Overseas students studying in Australia can now stay in Oz longer once they have finished their studies.
Under new rules announced earlier this month, students using the Skilled Graduate Visa scheme to study in Oz will be allowed to stay in the country for up to four years upon graduating in order to allow them to build up work experience.
International Graduates in Australia
Once the required amount of work experience has been gained, there will be option for the student to convert to permanent residency. A student must apply for this type of visa within six months of graduating and will have to undergo a skills assessment beforehand.
Previously, graduates were only allowed to stay in Australia for up to 18 months after finishing their studies.
It is expected that this amendment will lead to an increased number of people applying to Australian universities with a view to staying in the country permanently.
Recent figures show that Australia has already started to experience an increase in interest from overseas students during the first quarter of this year. “Australia has also been the beneficiary of a recent push against student visas being approved in the UK and the US,” said Phil Honeywood, executive director of the International Education Association of Australia. “We’re now seeing much more skills-focused student visa applications.”
The figures also show that 95 per cent of student visa applications are approved.
Find out more about the Education System in Australia.