The Australian government has waived the stricter age limit for applying for temporary graduate visas for holders of Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passports.
Under the exemption, Hongkongers and BN(O) under the age of 50 will retain eligibility to apply for five-year graduate visas, whereas other applicants must not exceed the 35-year of age limit, VisaGuide.World reports.
According to the South China Morning Post, this announcement was made after several mature students from Hong Kong studying in Australia expressed concerns due to stricter immigration rules from Canberra.
Many of them, aged over 30, were worried about being booted out after graduation and losing their chance to obtain residency.
Australia’s government recently revealed plans to implement a more stringent age restriction on temporary graduate visa applications as part of its new migration strategy, which was introduced in December 2023.
Reportedly, the new changes were introduced in an effort to tackle Australia’s record-high migration levels.
Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders will continue to be eligible, provided they are under 50 years of age. Applicants no longer eligible for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream due to the age reduction may be eligible for a number of other visas.
‘Student Visa Holders Can Now Breathe a Sigh of Relief’
Jane Poon, a leader of the community group Australia-Hong Kong expressed gratitude for the Australian government’s decision amid its immigration system reform.
Student visa holders can now breathe a sigh of relief and feel reassured as they plan their emigration.
Australia Introduced Stricter Visa Requirements for International Students
As part of its Migration Strategy, the Australian government has recently introduced new policies concerning student visa requirements.
Among other changes is the introduction of the minimum IELTS test score needed for a TGV, which has risen from 6.0 to 6.5 (or equivalent).
However, the government noted that Hong Kong residents applying for temporary graduate work visas that pave the way for permanent residency would be excluded from the stricter English-language requirements introduced for all other applicants on March 23, 2024.
As of January 2024, more than Australia recorded more than 567,000 international students. According to Australia’s Department of Education, such a figure represents a 26 percent increase compared to the same period in 2023.