Australia Tightens Work Visa Rules for International Students

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. Changes to post-study work rights for international students in Australia are underway as the government implements a revised migration strategy.
2. The adjustments include reduced work visa durations, stricter visa processing, and a focus on genuine study intentions.
3. The government aims to manage migration effectively, prioritize skilled workers, and reduce overall migrant intake by half within two years.

Australia's Department of Education recently announced a rollback of extended post-study work visa durations for international graduates, reverting to original timelines.
Effective mid-2024, undergraduates, master’s, and PhD students in selected programs will see their post-study work rights limited to the original 2-3 years, depending on their level of study.

Reduced Work Rights

Previously extended post-study work visas, ranging up to 4-6 years, will return to the original duration of 2-3 years, aligning with the government's implementation of the “Genuine Student Test” and stricter visa processing measures.
The government aims to ensure genuine study intentions and address skill shortages in Australia's workforce.

Shifting Policy Landscape

These changes reflect the government's strategy to reform the migration system, aiming to halve overall migrant intake within two years.
Australia seeks to attract skilled workers by prioritizing applications from graduates in key shortage areas who have studied in regional locations, where additional post-study work rights may still be available.

Key Changes in Visa Regulations

The revised regulations introduce:
1. The new “Genuine Student Test” replacing the “Genuine Temporary Entrant” requirement to verify genuine study intentions.
2. Stricter visa processing, including a higher English language test score requirement of 6.5 on the IELTS and a reduced age limit of 35 years for post-study work visa applicants.
3. Categorization of universities based on risk levels, impacting visa processing times for students applying from institutions with higher risk ratings.
4. Elimination of further opportunities for post-study work rights extension, except for graduates from regional areas.
5. Lowered age limit for applicants from 50 to 35 years.

Impact on International Students

These adjustments aim to ensure international graduates contribute to Australia's skill needs and use the visa system for genuine education pursuits.
The Australian government encourages prospective international students to explore updated visa requirements and course options aligned with the country’s skill needs.

Current Status of International Students

As of October last year, Australia hosted approximately 768,000 international students, with China, India, and Nepal being the largest groups, according to data from the Australian Department of Education.

Looking Ahead

Australia's revised migration strategy and visa regulations aim to maintain the integrity of the education sector while attracting skilled graduates to bolster the country’s economic development.