

Duration of study in Australia

The second criterion relates to the duration of the course. Students must have at least two years of academic study in Australia in order to be eligible for a post study work visa. You may get a single degree or multiple degrees but the total duration of your study must be at least two academic years.

For example: You may complete a Masters degree which is two years in duration to meet this requirement OR you may complete a Masters degree in one year followed by another one-year Masters degree and also be eligible.

Additionally, the course/courses needs to be completed in no less than 16 months.

Remember, only studies undertaken at the Bachelors level and above (that is, at the Bachelors, Masters or PhD level) AND that lead to an eligible degree (that is, a Bachelors, Masters or PhD) will be considered for the Australian study requirement under the post study work stream.

For example: If you did a Graduate Diploma in Engineering which led to a Masters in Engineering then you could use the duration of study for the Graduate Diploma as well as the duration of the Masters course towards meeting the Australian study requirement. However, if you got a Bachelors degree in Engineering followed only by a Graduate Diploma in Engineering then only the time for completion of the Bachelors course will be considered for the study requirement and not the time spent in the Graduate Diploma as it did not lead to an eligible qualification.

Things to note about the duration of study in Australian

When calculating the ‘two academic years of study’ only the standard duration of the course is considered. If you take longer to complete the course then you will only be credited with the standard duration.

For example: If the standard duration of the program is 1.5 years and you take 2 years to successfully graduate then you will only get credit for 1.5 years. Subjects in which you have failed will not be considered and credit is only given where you have successfully passed.

Finally, only courses that are registered on CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Course for Overseas Students) and completed at eligible universities or education providers in Australia that are accredited to offer such degrees will be considered. A list of popular Australian universities that are registered with CRICOS is provided at the end of this post.

Other considerations

The post study work visa was introduced by Australia in March 2013 and you will only be eligible for it if you received your first student visa on or after November 5th, 2011.

You will also need to be younger than 50 years old if you are applying for this visa and your studies in Australia need to have been completed while you are on a valid visa that allows you to study in Australia, such as, a valid student visa.

And finally, you need to meet the study requirements detailed in this post in the 6 months immediately prior to making the application for the post study work visa.

What is the duration of the work permit that is granted?

The duration of the work permit will depend of the type of degree you complete:

  •  Students who graduate with a Bachelors degree are eligible for a 2 year work visa.
  •  Students who graduate with a Masters by coursework degree are eligible for a 2 year work visa. (This is the regular Masters which is the course that most Indian students undertake.)
  •  Students who graduate with a Masters by Research degree are eligible for a 3 year work visa.
  •  Students who graduate with a Doctoral degree (or PhD) are eligible for a 4 year work visa.

Unlike in some other English-speaking countries, there is no automatic right associated with your student visa to stay and work for a period of time in Australia after you complete your degree. When you receive your student visa, the government lets you in on a temporary basis of entry for study with the understanding that you will leave upon completion of course and before the visa will expire. Australia continues to have demand for foreign workers, and students that have earned a degree in Australia have a special work visa category. There are also several other visa categories open to international students, and Australia has a very straightforward path to permanent residency using a points system . If you want to stay and work after you graduate, you must apply and obtain a work visa.

Here are a few of the categories of visas that are available:

485 Skilled Graduate
Temporary Visa
This visa is the most common option available to international students after graduating. With a 485 visa, you are allowed to stay in Australia for 18 months to gain work experience only if you have just completed at least two years of study in Australia.402 Training and
Research Visa
Another option for international students, the 442 visa is for students to improve their work skills for up to two years while being sponsored by an employer.487 Regional
Sponsored Visa
This visa provides a pathway for permanent residency while allowing you to work for 3 years and work in a specialized regional area887 Skilled Regional
Residence Visa
The 887 visa awards you permanent residency and with this you can live and work in Australia permanently. You must have already lived in Australia for two years, have a year of work experience and have sufficient points.885 Skilled Independent
Residence Visa
The 885 visa allows you to live as a permanent resident and work without needing to be sponsored886 Skilled Sponsor
Resident Visa
The 886 visa allows an overseas student to apply for permanent residency and work while being sponsored by an employer.

As mentioned above, Australia uses a point system to see if someone qualifies for most visas. The point evaluations will be assessed along with your application. These are a few of the items that gain you points:

  • English ability or mastery
  • Occupation in demand
  • between 19 and 44 yrs of age
  • Work experience
  • Australian qualifications (length of study)
  • Sponsorship

To see if you have enough points to pass use the point calculator.

You should make an appointment with one of your university’s counselors to discuss your options before you graduate as rules and requirements change often.

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