Post Study Work Permit in Australia: How to Obtain Work Permit after Study in Australia?

Why Apply for a Post Graduation Work Permit in Australia?

Before we get into details on PGWP Australia, types of visa etc., let's first try to understand why you need to apply for a post graduation work permit visa in Australia after your higher studies:

• Being one of the top economies of the world, you will find growth opportunities in the country. You will find a wider scope of opportunities in multiple fields such as business, healthcare, engineering, education, etc that will advance your goals.
• Home of world's top multinational companies offering lucrative packages such as Microsoft, Google, Westpac, Commonwealth Bank, Macquarie Group, Telstra and much more listed into Forbes list.
• The major advantage of applying for a post graduate work permit in Australia is that it opens your door to getting a permanent residency there.
• Also, it provides you with a great way to obtain valuable work experience and apply your instructions to real-world issues.

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Let us have a look at the types of post study work permit that you may need to work in Australia:

Types of Work Permit in Australia

If you want to stay back in Australia after study, you need to apply for the post study work permit Australia. There are 3 different types of post study visas provided by the Australian government based on your qualifications:

• Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485 (Post-Study Work)
• Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485

(Graduate Work)

• Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa Subclass 476

You must have to be aware of the qualifications required to apply for the pgwp in Australia which have been discussed below:

Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485 (Post-Study Work)

The post study work stream visa is one of the common visas among the international students. Anyone who have recently completed their graduation from an accredited institution, in any relevant area of study are eligible. Make sure to apply for this visa within 6 months of completing the course. Your stay back period will be decided based on the qualifications. However, it must be between 2 to 4 years.

Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485 (Graduate Work)

The graduate work visa is specifically for the students graduated with qualifications and skills specified in the list of skilled occupations. Your skills and occupations must be closely related with the occupation being notified as the medium to long term needs in the Australian job market. The stay back period for the visa holders is upto 18 months. And it is recommended to apply for the Graduate stream visa in 6 months of course completion.

Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa Subclass 476

Skilled Recognised Graduate Visa is for the international students who have done engineering degree from a specified educational institution in Australia in the last 2 two years. The stay back period is upto 18 months.

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What is Post Graduation Work Permit Australia and Who is Eligibility for It?

A post-graduation work permit visa or PGWP allows you to stay and work full time in Australia after completing graduation from a specified educational institution with a masters or upper level degree. This grants the holders to work anywhere in Australia irrespective of your occupation or the qualifications not related to the area of your study. An applicant has the limit to apply for only one work permit after masters in Australia. Moreover, you have the access of this visa once only as a primary applicant.

You don't need to have a job offer in order to apply for the post study work permit Australia. However, you need to fulfil some certain conditions which are discussed below:

• You can apply for the work permit after or within the 6 months of the completion of your course.
• You should meet the Australian Study requirements, that requires a minimum of 16 months of Australia stay back period and completion of at least 92 weeks of your course. The course must be registered by the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students or CRICOS.
• A standalone diploma or trade qualification holder is not eligible to grant a visa at this stream.
• You may have either a bachelor's degree or higher, a diploma, an advanced diploma or a trade qualification. 
• You have been undertaken at any Australian educational institutions in the country.
• The course taught in the institution must be English.
• Have been registered in CRICOS
• You have been undertaken while helding a visa authorising you to study.

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Other Eligibility Criteria 

After completing the above requirements of post study work permit in Australia, you have to fulfil some other requirements too. These includes:

• You have completed your 18 years of age and should not be more than 50 years.
• You must have to show a valid copy of your passport or can prove your language proficiency. The minimum scores of some popular tests are:
• IELTS: At least 6
• TOEFL iBT: 64
• PTE: 50

• You must have adequate health cover for the whole duration of your stay to be granted the visa. Your cover includes your medically necessary treatment, along with your transport.
• You need to meet the character requirements of Australia in order to apply for the post graduate work permit Australia.
• Make sure that your visa may not be cancelled or refused while you're staying in the country.

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Documents Required to Apply for Post Study Work Permit in Australia

Here's a checklist of documents required for the application of work permit after study in Australia:

• Provides the pages of your passport showing your photo, personal details, and the issue of passport with the expiry dates.
• Your completion of a study certificate letter from your education provides. The certificate must have course start and completion date and CRICOS code.
• Your language of proficiency test scores. It is recommended that you have undertaken the test in 3 years before the application of your visa.
• Your health insurance and medical certificate from your health provider.
• Character certificate
• Documents which are not in English translation should be accompanied with the English translation and a certified copy of your original documents.

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It is advisable that you must prepare additional documents asked by the visa officials. Now, let's check the application process for a work permit Australia after study completion:

How to Apply for PGWP in Australia?

Here is a step by step guide you can refer to apply for the work permit after masters in Australia:

• Visit the official Australian Government immigration and citizenship website.
• Make a new Immiaccount and select the type of your after study work permit in Australia that you want to apply for.
• Complete the application and submit the form with correct details.
• Provide your biometric details (if required) and pay the required application fees.
• Prepare and attach all the asked documents at the submission process.
• You must have to appear for the visa interview in front of the officials and provide some additional information asked during the interview.

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Once your work permit after study in Australia, you will get a letter depicting you are eligible to work in the country. Now, let's look at the validity and time for the application of post graduate work permit Australia:

Validity & Processing Time of Post Graduation Work Permit Australia

You might now be wonderful how much it takes to process your Australia after study work permit and the stay duration of the work permit in Australia. Let's discuss both of them:

Processing Time of PGWP

According to Australian Government website of Department of Home Affairs, If you have applied for the Graduate work stream visa in Australia, this will take between 10 to 13 months to process your visa. Whereas the post study work stream visa or Australia work permit after masters may take anywhere between 7 to 14 months to process.

Validity of PGWP 

So, how long is the validity of post study work permit in Australia? The validity of the PGWP will depend on the level of your qualifications and the type of graduate visa stream you have applied for in Australia.

• The Graduate work stream visa allows students to stay in the country for up to 18 months after completion of their studies.
• Whereas, the stay back period in Australia after masters or Post Study Work stream visa holders can stay in between 2 to 4 years.
• And the post study skilled visa holders can stay for upto 18 months in Australia.

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What to do if Passport Expires Before PGWP Australia?

One important thing that you must keep in mind before the application is to have a valid copy of your passport for the entire duration of your PGWP. If somehow your passport expires before the application of Australia post work permit. In such cases:

• Your visa is electronically linked with the passport. So, if you have a new passport with you, the best step is to update it with immigration so that your visa is electronically linked with your new passport.
• The immigration authorities may contact you regarding the extension of your passport.

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Australia is well known for its academic standards and diversity, providing equal opportunities to its students when it comes to job prospects. Its top-ranked universities make the country higher employment and make it easier for students to secure offers and unlock a bright future. Make the most of your stay with your Australia work permit after masters and the structured plan for the career. Hence, if you have completed your higher studies and looking for work permit after masters in Australia, do start planning for it in advance. Further, connect with our Yocket Professionals for any guidance in your study abroad journey.

Frequently Asked Questions about Post Graduation Work Permit in Australia

Ques. What do you mean by Australia after study work permit?

Ans. The work permit allows international students to stay back, work and look for a job in Australia after completing graduation.

Ques. Does Australia give work permit after study?

Ans. In Australia, those who have completed their higher education can apply for a Post study work permit or a Graduate temporary work stream Subclass 485. However, this visa has now replaced the previous skilled graduate visa (subclass 485) this came into effect in March 2013.

Ques. Who is eligible for post study work visa in Australia?

Ans. Applicants who have graduated with a masters by coursework degree are eligible for the 2 year work visa. And those graduated with a masters by a research degree are eligible for the three year work visa.

Ques. What is the duration of post study work permit in Australia?

Ans. The PGWP Australia can be valid for a duration between 18 months to 4 years based on the type of your qualifications and the type of visa.

Ques. When to apply for the work permit after study in Australia?

Ans. You can apply for the post graduate work permit in Australia within or after 6 months from the date of your completion of requirements of your program of study.