On the 2nd of September, the Australian Government announced an extension of post-study work rights for international students, in a bid to tackle the skilled labour shortage across the nation.
This means international graduates with select degrees will be able to stay in the country for longer. Once verified, the degrees in areas of skill shortages will increase from:
- Two years to four years for select Bachelor’s degrees
- Three years to five years for select Masters degrees
- Four years to six years for select PhDs.
A working group will be established to determine which degree programs will be permitted for the extended visas, and the report will be given to the government by the end of October.
Education Minister Jason Clare spoke at the Job and Skills Summit, stating, “At the moment, only 16 per cent of international students stay on after their studies end. This will mean they can stay on longer and use the skills they’ve gained in Australia to help fill some of the chronic skills shortages we have right now.”
The announcement was made the same day the government declared an increase in the migration cap for 2022-23, taking it up to 195,000.
In more news, the government stated that the number of hours that international students can work will be capped once again in June 2023, reversing the temporary relaxation of restrictions in January. According to the government, this aims to strike “the balance between work and study”. A decision has not yet been made on what the cap will be.
We will continue to update this story as information becomes available.
To stay informed on migration news and updates, consult the Department of Home Affairs Website.
