New Australian Student Visa Rules Post July 1, 2022

Planning to apply for an Australian student visa? You need to be aware of the latest changes in visa and immigration rules. TutorHelp.Club brings you the gist of what you need to know:

Those who are applying for a student visa to Australia after July 1, 2022, will be subjected to Visa Condition 8208. It states that if you undertake a:

• Bridging Course,
• Thesis or Postgraduate Research Topic, or
• Master’s Degree (Research) or a Ph.D. course

in the Critical Technology sector, you will first have to obtain pre-written approval from the Minister of Home Affairs (MHA) of Australia.

Other major changes in Australian immigration and visa rules you need to be aware of are:

Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) Visa Holders in The Short-term Stream

From July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2024, TSS visa holders in the short-term stream can apply for a PR visa through Visa Subclass 186 or the Employer Nomination Scheme. They can apply for permanent residence in Australia through the Temporary Residence Transition (TRT) stream if they:

• Meet all the visa criteria mentioned under the Visa Subclass 186 Temporary Transition Stream,
• Stayed in Australia for at least one year between February 1, 2020, and December 14, 2021, and
• Must have worked for a sponsor employer for at least 3 years on a 482 visa.

Visa Subclass 457 or Temporary Work Skilled Visa holders whose occupation is on the Short Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL) do not need to apply for the TRT stream of the ENS subclass visa or 186 visa to apply for Australian PR.

Extension on PR Application Deadline for 457 Visa Holders on April 18, 2017

The Australian government has extended the grandfathering arrangements for Visa Subclass 457 holders who applied for the 457 visa on or before April 18, 2017.

Earlier, these arrangements were to end in March 2021. But now, the government has declared an extension allowing 457 visa holders to apply for permanent residence in Australia, even if they do not meet the age requirements.

Replacement Stream Introduced for SC 485 Visas or Temporary Graduate Visas

Some Temporary Graduate Visa SC 485 holders were struggling with the issue that their visa expired on or after February 1, 2020. And they were outside Australia from February 1, 2020, until December 15, 2021, because of pandemic restrictions. These people can now apply for the Replacement 485 visa until December 31, 2026.

The only condition is that they must be holding the original 485 visa and not the second visa.

Nominated Occupation and Skills Assessment Not Required for the Graduate Work Stream of Visa Subclass 485 Until June 30, 2023

One big good news for foreign students in Australia who want to stay and work there is that between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, the Nominated Occupation and Skills Assessment requirements have been stalled.

So they can now apply for Visa 485’s Graduate Work Stream skipping these formalities.

30% Increase in the Quota of Work Holiday Visa

Due to the COVID restrictions, many Australian industries saw many of their skilled laborers leaving the country and shifting back to their home countries and moving on to fresh job opportunities. To combat this shortage of skilled labor force, the government has increased the quota of Work Holiday Visa by 30% this year.

This is to invite the skilled workforce from across the world (from eligible countries) to travel to Australia and work there.

Another significant news here is that Italian and Danish citizens can now work up to 35 years in Australia on the Work Holiday Visa. Previously, the maximum age limit for them was restricted to 30 years. In turn, Australian citizens can also work in Italy and Denmark until they are 35 years old.

Visa Fees Increased for Certain Visas

Fair Work High Income Threshold Increased to $162,000

Since July 1, 2022, the Fair Work High Income Threshold has been increased from $158,500 to $162,000. 

This may influence the eligibility criteria for those who want to apply for the Global Talent Independent Program (GTIP) or seek age exemptions in certain skilled visas. These people will now be required to have the ability to earn the Fair Work High Income Threshold of $162,000 or more.

Australian Citizenship Payment to be Accepted Only in AUD

Those who want to become Australian citizens need to know that the Australian Citizenship application fee can only be paid in Australian Dollars from July 1, 2022. 

Earlier foreign currencies were also accepted but now only AUD will be accepted.

No Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA) for the Job Ready Program Now

International students in Australia can get their skills assessment done through the Job Ready Program (JRP) of the Trade Recognition Australia (TRA) and be able to work in Australia. Since July 1, 2022, no new applications are being accepted for the Provisional Skills Assessment (PSA), which used to be step 1 of the JRP application process. Now, you can apply under the new three-step JRP application process.

Those who have applied for the PSA earlier will not be affected by this decision though. Their process will proceed as they were promised at the time of application. They will receive their PSA outcome and move on to the next step automatically.

Now, the JRP application process will only have the following three steps:

1. Job Ready Employment (JRE): Applicants get work experience in Australia by working in an occupation approved by TRA for at least one year. Earlier, a positive PSA result was one of the eligibility criteria for this stage of the Job Ready Program. But it is not needed anymore.
2. Job Ready Workplace Assessment (JRWA): TRA authorized assessment authorities to test the applicants for occupation-related work skills and capabilities. Those who clear this step move on to the next step.
3. Job Ready Final Assessment (JRFA): Once applicants clear this last leg of the JRP process, they are eligible to apply for the General Skilled Migration Visa and other skilled visas.

If you need more information or assistance with your application, TutorHelp.Club is here to help.