What to do After You’ve Graduated

Are you about to finish your studies and wondering how to stay in Australia after studying? Just because your learning is coming to an end doesn’t mean your adventure in Australia has to end as well.

You may like to continue studying or take on employment to consolidate your learning. Or perhaps you would like to travel and see more of Australia before you return home. 

As a student visa holder, you were required to purchase sufficient health insurance coverage (OSHC) for the full length of your visa. If you plan to continue your studies and apply for a new student visa then you will need to purchase OSHC for this new visa period. Alternatively, if you choose to apply for a work right visa you will likely need to purchase a slightly different insurance policy called OVHC. Take a look at your health cover and ensure it matches your new circumstances and visa requirements. 

Your Options For Staying in Australia Once You’ve Completed Your Studies

Whether you decide to stay in Australia for a short or medium holiday or permanently, you have a variety of options for extending your stay. We will take a look at the options below.  

Extend Your Studies

You may choose to extend your studies and complete a PhD, another higher degree or a new field of study. You will need to ensure that your course is registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) for a student visa.

Before you apply for a student visa extension in Australia, you will need to purchase OHSC policy for the length of your new course, otherwise your application may not be approved.. If you plan to study short courses at TAFE or community colleges, you can also study on a Working Holiday visa.

Gain Employment in Australia

If you are wondering if you can work full time after course completion in Australia, there are a number of temporary work visas available to extend your stay. You will need to ensure that you have adequate OVHC insurance coverage to continue your stay.

The Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) allows students who have recently graduated from an Australian education institution to temporarily live, work and study in Australia. There are two subclasses under this temporary visa.

• Graduate Work stream: This allows you to stay for up to 18 months if you have graduated with qualifications relevant to specific qualifications needed in Australia. 
• Post-Study Work Stream: The post-study visa in Australia allows you to stay between two and four years, depending on your qualifications. Where you study can also affect how long you can stay in Australia after your studies.

If you are graduating with a skill that there is a shortage of, you may be able to get a Temporary Skill Shortage visa. You will need to be sponsored by an approved company, and the length of time will depend on the application. 

Explore Australia on Holiday

Before returning to your home country, you might like to travel around Australia on an extended holiday after graduation. The 600 visitor visa may be suitable for stays of up to 12 months. You can apply online when you are already in Australia, and there are options for three, six, or twelve months. You are not permitted to undertake any work on a visitor or tourist visa.

If you live outside Australia, you can apply for an Electronic Travel Authority visa (Subclass 601) or a 651 eVisitor visa to travel as a tourist, visit friends or family, cruise or have a holiday. Both tourist visas allow you to enter for three months per visit and multiple visits within twelve months from the date your visa is issued. 

Apply for a Working Holiday

Following your studies, you may like to take an extended holiday to explore the cities and see the outback of Australia while working to fund your travels. If you are between 18 and 30 years old and from an eligible country, you could apply for a Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) or a 462 Work and Holiday visa. For both these visas, you cannot have dependents with you.

Travelers on a working holiday visa typically do casual work to supplement their income. This can include bar work, fruit picking, and tourism. Industries that are approved for working holidays in regional areas include tourism and hospitality, agriculture, mining, tree farming and fishing. 

Permanent Migration Options 

You may have enjoyed your time in Australia so much that you wish to migrate to continue living and working in Australia permanently. To apply for this, you can express an interest (EOI) in permanent residency through the SkillSelect migration program. After completing your EOI, you may be invited to lodge a skilled visa application or nominated for a skilled visa by an Australian employer. Not all applicants will be invited to lodge a skilled visa application, as there are more expressions of interest than places available.

The Skilled Independent Visa is points-based, and you must pass the points test to gain permanent residency. Criteria include your age, English language ability, Australian and international employment skills, and education qualifications. 

Once you have a skilled worker visa, you can sponsor eligible family members for permanent residency.

Understanding Health Insurance Requirements 

Having adequate health insurance is important so that you can stay healthy whilst in Australia. Take a look at the approved Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) health providers and compare their policies to find the one best suited to your needs without paying too much. You are required to have OVHC for the Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) and Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) along with some of the other visa subclasses. Most overseas visitors are not eligible for Medicare. It is best to choose insurance that will cover your unplanned medical costs to avoid unpleasant surprises. 

Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is compulsory for all international students studying in Australia. With OSHC Australia, you can compare all the approved providers to choose the best value insurance for you. This private health insurance is designed to meet the costs of any unplanned medical and hospital care while studying in Australia, including emergency ambulance cover.