Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has announced the continuation of the minimum age requirement of 50 for post-study work visas specifically for research students. This decision comes as part of the new changes to the Temporary Graduate Visa Program, scheduled to be implemented on July 1, 2024.
Initial Plans and Subsequent Adjustments
Originally, the Department intended to lower the minimum age limit to 35 for all Temporary Graduate 485 visa streams, excluding Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders.
However, feedback regarding the potential impact on postgraduate research students led to a reassessment. Consequently, the age limit of 50 will remain for research students within the Post-Higher Education Work Stream, formerly known as the Post-Study Work Stream.
Eligibility Criteria and Targeted Adjustments
Under the updated guidelines, graduates with a Master’s (research) or doctoral degree (PhD) and Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders under 50 will remain eligible for the visa.
Rationale Behind the Decision
The initial migration strategy, released in December, proposed that lowering the age limit would benefit “early career professionals.” However, critics highlighted that this change would exclude a significant portion of doctoral graduates.
For instance, the Group of Eight emphasized that in 2022, 40% of international PhD students in Australia were aged 30 or older, making many ineligible under the proposed age limit.
Specific Age Limits for Various Programs
The 35-year age limit will still apply to graduates of taught master’s, bachelor’s, associate degree, and vocational programs starting July 1, 2024.
Post-Study Work Rights Confirmed
The government has confirmed the following post-study work rights:
- Bachelor’s Degree: 2 years (no change)
- Master’s by Coursework: 2 years (reduced from 3 years)
- Master’s by Research: 3 years (no change)
- PhD: 3 years (reduced from 4 years)
Additional Visa Program Changes
Eligibility for a second temporary graduate visa remains unchanged, although the two-year extension introduced in 2022 will be discontinued. Additionally, several visa streams will be renamed:
- The post-study and second post-study work streams will become the post-higher and second post-higher education work streams, respectively.
- The graduate work stream will be renamed the post-vocational education work stream.
These changes reflect Australia’s ongoing efforts to refine its immigration policies to attract skilled international talent while accommodating the unique circumstances of postgraduate research students.