Australia is among the top countries in the list of every student wanting to study abroad. The country has many reputed universities offering diverse courses. The quality of education and the numerous opportunities encourage students to choose Australia.
If students want to live and work in Australia and obtain permanent residence (PR) visa, they can take advantage of the various pathways which can lead to a PR visa.
After two years of studying in Australia, a student can apply for a post study work visa under Subclass 485. This is also called the Graduate Temporary visa. Here are more details about the visa.
Graduate Temporary visa (Subclass 485)
This visa is for migrant students who have studied for two years in Australia. They can live and work here between 18 months and 4 years.
There are two streams for the Subclass 485 visa:
| 1.Graduate work: This is for students who have completed 2 years of study in Australia. Their course of study must be related to the nominated occupation. The validity of the visa is 18 months.
2.Post-study work: This visa is for international students who have completed a bachelor’s degree or higher degree at an Australian institution. They can stay on this visa for up to 4 years. However, these applicants will not need to nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL). |
The length of stay depends on the applicant’s qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree or master’s degree – 2 years
- Research -based master’s degree – 3 years
- D. – 4 years
Family members can be included in this visa. The privileges offered in this visa are:
- Work and live in Australia on a temporary basis
- Study in Australia
- Travel in and out of the country during the visa’s validity
With this visa graduates can decide to stay and work in Australia and apply for job opportunities. On the Subclass 485 visa, students can apply for a permanent resident visa provided they meet the points requirements and eligibility criteria.
Another alternative is to look for an employer who can provide them a TSS visa or the permanent ENS 186/ RSMS 187 visa.
If the student is applying through the General Skilled Migration program, he must get a skills assessment done from the skills assessing authority and his occupation must be listed in the Skilled Occupation List released by the Australian government.
Australia’s Department of Immigration and Board Protection releases a list of occupations that are required for the country’s economic growth and development. The department of education and training releases the following lists every year. They are the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and Short-term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL).
However due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, the lists have not yet been updated this year.
International students who have finished a course that is associated with occupations that are in demand have a better chance of getting an Australian PR visa in 2021.
Here are some of the top courses:
- Engineering
There will always be a demand for engineers in Australia. They will be needed in several fields. This includes mechanical engineering, aeronautical engineering, agricultural engineering, software engineering, environmental engineering, biomedical engineering etc. There are always strong employment prospects for engineers in Australia.
It is easy for engineering graduates to get a PR visa, because the occupations list will always contain engineering professions. International students with an engineering degree and relevant fieldwork experience have good job opportunities.
- Accounting
This is one of the fastest growing occupations in Australia. International students doing this course can find various job opportunities. You need a bachelor’s degree in this field to get a job as an accountant.
- Information Technology & Communication
Jobs related to information technology are in high demand in Australia and there are openings for IT professionals in various fields. These are some of the IT and software courses international students can pursue to create the pathway for a PR visa in Australia.
- Software & Web Development
- Computer Networking
- ICT Business & System Analysis
The top destinations for software jobs in Australia are Hobart, Canberra, and Sydney.
- Nursing
There are a lot of opportunities in the healthcare sector of Australia especially in nurses. An aging population and rapid technical development in the healthcare sector are some of the reasons. There is a huge demand for nurses. Nursing occupations get listed almost every time in the SOL or the CSOL
The nursing courses available in Australia are of international reputation and students can choose from a wide range of options.
International students can choose to do various specialized courses in nursing such as Nurse (Surgical), Nurse (Community Health), Nurse (Mental Health), Nurse (Child and Family Health), Nurse (Medical Practice), Nurse (Paediatric) etc.
- Hospitality
The rapid development in the travel and tourism sector has contributed to the demand for professionals in the hospitality sector. Students with a passion for cooking, baking or hotel management have good opportunities to find a job here.
Occupations related to this field which feature in the various Skilled Occupation list include chef, hotel or restaurant manager, club manager, hospitality manager, pastry cooks etc.
You can choose from a wide range of courses in hospitality to gain valuable PR points.
- Automotive
Australia has a well-developed automotive industry. It is well known for automobile design and mass production of cars. Universities here offer advanced courses in automobile design that impart the latest technical knowledge and provide training in state-of-the-art facilities which includes industrial training as well.
The rapid growth of the automotive industry has created a constant demand for professionals in this field. Occupations related to this industry which features in the SOL include motor mechanics and automotive electricians.
- Education and teaching
There are a lot of opportunities in the field of education and teaching which can lead to a PR visa for international students.
There are career opportunities as teachers for vocational courses, primary and secondary school teaching, pre-primary teaching, university level teaching etc.
- Dentistry
Studying dentistry opens various career paths for international students which include practice or teaching. The popular career options are Dental Therapist, Dental Technician, Dental Hygienist or Dental Prosthetist.
Courses in dentistry offered by universities include Bachelor of Oral Health (BOralH), Bachelor of Dental Science (BDSc), Postgraduate programs, and Research Higher Degree.
International students who have studied any of these courses in Australia have better chances of getting a PR visa especially if it appears in the list of in-demand occupations in Australia.