PhD students and Master (Research) students will not be affected and age requirement will be kept at 50 years.
The age-limit requirement for SC 485 Temporary Graduate visa which currently stands at 50 will be decreased down to 35 years of age from the 1st of July 2024. This means that 485 visa potential applicants must not have turned 35 by the time they apply.
This does not apply for students undertaking a PhD program, or a Masters program by Research in an Australian University. For the rest of the students, the 35 years limit applies.
As part of this so-called Migration Reform, further requirements for Post-graduates have also been put in place:
- English requirement has increased. Test score must be the equivalent of IELTS (General or Advanced) 6.5 overall – increasing from 6.0 – in effect from March 23, 2024.
- An English test score (ie PTE or IELTS) will only be valid if the test was taken within 1 year of submitting the visa application – in effect from March 23, 2024.
- The recently launched extended post-study work rights (based on what you studied and where) have been cancelled.
- Graduate Visa holders will no longer be allowed to re-apply for a student visa.
Source: Changes to the Temporary Graduate visa program – proposed 1 July 2024 (homeaffairs.gov.au)
