What you can do with the new Subclass 485 Visa Extension
Since 21 January 2021, international students have been taking advantage of the new Subclass 485 Visa Extension. This visa extension is available to international students who have recently graduated and are on their first Temporary Visa, such as a Subclass 485 Visa for either the post-study work stream, graduate work stream or temporary graduate visa.
The 485 Subclass Visa Extension is open to holders of their first Temporary Visa and who have:
- graduated from an Australian institution located in a regional area, and
- who reside in a regional area.
International students who studied at a regional campus of a metropolitan university are also eligible to apply.
The new Subclass 485 Visa Extension allows eligible international students to continue to temporarily live, work and travel in Australia for a further 1 to 2 years. Hong Kong passport holders can stay for up to 5 years under this visa extension.
How will this option help you immediately?
The new Subclass 485 Visa Extension allows international students who have graduated from regional institutes to gain more work experience in Australia.
When you embrace working in regional Australia, your efforts help the Australian government by taking away some of the population growth pressure on major cities like Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Yet, you can bring your expertise to other capital cities, such as Perth, Hobart and Adelaide or other major towns, like the Sunshine or the Gold Coasts for a further year. If you are keen to experience life in other unique areas of Australia, such as in Darwin, Broome or Orange, your skills will be sought after for 2 years.
There are definitely more jobs available on the Regional Occupations List as compared to the non-regional list.. Most Regional Visa related applications are given priority for processing, so you can know the outcome of your application sooner.
How will this option look on my resume?
Addressing skills shortages in regional areas with the support of skilled migrants enables employers and people in regional communities to develop economically. This means your efforts will be noticeable in those communities and well-rewarded.
The most important thing to appreciate is that in regional Australia, the type of work and issues you will handle in your professional field are generally specialised. Your accomplishments made there will be recognised as unique and your experience well-regarded across Australian workplaces. This is important, as it might actually advance your career prospects should you choose to seek employment in a major city after working in regional Australia.
Regional institutes and areas
Currently, there are 25,0000 dedicated regional places in Australia. These fall into two categories:
- Category 2 – ‘Cities and Major Regional Centres’ namely Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart
- Category 3 – ‘Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas’
As you can see, there are a great many areas considered “regional” that remain applicable to the new Subclass 485 Visa Extension that are hardly regional at all! Among these, Perth is a favourite destination for international students and new graduates.
Perth is a large major city, hitting the Western coast of Australia. It’s an absolutely stunning city, brimming with modern life and a thriving youth culture. The Global Liveability Report 2019 maintained Perth as the 14th most liveable city in the world. This ranking was shared with Geneva, Switzerland, which is no small thing. The areas where Perth scored full marks was, and no surprises here, Healthcare, Education and Infrastructure. It’s next highest score at 95% was for Stability.
The Australian government maintains a list of Designated Regional Areas online, which you can review at any time. However, different regions cater better to a range of other skilled migration visa subclasses, not the subclass 485 visa specifically. Navigating your way through the list to identify which region would make a good base for you and potentially your family, requires some expert guidance.
Special programs
The Australian government has put in place a range of initiatives and programs to encourage skilled migrants to move to and work in regional areas. Employers and regional communities benefit from having skilled migrants come into their lives to support the specific needs of their local region. VEVS Global has a detailed understanding of those unique needs, and therefore can match your interests to specific projects and work opportunities that will enhance your career.
How VEVS Global can help
VEVS Global does so much more than advise you on your visa options. We specialise in international student enrolments, student visas and graduate visas. Our strength is in our ability to plan for an international student’s entire migration journey right from the very beginning.
Presently with COVID-19 travel restrictions, international students outside Australia as well as inside Australia can apply for one of Subclass 485 Visas – or to put it more simply, a post-study visa, graduate visa or temporary graduate visa.
Recent graduates in Australia interested in applying for the new Subclass 485 Visa Extension should definitely talk to us, so that we can help you explore your best options across regional Australia. And because we are based in Perth itself, we can advise you on the very best of Perth’s offerings also. We do appreciate that some of you in a given regional area today have probably really loved your experience and want to explore further opportunities in the same or other regional areas. Whatever your case may be, tell us your circumstances, so we can help give you advice on the best current pathways to use your skills in Australia now.
