Student Visa Australia – GTE replaced with Genuine Student Test | English Language Increase | 4-year Short-term 482 for ALL UK Passport holders
Immigration updates – 22 March 2024 – Student Visa Australia – GTE replaced with Genuine Student Test | English Language Increase | 4-year Short-term 482 for ALL UK Passport holders
In this article we cover the most recent Australian Immigration updates including:
- Student Visa Australia – GTE replaced with Genuine Student Test
- Increase to English Language requirements for Student Visa (Subclass 500) and Post-Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) holders.
- Short-term 482 visa’s can be granted for 4 years for citizens/nationals/permanent residents of the United Kingdom
Student Visa Australia – GTE replaced with Genuine Student Test
From the 23rd of March 2024, the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement for Student visas will be replaced by the Genuine Student (GS) requirement. These changes apply for ALL student visa applications lodged on or after 23 March 2024.
With Australia’s migration strategy now emphasising long-term residency for visa holders by creating additional pathways to Permanent Residency, the most recent amendment for Student Visa’s focuses on a students’ genuine intention to study in Australia rather than the requirement for students to prove their intention to only stay in Australia temporarily.
These new changes will also provide further measures to identify non-genuine students taking advantage of the Student Visa Program.
The Genuine Student (GS) requirement will take into account:
- The applicants circumstances
- Evidence of course progression
- Immigration history
- Compliance with visa conditions and various other relevant matter
Increase to English Language requirements for Student Visa (Subclass 500) and Post-Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) holders.
The Australian Government has updated the English Language Requirements for Student and Temporary Graduate visas as part of its Migration Strategy announced on 11 December 2023, effective for applications from 23 March 2024.
Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) visa applicants
The minimum IELTS score for Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) visa applicants has been raised from 6.0 to 6.5, with a minimum of 5.5 in each test component, and the test validity period has been reduced from three years to one.
Student visa (Subclass 500) applicants
The minimum IELTS score for Student visa (Subclass 500) applicants has increased from 5.5 up to 6.0.
These reforms aim to enhance the educational experience and workforce preparation of international students in Australia to ensure they are properly equipped to successfully transition into the workforce.
4-year ‘Short-term 482 visa’ for UK Passport holders
Following the implementation of the Australia/UK Free Trade Agreement on 31 May 2023, ALL UK passport holders are now eligible for a 4-year Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) visa, regardless of their occupation. This marks a significant change from the previous policy, where occupations on the short-term skilled occupation list (STSOL) were limited to a two-year 482 visa.
Popular occupations that will benefit from these changes include but are not limited to:
- Recruitment Consultant
- Web Developer
- Software Tester
- Network Analyst
- ICT Support Engineer
- ICT Project Manager
- Marketing Specialist
- Advertising Specialist
- Human Resource Manager
In addition to the above changes, the UKFTA also includes removing the Labour Market Testing (LMT) requirement entirely for UK passport holders who apply for the Subclass 482 Temporary Skills Shortage (TSS) visa. This will significantly streamline the visa application process for UK passport holders moving forward.
Video Update:
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