As part of the government’s Migration Strategy, the government flagged a number of changes to the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa program.

The Department of Home Affairs has now confirmed that the following changes will be taking place as of 1 July 2024:

• The Graduate Work stream is being renamed to the ‘Post-Vocational Education Work‘ stream
• The maximum age for this stream will reduce to 35 years of age or under at time of application
• Hong Kong and British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders will continue to be eligible for this stream up until 50 years of age at time of application
• Applicants in the ‘Post-Vocational Education Work’ stream must hold an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification closely related to an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)
• Applicants who have completed a degree level qualification or above will no longer be able to apply in this stream and must apply through the ‘Post-Higher Education Work’ stream
• Eligible applicants who are granted this visa, will be granted a visa for a period of 18 months with the exception of Hong Kong or British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders who will be granted a visa for a period of 5 years

International students undertaking formal studies in Australia and their dependents (including spouses and children under 18) must have OSHC.  The Department of Home Affairs requires overseas students to maintain OSHC for their duration in Australia.

What does OSHC cover?

OSHC insurers provide a range of different OSHC plans.

The compulsory minimum (basic) OSHC plan will usually cover:

• visits to the doctor (GP)
• some hospital treatments
• ambulance, and
• limited pharmaceuticals (medicines).

OSHC doesn’t cover treatments such as dental, optical or physiotherapy. You can purchase Extras OSHC from an OSHC provider if you want cover for these.

There are only a few registered health insurers that offer OSHC as Bupa, Allianz, Nib, etc., be careful when purchasing it yourself. Let AMET Education to take care about all of this proccesses!

As part of the updated Migration Strategy, effective from December 11, 2023, the Australian Government has introduced a new criterion for student visa applications, termed the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. This new measure replaces the previous Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement.

The shift from the GTE to the GS requirement marks a significant change in the student visa application process. Instead of the former 300-word statement, applicants will now respond to a set of specific questions. These questions are designed to provide visa officers with a deeper understanding of the applicant’s intentions and motivations for pursuing education in Australia, thereby enriching the context for the documentary evidence submitted with the application.

This updated approach aims to enhance the transparency and efficiency of the visa assessment process by clarifying the expectations for applicants, including their potential future migration plans. It also assists the Department of Home Affairs in better identifying applicants who may not have genuine academic or career intentions.

The implementation of the GS requirement is expected to benefit the international education sector by supporting genuine students and high-quality educational providers. Additionally, it will aid both Australian and global employers in identifying and recruiting talented graduates from Australia’s diverse and skilled international student pool.