Australia Extends PSW Rights for up to Six Years for International Students

After the COVID-19 restrictions across the globe, Australia was also among other top economies of the world to have witnessed a slowdown. Since Australian universities were offering courses to their students online, it was a setback for international students graduating between 2019-2021 who could not find on-campus placements.  

In wake of bridging the skill shortage in Australia, the Education Minister - Jason Clare has announced to increase in post-study work rights for international students who have only completed their education at Australian universities. The official announcement is attached below for reference: 

Important announcement from the floor of the Jobs and Skills Summit – we will increase by two years post study work rights for international students who graduate from Australian universities in areas of verified skills shortage.

— Jason Clare MP (@JasonClareMP) September 2, 2022

Check out: Post Study Work Visa (PSWR) in Australia 

This announcement would prove beneficial for international students and encourage them to stay back in Australia to work after completing higher education. As per the new rules now, the students with the following degree levels from Australia would be able to stay for the following extended durations: 

This step has been taken to increase the workforce in Australia which would lead to one million job creation. Also, this two-year extension in PSWR in Australia would fascinate the 16% of those international students who leave Australia after completing their degrees from Australia.  

Though there’s still suspense over the specific courses which may lead to an extension of the student visa in Australia for post-study work rights, it is speculated that those graduating with degrees in Engineering & Technology, Nursing or Medicine would be given priority for these visas.  

Read more about: 

• Top Engineering Colleges in Australia 
• Bachelor of Nursing Courses in Australia 

• MBBS Colleges in Australia 

A lot of international students and Australian universities have welcomed this announcement. It will help Australia to curb its brain-drain percentage and create more opportunities for international students. In order to cater to the visa processing time limit, the official immigration bodies of Australia have assured to fast-track the visa granting process. For this, the government has planned to invest AUD 36 million to improve visa processing and shorten the duration as well.  

Check: Why study in Australia?