Australia set to let eligible bachelor’s graduates stay back to work for four years

International students in Australia, here is some good news for you.

Australia has decided to make changes to the student visa work restrictions as it adapts to the “new normal” post-pandemic.

 In January 2022, the government decided to relax student visa work restrictions by allowing both primary and secondary student visa holders to work over their normal limit of 40 hours per fortnight. 

This was done to address the workforce shortages that the country was facing. As this law comes to an end on June 30, new regulations will be implemented. 

This will increase the work hour cap from 40 hours to 48 hours per fortnight. This will apply to all international students, no matter when they begin studying in Australia. 

But that’s not the only good news that was announced. Along with that, Australia will expand post-study work rights for international graduates. 

This decision to increase the number of years international students can stay in the country after graduation has been under consideration since September 2022.

Recently, the Council for International Education has decided to go ahead with the idea and implement the new law on July 1, 2023.

Previously, international graduates at the bachelor level were allowed to stay in the country for two years after completing their course, while master’s students could stay for three years and PhD students were entitled to four years based on their visa. 

International students in Australia can now gain more opportunities and skills after graduation. Source: Mohammed Abed/AFP

Starting in July, a two-year work extension of post-study work right is available to international graduates on their Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485). 

This will be an additional two years on top of the existing time allowed for those who stay and work in regional areas. 

The extension of work rights is granted to international students with higher education degrees in selected fields of study. This decision was made to help industries that are facing workforce shortages in key sectors. 

“Australia needs more skilled workers to ease the current pressures weighing on our labour market and the economy,” said Catriona Jackson, chief executive at Universities Australia.

She added that the country’s current skills crisis highlights the urgent need to retain more international students that generated A$40.3 billion in economic activity before the pandemic. 

“Hundreds of thousands of international students come to our world-class universities each year, yet very few remain here – just 16%. We are worse off for that, economically and socially.

“The decision to extend working rights for PhD students, in particular, will provide a significant boost to the development of Australia’s knowledge economy,” she says.

Those who are studying selected degrees at the bachelor’s level will be allowed to stay for four years, five years for master’s students and six years for PhD graduates. 

This increase makes Australia one of the most generous host countries in terms of post-study work rights. 

The list of programmes eligible for this extension applies to 226 courses, including medical and nursing, professional health, diagnostic, allied health, teaching, engineering, technology, agriculture and many more. 

International students in Australia in key sectors will be granted the post-study work extension. Source: Sam Panthaky/AFP

Below is a list of degrees that grant international students in Australia the post-study work extension: