Key Highlights
To foster relations and deepen ties between Australia and India, the Australian government announced a Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) vocational visa program. The program, which will be rolled out in November 2024, will give Indian graduates, as well as young professionals, an opportunity to work for up to two years in Australia.
The MATES programme, which is part of the Australia-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement, will provide 3,000 places each year for eligible nationals of India. The new visa stream, known as the Temporary Work (International Relations) (Subclass 403), is intended to bring outstanding graduates from India`s best universities to work in Australia.
Features of MATES Visa:
AGE: The applicant must not be more than 30 years of age by the time this application is submitted.
Education: Graduation from an applicable educational institution within two years of completing your courses. Meet the eligibility of bachelor's or above qualification typical in renewable energy, mining, engineering, ICT, AI, FinTech, or AgriTech.
Language Ability: Overall IELTS score of at least 6 (or equivalent) — with at least 5 in each of the four components. Allows successful applicants to live and work in Australia for up to two years, with no employer sponsorship required.
Dependents: MATES participants may apply for an accompanying spouse or partner. Dependent children also have work rights in Australia.
For the MATES visa, the application process will require a pre-application fee of roughly AUD 25, paid up front, and a subsequent standard application fee of AUD 365. The Australian government will randomly select participants through a visa pre-application ballot process to ensure fairness and transparency.
Matt Thistlethwaite, Assistant Minister for Immigration, said, "MATES is mutually beneficial for both countries; it helps professionals with the right qualifications to use and grow their skills and experience in relevant Australian industries.
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The introduction of the program comes amid a rise in the number of Indian students coming to study in Australia. Throughout 2024, the number of Indian students in Australia crossed the 122,000 figure after the COVID-19 pandemic saw a decline.
MATES visa is anticipated to improve and give access to some of the most talented graduates in India with global knowledge and skills in a number of Australian industry sectors. Beyond that, it opens a pathway for Indian students to shift from study visas to work visas following the completion of their studies in Australia.
Australia has also recently increased the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business Visitor stream for Indian nationals from three years to five years, besides the MATES program. This extension allows Indian business people greater accessibility to Australian soil, facilitating closer economic cooperation between the two nations.
MATES visa is part of a wider migration strategy linked with the 2024-25 program year Australia is introducing, which seeks to direct a full 70% of its 185,000 total places to the skilled migration stream. The approach facilitates economic growth by meeting changes in skill requirements in priority pathways.
The MATES visa is an exciting pathway for young Indian graduates and professionals to experience work opportunities abroad and gain extensive international exposure. It also speaks to the increasing dedication of both Australia and India to reinforce education, vocational training and labour force growth cooperation.
With the November 1, 2024 launch date looming, prospective applicants should monitor the official Australian Department of Home Affairs website for up-to-date information and requirements.
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Conclusion:
The MATES visa program is part of the new chapters that are written about the Australia-India relationship. As a result, both countries can expect to gain from increased cultural exchange and economic cooperation by providing highly qualified Indian graduates with the opportunity to live and work in Australia. Not only does this tackle the skill shortages in Australia, but it also provides Indian professionals with overseas experience.
It will be interesting to see how the program unfolds and how it will affect the movement of talent between the two countries and the economic and industrial development of the two nations. The MATES visa will also be one of the cornerstones of the increasingly strong relationship between Australia and India, where we will develop a new generation of globally experienced, professional, young Australians.
To learn more about the Australian MATES visa and ways to settle in Australia, you must contact TerraTern right away. With an expert team and over a hundred services, TerraTern is the leading player in the immigration sector that you must try out!
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