In this blog, we will discuss the latest changes announced by the Federal Government for the following;
- Working Holiday Maker Program
- Student Visa Holders
- Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485 (TGV)
- The Pandemic Visa Subclass 408
The Working Holiday Maker (WHM) Program
For those who don’t know, the relaxation of the six-month work limitation was extended earlier this year until 30 June 2023. As a result, the period of employment of WHMs before 1 July 2023 will not be counted in the six-month work limitation period once this condition is reinstated.
The news of the extension is favourable for WHMs and employers. However, they should remember that the six-month limitation will apply to new visa holders whose applications are approved on or after 1 July 2023.
On the other hand, employees who are currently a part of the WHM program can continue working for the same employer until 31 December 2023.
Student Visa Holders
As per the Federal Government’s announcement in February 2023, work restrictions for student visa holders are going to be reinstated from 1 July 2023. However, students will be allowed to work 48 hours per fortnight.
This is being done to ensure international students have sufficient time to focus on their education in Australia while supporting themselves financially, contributing to the country’s labour market demands, and obtaining valuable work experience.
All student visa holders and employers are advised to be careful when the cap on working hours is reinstated. Visas of students found to be working for an employer in breach of their visa conditions will be cancelled, and the employers will be penalized.
Temporary Graduate Visa (TGV)
Effective from 1 July 2023, graduates with a Bachelor’s, Honours, Master’s, or any doctoral degree will be allowed to remain in Australia for an additional two years from the current expiry date of their visa. The government has only published an indicative list of eligible qualifications for now, but the list is likely to be changed before 1 July 2023.
Pandemic Visa
Another announcement confirmed that specific TGV holders could go for Pandemic Visa to stay in Australia for two more years. However, the graduates should either have an employment offer or be employed to pass the eligibility criteria for this visa. Plus, the graduates should have a TGV set to expire before 1 July 2023. Moreover, the graduates are not supposed to be eligible for a TGV through the replacement stream, and they should have been in Australia during the pandemic.
As a result, a massive number of TGV holders will be able to extend their stay in Australia for two extra years, which will ultimately boost the skilled labour supply in the country.
We hope you found this information helpful. Follow our blogs for the latest updates and informative content on Australian immigration.
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