The 485 Graduate Work stream graduate work visa category applied for by skilled graduates such as western chefs, auto repair engineers, carpenters, confectioners, and mud tile technicians will soon be restored to the original 18 months from the 24 months visa length!
The change, which will come into effect on September 2, 2023, means that applicants for 485 GW work visas after September 2 will only be able to get a visa for one and a half years (that is, 18 months), which severely affects skilled students who need to complete a vocational assessment.
Why does it affect skilled graduates?
Due to the shortage of labor market in Australia, the skilled occupation has always been a popular immigrant occupation, students can choose to study blue-collar majors in public TAFE or private technical schools, such as auto repair, brick and tile technicians, wall builders, welders, carpentry, etc., while learning practical skills, but also use spare time to earn money part-time.
During the epidemic, the Immigration Department extended the 485 GWS work visa time to 24 months, in order to give skilled graduates more time to obtain work experience, seize the time to complete career assessment, and migrate.
Now the immigration Bureau has suddenly changed its policy, which means that skilled students have less time to do a career assessment and find a job. It is recommended that students who have completed two years of TAFE in Australia and intend to move to Australia after graduation should make planning arrangements as soon as possible and understand the evaluation method of Good Job Ready Program (JRP).
