Studying and Settling in Australia: Education, Work and Residence

If you hope to study in Australia and build a life there afterwards, it is worth looking beyond the first offer letter. What work would you like to do? Will the course prepare you for it? What would you need to qualify for the next visa?

Thinking through those questions early helps you make a worthwhile educational investment, even if your plans or the rules change along the way.

See the journey as a series of decisions

A possible sequence is study, an eligible Temporary Graduate visa, relevant employment, and then a permanent residence application if you qualify. It is a planning example, not a package that comes with a course.

The Student visa, subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa and permanent residence visas each have their own requirements. Your age, qualifications, occupation, English and work experience may affect the options available at each stage.

Can a genuine student hope for permanent residence later?

The Genuine Student guidance recognises that genuine students may develop skills Australia needs and later seek permanent residence. When applying for a Student visa, however, studying must be your primary purpose. Explain the educational value of the course honestly and support your plans with evidence.

Check the graduate visa before choosing the course

Subclass 485 can allow eligible graduates to live, work and study temporarily in Australia. Graduation alone does not grant it.

The official guidance lists basic criteria that commonly include being aged 35 or younger at application, subject to exceptions; having held a Student visa in the preceding six months; and holding a suitable qualification from a CRICOS-registered course. The requirements of the correct stream must also be met.

The Post-Higher Education Work stream usually provides two to three years, depending on the qualification and circumstances. If you are starting study around age 30, calculate your likely age at graduate visa application, rather than only your age at enrolment.

Use any permitted work period to build relevant skills and experience. A job that pays the bills may still fall outside the experience requirements for a future application.

Understand the main skilled visa options

For the points-tested categories discussed here, 65 points is a minimum threshold. It does not guarantee an invitation. You also need to check the eligible occupation, skills assessment, English and evidence supporting each points claim.

Subclass 491 is a provisional regional visa, rather than permanent residence. A later subclass 191 application has its own requirements.

What about employer sponsorship?

The subclass 482 Skills in Demand visa is another possible work route. For the Core Skills stream, the linked official guidance describes an occupation on the CSOL, at least one year of relevant experience and the other applicable requirements.

Subclass 186 may provide a later permanent residence option for an eligible applicant under the appropriate stream. It is a separate application, rather than an automatic conversion from a 482 visa.

A job offer alone is not enough to establish eligibility. The employer, position, salary, occupation and your experience all need to satisfy the relevant rules.

Choose a career you can realistically build

Before paying tuition, investigate four things:

• The daily work: would the duties, environment and responsibilities suit you?
• The course outcome: does it meet the academic, placement or registration requirements for that work?
• The skills assessment: what qualifications, English and experience does the relevant authority require?
• The local job market: are there realistic opportunities for a new graduate?

Occupation lists vary between visas. Check the exact nominated occupation and assessing authority. For regional study, compare employment and living conditions alongside visa considerations. Studying in a state does not automatically bring a nomination from that state.

Plan for deadlines as well as possibilities

Submitting an Expression of Interest (EOI) is not a visa application and does not create a bridging visa. Keep track of your current visa expiry while you wait for selection.

Budget for job hunting, English tests, skills assessments and later applications. If a pathway changes, reassess the career value of the plan before paying for more study. Owen & Co. Education can help you organise these questions around your age, education, experience and budget.

Sources and further reading

• Owen & Co. Education
• Ministry of Home Affairs – Genuine Student definition
• basic conditions for visa 485
• visa 485 – Post-Higher Education Work
• visa 189
• visa 190
• visa 491
• visa 191
• SkillSelect – Expression of Interest
• visa 482 – Core Skills
• sponsored business visa options
• Ministry of Home Affairs – Skilled occupation list
• SkillSelect – nomination mechanism
• Department of Home Affairs – transferring between visas