From 2021, international students studying at all locations outside Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane will be offered an extension on the current two year Post-study work stream of the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa (TGV), which applies to Bachelor and Masters by coursework graduates.

Eligibility will include international students who studied at a regional campus of a metropolitan university.

The additional post-study work arrangements will become available in 2021, and will require ongoing residence in a regional area.

• International graduates who have studied and lived in Category 2 will be eligible for an additional year on a second Temporary Graduate visa.
• International graduates who have studied and lived in Category 3 will be eligible for an additional two years on a second Temporary Graduate visa.

The initiative will provide an additional incentive for international students to study at a regional institution and to live in regional areas post-study, boosting diversity and prosperity in regional Australia.

At the same time, it will help ease growing infrastructure pressures in our major cities.

There is no change to Student visas. This option is available as an initiative for international students to study and live in regional Australia.

Eligible regional areas

The regional definition is comprised of the following 3 categories:

• Category 1 – ‘Major Cities’ of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane do not receive any regional incentives
• Category 2 – ‘Cities and Major Regional Centres’ of 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’

Sources: International graduates studying in a regional area