Till 31 January, out of 47,086 Temporary Graduate visa -Subclass 485 applications lodged for the financial year 2020-21, only 33,839 have been processed by the Department of Home Affairs.
Migration experts attribute this backlog to the increase in the processing time of these applications.
Highlights
- Over 13,000 applications of Temporary Graduate visa Subclass 485 remain pending till Jan 2021.
- According to the Home Affairs website, it can take up to seven months to process Subclass 485 – Graduate Work files and up to 11 months for Subclass 485 – Post-Study Work.
- Some international students prefer being on a bridging visa to plan their future while for others, it can hamper their chances of employment.
Melbourne-based migration agent Rohit Mohan says that while the processing time has been extended for most visas, for Temporary Graduate visa Subclass 485, it is has risen from two to nearly 11 months.
“Perhaps it is due to the pandemic or the staff-crunch, but there are massive delays. It includes the Subclass 491 visa, which was supposed to be processed on priority as it is a regional visa. Applications from non-critical sectors are pending,” said Mr Mohan.
Jobs like advertising manager, advertising specialist and architect fall in the non-critical sector whereas doctor, nurse, childcare worker and some IT roles are considered critical in nature.
How do the delays affect the applicants? Listen to this podcast:
LISTEN TO
'Massive delays’ in Temporary Graduate visa processing add to international students’ anxiety
SBS Hindi
17/03/202105:56
According to the Department of Home Affairs website, the processing time for Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485 – Graduate Work) is between five and seven months.
For the Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485 – Post-Study Work), it can be between five and 11 months.
The Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485) is for international students who have recently graduated with skills and qualifications that are relevant to specific occupations needed in Australia. It lets the applicants live, study and work in Australia temporarily.
Source: Department of Home Affairs
But migration law expert Abul Rizvi questions the priorities of the department in the visa description.
A former deputy secretary in the department, he recently tweeted attempted to shine a light on the processing time of such visa applications.
However, Mr Mohan says the delay sometimes helps students who file such applications.
“Many students waiting for their 485 visa are happy as they get more time to plan their future. Going on a bridging visa gives them some extra time. Once the 485 visa is granted, they have limited time in the country. So, they’d rather be on a bridging visa and plan their future,” explains Mr Mohan.
However, there are students who would like to have their visa granted sooner than later.
“I have been waiting for three months now. I want to apply for jobs but being on a bridging visa doesn’t give confidence to employers to hire me as my visa status remains unknown. This is not helping me at all,” says Vijay*.
SBS Hindi sought comment from the Department of Home Affairs. Their response is awaited.
*Name withheld on request.
Disclaimer: Information contained in this segment is general in nature. For information relevant to your situation, consult a registered migration agent.
