The Australian Government has announced that eligible and qualified international graduates would be granted an additional two years of post-study work rights beginning July 1, 2023. The administration also stated in its announcement that the restriction on working hours for international students will be raised from 40 to 48 hours per fortnight beginning on the same day.
There are 226 courses in medical and nursing, professional health, diagnostic, allied health, education, engineering, IT, agricultural, and other fields on the list of acceptable qualifications, which will be maintained and evaluated on a yearly basis.
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Since courses vary amongst education providers, some may be ineligible, and the Department of Education will produce a thorough list linked to CRICOS course codes prior to the policy's introduction in July.
The government also said that any modifications to the qualifying list will have no effect on students who begin qualified courses, implying that even if a course is removed from the list, students will still be eligible for the extension on graduation.
The extension of post-study employment rights will apply to all Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa holders who finish their studies in a specific profession on or after 1 July 2023. This means that the number of years visa holders can stay in Australia will rise in the following ways:
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Bachelor's degrees might take 2 to 4 years to complete.
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Some master's degrees take 3 to 5 years to complete.
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All PhD degrees take 4 to 6 years to complete.
This modification will be in addition to the existing additional years that students may obtain on their visas if they live, study, and work in regional regions. Officials also highlighted that the extension is in addition to the existing one to two years of post-study work rights for individuals living in Australia.
According to the government, doctoral degree graduates constitute a highly competent group with tremendous potential to contribute to Australia's economy and society.
Qualifications and Occupations that Qualify for Extended Post-Study Work Rights
To address the ongoing Australian skill shortage, the extended post-study work rights will apply to graduates in in-demand sectors. This skill shortage nearly doubled from 2021-2022 and is continuing into 2023.
To learn more, be sure to consult the comprehensive list of eligible occupations and the related eligible qualifications. A few examples include:
| Course List | Specialisations |
|---|---|
|
Registered Nurse |
Aged care, disability care, medical practice, mental health, and other specialisations are available. |
|
Engineer |
Software, structural, civil, electrical, environmental, and other specialisations are available. |
|
Web and Systems Specialist |
Web developer, systems analyst, cyber security analyst, cyber security architect, and other specialisations are available. |
|
Teacher |
Primary school, high school, special needs, vocational education, and other specialisations are available. |
|
Pharmacists |
Several specialisations are available, including hospital and retail. |
|
Surgeon |
General, cardiothoracic, neurosurgeon, and more specialities are available. |
|
Dental Professional |
Dental hygienists and dental therapists are two examples of specialisations. |
The Council for International Education convened in Canberra, and the authorised two-year post-study work rights visa extensions were announced.
Additionally, Phil Honeywood applauded the policy change on social media, noting that he and Council for International Education co-convenor Julian Hill MP are happy with 24-hour work privileges beginning on July 1.
Catriona Jackson, CEO of Universities Australia, believes that "Australia requires more qualified employees to alleviate the present labour market and economic constraints. Making it easy for more of our universities' exceptional overseas graduates to apply their Australian education in Australia's cities and regions makes perfect sense."
She continued to state that Australia's present skills deficit emphasises the critical need to retain more international students who have the ability to create AUD 40.3 billion in economic activity.
Every year, many international students enrol in Australia's world-class colleges, yet only 16% of them graduate. The country suffers as a result, both economically and socially. As a result, Universities Australia has firmly lobbied for this reform, and it commends the Albanese administration for its strong leadership and solutions-oriented approach to fulfilling the workforce demands.
The decision to expand work rights for PhD students, in particular, will offer a huge boost to Australia's knowledge economy's development.
The government's Post-Study Work Rights Working Group reacted to a report published on October 28 last year, stating that it will continue to support the 20 recommendations.
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To address the potential exploitation of students and graduates, the submission had called for eligible qualifications to cover only higher education, the skills priority list to be used to identify occupations, and other measures, such as including the needs of students and graduates in the 2023 migrant worker reform package and clarifying the role of the Fair Work Ombudsman to students.
While the legislative reform will be hailed as a great success for the Australian international education sector, Mary Clarke, principal at DXP Consulting, questions whether the government should be deciding which disciplines of training are eligible for the expanded rights.
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Source: The PIE News
