What are my options after graduation in Australia?
What can I do after finishing my study in Australia? What are my options after graduation in Australia? These are some common questions that come in the mind of many international students in Australia who are nearly completing their study.
So in this article, we are going to explore 7 options after completing your graduation in Australia.
Option 1: Continue your further study in Australia
The first option for you is to continue your further studies. Many students after finishing their degree in Australia decide to continue their studies here. For example, you are completing your Bachelor Degree, then you can continue their Master’s Degree in Australia.
Obviously, students are already familiar with the Australian education system so it’s much easier for them to continue their further study.
Things you need to keep in mind before continuing your studies:
🟢 You may need to apply for a new student visa as your old student visa might be expiring. So if you need to apply for a new student visa application before the current visa expires.
🟢 You would also need to apply for the course that you would like to study. Even if you plan to study in the same institution or maybe if you want to study in a different institution or in a different city or state.
🟢 You may have to provide evidence for enough funds for your further studies.
🟢 You will also need to renew your OSHC (Overseas Students Health Cover) insurance.
If you don’t want to study further you can always look for other options.
Option 2: Travel around Australia
Australia is a beautiful country and if you like to have some confirmation for that, here is some proof of that.
So many international students after their graduation in Australia, like to take some break and travel around Australia. As most of the international students are quite busy while they are studying and working during their student visa, it’s a good idea to travel around and explore this country further.
International students can apply for a Visitor Visa (subclass 600) that allow them to stay up to a maximum of 12 months in Australia for travel purposes. Please note that you can not work on a tourist visa in Australia.
Option 3: Complete a professional year
If you have completed an accounting, engineering or IT related degree, then you can seek to obtain professional work experience. International students from these streams can apply for a professional year program.
This program can be really beneficial to learn how Australian workplaces operate and getting some work experience, which is a part of the program and can be further helpful in applying for your permanent residence
Additional 5 points can be claimed toward your permanent residence visa after successfully completing the professional year in Australia.
Option 4: Apply for a working holiday visa
If you are between the age of 18 to 30 years old and if you have a passport from one of the eligible countries you can apply for a work and holiday visa or a working holiday visa.
Working holiday visa can let you stay and work for 12 months and if you like, you can apply to extend it for a further 12 months. You must not be accompanied by dependent children. Check the list of eligible countries on Department of Home Affairs website.
This visa allows you to stay in Australia and work and travel at the same time. There are 2 different types of working holidays visas (subclass 417 & 462) available to apply for the people from eligible countries.
🟢 Working Holiday (subclass 417) visas are open to people who hold a passport from Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan or the United Kingdom.
🟢 Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas are open to people who hold a passport from Argentina, Austria, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Peru Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, the United States, Uruguay or Vietnam.
Option 5: Apply for a temporary graduate visa
The next option is to apply for a temporary graduate visa (subclass 485). This visa allows international students who studied in Australia for at least 2 academic years to stay and work in Australia after finishing their studies.
This visa has two streams:
🟢 Graduate work stream – Graduate work stream allows students to gain valuable work experience and improve their English skills while they are working on their application for the skilled independent visa. It usually lasts for 18 months.
🟢 Post-study work stream – Post-study work stream is for those students who don’t want to stay in Australia permanently and would like to work after studying in Australia. This visa usually lasts from 2 to 4 years depending on the courses students have completed.
The duration of this visa will depend on your level of qualification:
🟢 Diploma or trade qualification – 18 months
🟢 Bachelor’s Degree (with or without Honours),
🟢 Master’s Degree by Coursework – 2 years
🟢 Master’s Degree by Research – 3 years
🟢 Doctoral Degree – 4 years
From November 2019, students who are planning to study in regional area universities will be eligible to access an additional 1 to 2 years in Australia on a post-study work visa. You can check more details on this here.
Option 6: Apply for a permanent visa
If your study was in the nominated skilled occupation list, then you might be eligible to apply for the Australian Government’s skilled migration program which can help you achieve permanent residence and citizenship in Australia.
One of the key benefits of studying in Australia is that it has a very attractive migration program and it gets millions of applicants every single year to meet its shortage in certain skills and areas.
After completing your studies, you are usually eligible to apply for one of the following visas:
🟢 Skilled Independent Visa (subclass 189)
🟢 Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)
🟢 Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional Visa (subclass 494)
🟢 Skilled Work Regional Visa (subclass 491)
Some of these are skilled independent visas where you can apply without any sponsorships, regional sponsored migration scheme where an employee can sponsor you in the regional area or employer nomination scheme where any employer you are currently working for can sponsor you.
Applying for permanent residency is not an easy task, so we suggest you check the Department of Home Affairs website for detailed information.
Also, if you are unsure about how you should proceed to apply for a permanent residence visa, then consider using the services of a registered migration agent for your visa application.
Option 7: Return back home
Last but not least you can always return back to your home country. If you don’t want to work in Australia or travel after your studies, then it’s time to pack up your bags, leave Australia and return back home.
Although it can be tough after living in Australia for so long to return back to your home country. Many international students succeeded in their career after returning back to their home countries as well.
If you are planning to move back to your home country, make sure to plan ahead and sell bulky items to avoid expensive shipping. You should also look into cancelling your utilities and paying off your bills before leaving. Also, make sure to join your institute’s Alumni to keep in touch with your fellow alumni.
So these were some of the options for international students after completing their studies in Australia. What are you planning to do after your graduation in Australia? We look forward to your comments below.
Disclaimer: Please note the information provided in this article is general guidance and does not constitute legal advice. Your circumstances could be different, so we suggest you consult a registered migration agent to discuss your situation.
