Extended Work Rights for University Graduates

Post-study work rights for some international students will be significantly extended to assist in addressing national skills shortages. The occupations that are being targeted are in the health, teaching, engineering, ICT and agricultural fields.

To be eligible for an extended subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa (TGV) visa, international students must have graduated from an Australian University with a bachelor’s degree (or higher) with one of the “eligible qualifications”. For the list of eligible qualifications, click here

The extended TGV work rights for eligible graduates will come into effect on 1 July 2023. After that date, the current settings will be increased by two years for each graduate level, from:

• two years to four years for select bachelor’s degrees.

• three years to five years for select master’s degrees.

• four years to six years for all Doctoral degrees.

Transitional arrangements - Two-year SC 408 visas
Temporary Graduate Visa (TGV) holders who were in Australia throughout the pandemic period and:

• who are therefore not eligible for the TGV Replacement stream; and

• whose visas expire/d between 1 September 2022 and 1 July 2023.

may apply for an extension of their work rights using a Temporary Activity SC 408 COVID-19 Pandemic event visa with two years validity.