Dear graduate students,
On the 19th of February, GSA, working alongside our Group of Eight Representative colleagues, we sent a joint letter to the Federal Ministers of Home Affairs and Immigration, calling for the reversal of the decision to lower the age eligibility for 485 Temporary Graduate Visas from 50 to 35 for Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) students.
We are pleased to announce that today the Federal Government has acted on our call and revised their decision.
HDR students under 50 will now be eligible for the 485 Temporary Graduate Visas.
Thank you to Deputy Vice Chancellor (Global, Culture and Engagement) Michael Wesley, our outgoing President Jesse Gardner Russell, and our incredible Group of Eight Postgraduate Representative colleagues for your hard work to deliver this result. You can find updated information regarding the 485 Visa here.
Additionally, on the 15th of May, GSA called for the early release of completion letters for graduating coursework students this semester. We are pleased to announce that the University has agreed to expedite the delivery of impacted international students’ completion letters so that they may apply for the 485 Temporary Graduate Visas under the existing conditions. To find out if you are eligible to receive an early letter of completion please ensure you have filled out this form by 31st May.
Thank you to Tim Brabazon, Director of Student Success, our outgoing President Jesse Gardner Russell once again, and all of the students involved for your hard work to deliver this outcome.
Yours sincerely,
Ethan Chou