Temporary Graduate Visa

Directed at international students who have completed at least 92 weeks of study in an occupation considered in demand in the Australian labor market.

This visa is generally granted for a duration of 18 months. And what are those in-demand skills and occupations that make you an ideal candidate? Good question! Take a look at the list of lista de habilidades y ocupaciones calificadas como elegibles.

Important! As we mentioned at the beginning of the post, there have been some temporary changes in the requirements set by the Australian government that facilitate obtaining the Temporary Graduate Visa for international students in Australia.

Specifically, from July 1, 2022, to June 31, 2023, holders of a student visa in Australia who have obtained a qualification in the diploma or higher category with a duration of 92 weeks within the last 6 months can apply for the Temporary Graduate Visa without the need for a skills assessment or nominating an occupation on the list of qualified occupations.

The duration of this visa has also changed. Now, visas granted from December 1, 2021, will have a duration of 24 months instead of 18 months.

Specific requirements

• Be under 50 years old.
• Have this visa:
  • If applying from within Australia: you must have a student visa or have had one in the last 6 months, and now you have a bridging visa A or bridging visa B.
  • If applying from outside Australia: you must have been the holder of a student visa in the last 6 months.
• Have obtained a diploma or higher qualification in Australia with a minimum duration of 92 weeks of study (in English) in a course registered in CRICOS.
  To prove it, you must attach to your visa application a certified copy of the completion letter from your educational institution, including:
  • Start and end date of the course.
  • Certified copies of course transcripts.
  • Location of the educational institution.
  • Whether your studies were full-time or part-time.
  • The language in which the training was received.
• Have the skills and qualifications Australia needs. To do this, you will need to:
  • Nominate an occupation on the list of skills and qualified occupations by the Australian government.
  • Have a diploma or higher qualification closely related to that nominated occupation on the list.
  • Be assessed by a relevant assessing authority for having the appropriate skills for that occupation.

Important! From July 1, 2022, to June 31, 2023, this requirement will not need to be fulfilled.

• To justify that you have a sufficient level of English to apply for it (IELTS with an overall score of 6).
• To have adequate health insurance, such as OVHC insurance.
• To provide a certificate of good conduct.
• Not to have debts with the Australian Government.
• Not to have had a previous visa or visa application rejected.

Price

The application fee for the Temporary Graduate Visa of the Graduate Work Stream type is $1,730 AUD.

The elder sister of the previous modality offers a series of expanded options for newly graduated international students with a higher education degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) to live, study, and work in Australia for a longer period: up to two, three, or four years depending on the level of study obtained in the country. Specifically:

• Bachelor’s degree: 2 years.
• Master’s degree: 3 years.
• Doctorate: 4 years.

If you intend to extend your stay in Australia further, be aware that if you decide to pursue your higher education studies in a regional area of Australia, when the duration of your first Post-Study Work Stream ends, you can apply for a second Post-Study Work Stream to stay in the country for an additional 1 or 2 years.

Specific requirements

• Be under 50 years old.
• Not have held a student visa in Australia before November 5, 2011.
• Have this visa:
  • If applying from within Australia: you must have a student visa or have had one within the last 6 months, and now you have a Bridging Visa A or Bridging Visa B.
  • If applying from outside Australia: you must have held a student visa within the last 6 months.
• Have obtained a higher education degree in Australia (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) with a minimum duration of 92 weeks of study (in English) in a course registered with CRICOS.
  To prove it, you must attach a certified copy of the completion letter from your educational institution to your visa application, including:
  • Start and end date of the course.
  • Certified copies of course transcripts.
  • The location of the educational institution.
  • Whether your studies were full-time or part-time.
  • The language in which the training was received.

Important! Those affected by Covid-19 travel restrictions may engage in online study. To justify this, the school or university where you studied must fill out this form.

• To justify that you have a sufficient level of English to apply for it (IELTS with an overall score of 6).
• To have adequate health insurance, such as OVHC insurance.
• To provide a certificate of good conduct.
• Not to have debts with the Australian Government.
• Not to have had a previous visa or visa application rejected.

Price

The application fee for the Temporary Graduate Visa of the Post-Study Work Stream type is $1,730 AUD.

As mentioned earlier in the previous mode of the Temporary Graduate Visa, if you decide to pursue your higher education studies in a regional area of Australia, when the duration of your first Post-Study Work Stream ends, you can apply for a second Post-Study Work Stream to stay in the country for an additional 1 or 2 years.

The duration of this mode of the Temporary Graduate Visa will depend on the Australian regional area where you have lived and studied for the last two years.

Let’s see the specific requirements you must meet:

Specific requirements

• Be under 50 years old.
• Apply for the visa from within Australia, although you can be outside Australia during the grant period.
• Hold a Post-Study Work Stream visa or a Replacement Stream visa (discussed in detail later).
• Have obtained a higher education degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) taught in a regional area of Australia, with a minimum duration of 92 weeks of study (in English) and in a course registered with CRICOS.
• Provide evidence of having lived in a regional area of Australia for the two years preceding the visa application.
  Depending on the regional area where you have lived and studied for the two years preceding the visa application, the duration of this visa will vary:
  • 1 year of visa if you lived in a category 2 regional area.
  • 2 years of visa if you lived in a category 3 regional area.

You can check here how the regional areas are distributed in Australia.

• Not have studied or worked outside a regional area of Australia during the duration of your first Post-Study Work Stream.
• Have adequate health insurance, such as OVHC insurance.
• Provide a certificate of good conduct.
• Not to have debts with the Australian Government.
• Not to have had a previous visa or visa application rejected.

Price

The application fee for the Temporary Graduate Visa of the Second Post-Study Work Stream type is $680 AUD.

If you were granted a Temporary Graduate Visa under the Graduate Work Stream or Post-Study Work Stream modes, and due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, you lost time enjoying your granted visa, you can apply for this mode of Temporary Graduate Visa (Replacement Stream).

This visa will allow you to continue living, studying, and working in Australia for the same period as you were granted in your previous Temporary Graduate Visa (between 18 months and 4 years).
Important! If you were granted an 18-month Graduate Work Stream, you will now be granted 2 years. And if you were granted a 2-year Post-Study Work Stream, you will now be granted 3 years in your Replacement Stream.

Let’s see the specific requirements you must meet to qualify for this mode of Temporary Graduate Visa.

Specific requirements

• Be under 50 years old.
• Hold a Temporary Graduate Visa (Graduate Work Stream or Post-Study Work Stream) or have held a Temporary Graduate Visa and now hold a Bridging Visa A or Bridging Visa B.
• The Temporary Graduate Visa granted to you was between February 1, 2020, and December 15, 2021.
• If, due to Covid-19 travel restrictions, you lost time enjoying your previous Temporary Graduate Visa granted. Specifically:
  • If you were in Australia and left Australia during the duration of your Temporary Graduate Visa between February 1, 2020, and December 14, 2021.
  • If you were outside Australia when the Temporary Graduate Visa was granted, entered Australia, and left the country (while your visa was still valid) before December 15, 2021.
• Apply for the visa before January 1, 2027.
• Have adequate health insurance, such as OVHC insurance.
• Provide a certificate of good conduct.
• Not to have debts with the Australian Government.
• Not to have had a previous visa or visa application rejected.

Price

The application fee for the Temporary Graduate Visa of the Replacement Stream type is $1,730 AUD.

Before applying for the visa, you should check your passport and renew it to ensure it will be valid before applying for the visa and throughout your stay in Australia.

We recommend checking the conditions of your current visa on VEVO and ensuring you meet all the requirements for the type of Temporary Graduate Visa you want to apply for.

Depending on the type of Temporary Graduate Visa you are going to apply for, you will need to gather certain documents. Check the requirements section for each type of Temporary Graduate Visa to understand which documents you need for your specific case.

We recommend gathering them before applying, as some documents may not be obtainable on the spot, such as the completion letter from your Australian school or university.

Remember that the documents you submit must contain accurate and real information; otherwise, your application will be rejected.

Once you are sure you meet all the requirements for the type of Temporary Graduate Visa you are applying for and have gathered all the necessary documents, it’s time to apply for the visa online. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the ImmiAccount page and create an account.
2. Attach the documents.
3. If any family member is accompanying you, this is the time to indicate it, attaching their documents as well.
4. Make the pago de solicitud del visado..

Recommendations

• Be clear about which mode of Temporary Graduate Visa you are applying for and ensure you choose the correct option in your application. If you make a mistake, you won’t be able to change the mode after submitting your application.
• Make sure to submit the application within the specified time. For example, if you apply for the Graduate Work Stream and more than 6 months have passed since you finished your studies in Australia, your application will be rejected.
• If you encounter any technical problems during your application, visit this page for assistance.

Once you have submitted your Temporary Graduate Visa application, all that’s left is to wait to see if the visa is approved or not.

In the meantime, you can check the status of your application in your ImmiAccount.

After the processing time for your application has elapsed, the Australian Immigration Department will inform you through your ImmiAccount whether your visa has been granted or not.

If granted, they will provide you with the visa grant number, its duration dates, and the conditions of your granted visa.

In case your application is rejected, they will inform you of the reason for their decision. Nevertheless, you can request a review of your application.