Indian students seeking work visas in Australia can look forward to a new scheme. Australia has introduced the MATES-Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme, allowing Indian nationals to live and work in Australia for up to two years.
Under the MATES scheme, India’s top university graduates and early career professionals can register for a Temporary Work visa starting December 2024, allowing unlimited travel to and from Australia. As long as your visa is valid, you are free to visit and depart Australia as often as you choose.
Eligible fields of study include renewable energy, mining, engineering, information and communications technology, artificial intelligence, financial technology, agricultural technology.
Indian nationals can apply for a visa through a pre-application ballot, which opens in December 2024. Those selected will be invited to apply, and registration is mandatory before applying for the visa. There is a ballot registration fee of AUD25. Registrations for the first MATES ballot will open in December 2024.
If you are randomly selected in the MATES ballot, you can then apply for the visa. To find out if you can register in the ballot, you need to check if you qualify for Ballot eligibility.
To be eligible to register in the MATES ballot, you need to be aged between 18 – 30 years. If selected in the ballot, you will be required to meet additional criteria for the grant of a Subclass 403 MATES stream visa