Australia Mates Visa; Australia’s New Visa Program That Can Benefit Indian Students

Australia Mates Visa: Australia has been an emerging destination for students and professionals over the past decade. According to the dataset provided by the Minister of State in the Ministry of External Affairs, around 1.2 lakh Indian students are pursuing higher education from Australia this year.

The number of Indians travelling to Australia to fulfil their study abroad dream increased from 1,15,094 in 2019 to 1,15,137 in 2020. However, Covid restrictions brought down this number to 97,613 in 2021 and 96,000 in 2022. Once Covid restrictions were lifted, the number of Indian students going abroad once again rose to 1,24,829 in 2023 and has now fully recovered to 1,22,202 in 2024.

Many of these Indian students would like to stay in Australia and shift from a study visa to a work visa after completing their studies. There are also many Indian graduates who would like to work in Australia to enhance their work profile. With this in mind, Australia and India are further strengthening the relationship with the new Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-Professionals Scheme (MATES). The scheme is being introduced from late 2024. On May 23, 2023, Australia and India entered into the Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement (MMPA).

Under MATES, graduates from top universities in India and early-career professionals will be able to apply for a MATES stream visa under Temporary Work (International Relations) (Subclass 403), providing them with the opportunity to live and work in Australia for a duration up to two years.

However, MATES participants will not be eligible to participate in the scheme more than once.

MATES will be open to Indian nationals who:

+ Are 30 years of age or younger at the time of application (inclusive);

+ Have not previously participated in MATES;

+  Have advanced English language proficiency, with an overall IELTS score of not less than 6 or its equivalent, and a minimum score of 5 in each of the four components.

+ Have graduated from an eligible educational institution within two years at the time of application; and

+  Have a qualification (bachelor’s degree or higher) in one of the following:

+ Renewable energy, Mining, Engineering, Information communication technology (ICT), Artificial intelligence (AI), Financial technology (fintech), Agricultural technology.

According to the official notification, 3,000 temporary visa places will be allocated annually through the visa pre-application ballot process, providing an equitable, streamlined and transparent way to select applicants to participate in MATES. Additionally, MATES participants will be able to apply to bring dependents (spouses and dependent children). These dependents will also have the right to work in Australia, and will not count against the annual limit.

MATES serve as the primary mobility initiative under the Australia-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement, facilitating our migration objectives by attracting some of India’s most skilled graduates who have the knowledge and expertise that is in demand in Australia.

Also Read: Best Countries to Study Abroad; Due to Strict Visa Rules in UK, Australia and Canada, Germany, Ireland and Japan are Emerging as Major Destinations for Study Abroad.