Australia Announces How Long Foreigners Must Study to Qualify for Post-Study Work Visa

• Australia has introduced an important eligibility requirement that international graduates seeking a post-study work visa must meet
• The rule could affect students whose studies included extended periods outside the country
• Here is what international students need to know before applying for the Temporary Graduate visa

International students hoping to remain and work in Australia after graduation face a set of firm physical study requirements under the subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa, according to conditions set out by Australia's Department of Home Affairs.

The visa is a key route for overseas graduates seeking real-world work experience in Australia once they have completed their higher education, and applications must be lodged within six months of finishing their studies.

Minimum study duration for the subclass 485 visa

To be considered eligible, graduates must have completed either a single qualification spanning at least two academic years or a combination of approved courses that together amount to the same duration.

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Beyond the length of the programme itself, the Department of Home Affairs requires that all coursework be undertaken physically inside Australia for a continuous period of no less than 16 calendar months.

This study must have taken place while the applicant was on a valid Australian visa permitting formal enrolment.

Qualifying programmes must also award an approved degree, diploma, or trade qualification, be delivered in English, and appear on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS).

Online study and time abroad could disqualify graduates

The 16-month physical presence rule carries significant implications for students who completed large portions of their degree remotely from outside Australia or who spent extended periods abroad during their studies.

Even where a student's total course duration comfortably exceeds two years, any substantial time spent studying online from another country or taking lengthy breaks overseas could render them ineligible for the visa.

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The Department of Home Affairs has made clear that satisfying the minimum academic period is an eligibility requirement only and does not automatically result in approval.

Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to review the full criteria on the official Home Affairs website before submitting any documentation.

Australia lists reasons for cancelling student visa

In a related development, YEN.com.gh reported that Australia’s Department of Home Affairs had outlined the specific conditions under which a Student Subclass 500 visa could be revoked.

International students risked having their visas cancelled for breaching work-hour limits, dropping courses, or allowing their health cover to lapse.

Providing false personal details or failing to update residential information could also trigger immediate visa cancellation.

Source: YEN.com.gh