CANBERRA – The government of Australia has changed the minimum age requirements for post-study work visas for research students, despite a contrary announcement earlier.
The country had earlier announced to change the age to 35; however, the Department of Home Affairs has announced that it will keep the minimum age requirement of 50 for post-study work visas for research students.
The decision follows the publication of changes to the Temporary Graduate Visa Program, set to take effect on July 1, 2024.
Initially, media reports implied that the country planned to lower the minimum age limit to 35 for all
Temporary Graduate 485 visa streams, except for Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders.
The feedback on the effects of the change prompted the authorities to retain the age to 50 for research students in the Post-Higher Education Work Stream, previously known as the Post-Study Work Stream.
Under the fresh guidelines, Master’s (research) and doctoral degree (PhD) graduates, as well as Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders under the age of 50, will be eligible for the visa.
The government has made radical changes to the visa regime, especially for students, making it tough for foreign students to secure admission.
The fresh decision aims to balance the government’s goal of attracting international talent with
concerns regarding the age requirement for research students.
As many countries including Canada announced to reduce the entry of international students by 35 percent compared to 2023, Australia followed suit and the initial migration strategy, published by the country suggested that lowering the age limit would support “early career professionals.”
The announcement triggered criticism with experts stating that the the proposed cut-off would exclude most doctoral graduates.
It is to be clarified that the 35-year-old age limit will still apply to graduates of taught master’s, bachelor’s, associate degree, and vocational programs, effective from July 1, 2024; however, those in the Post-Study Work Stream are somewhat relieved now.
