Australia has announced the extension of post-study work privilege for graduates with skills in-demand. On September 2, 2022, Ministry of Education, Australia has announced, “The Australian Government will increase the duration of post study work rights of international students to strengthen the pipeline of skilled labour.”

Digging into Details

Post Study work opportunities will be extended for selected degrees that come under skill shortage. The change goes as below.

• 2 years of Bachelors degree increased to 4 Years
• 3 years of Masters degree increased to 5 Years
• 4 years of selected PhDs increased to 6 years

This means that some bachelor's degree holders will be allowed to stay in the country for four years, master's degree holders for five, and PhD holders for six.

The degree programs that will be approved for the extended visas have yet to be disclosed by the Ministry of Education, although the government is already trying to fill openings in industries like as Nursing, Engineering, and Technology.

A working group will be established to advise on which courses will be eligible, and the committee's conclusions will be delivered to the government by the end of October.
The group will include representatives from the International Education Association of Australia, the National Tertiary Education Union, Universities Australia, and the government's home affairs and education departments.
The announcement came earlier this week at the government's Job and Skills Summit in Canberra when stakeholders addressed the possibility of filling Australia's over 500,000 job opportunities with overseas graduates who study in Australia(https://globaltree.in/visa/study-abroad/australia/).

Hon Jason Clare MP, Minister for Education said,

“At the moment, only 16% of international students stay on after their studies end,” said education minister Jason Clare. “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.”

How is this Extension Advantageous?

• International Students who are planning to settle in Australia after their graduation are in great luck with this announcement. Even though the degree for which post-study work right is extended is not yet, still “16% of overseas students remain once their studies are completed”, said Hon Jason Clare MP.
• A crucial component of this is providing international students with legal rights that ensure many more of them may work, learn, and stay in Australia.
• It impacts on balancing the education and working in Australia for international students
• Australia Student Visa approvals will be improved in numbers as government is looking forward in inviting new talents to the country.
• It is also vital that all Australian Universities that provide degrees in the authorized topics have the infrastructure to help students transition to employment in Australia.