Great news for international students who are currently studying in regional Australia — which excludes cities Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane — you can now very soon apply for an extension on your post-study 485 visa, only, if you are qualified to do so. According to the Department of Home Affairs, International students studying beside these mentioned cities will be offered an visa extension on the existing two-year post-study visa that affects to bachelor’s and master’s by coursework graduates, starting the year 2021.
This indicates that you are eligible to apply for this post study visa extension if you have studied in these university cities and have been there for two years. Then, you may apply for either a 1 or two-year 485 visa extension under these guidelines, varying on the area.
For those who have studied and are living in– Adelaide, Perth, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Canberra Newcastle, Wollongong Geelong, and Hobart – they will be approved a one-year extension only. As for individuals in Category 3 areas, which consist of all other areas excluding those in Category 1 (Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane) and Category two, they are authorized for a two-year extension.
New Post Study 485 visa extension for international students intends to boost regional Australia
The Department of Home Affairs also definite that this program provides an extra motivation for students to study at regional colleges/universities in Australia, as well as reside and work in regional areas to increase prosperity and assortment. Regional Australia is classically used as a term to detect areas in need of additional development, related to major capital cities like Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.
Given the statistic that the government is offering a visa extension in these areas for international students in Australia, it seems they need more foreign skilled talent to improvement the economy and outgrowth growth. Therefore, students looking for vocation opportunities and a pathway to probable migration to Australia should reflect applying to colleges in these regional areas.
