Dear Graduate Students,
Last week, the GSA sent a letter to the Minister of Education, Jason Claire, concerning the recent changes to the 485 Temporary Graduate visa.
Despite some revisions being made (https://gsa.unimelb.edu.au/485-temporary-graduate-visa-update/), GSA acknowledges that a significant number of graduate students are still affected.
In the letter, we emphasized the unjust age restrictions for coursework students, the shortened length of stay, and the need for grandfathering the changes. We believe that graduate students who began their programs before 1 July 2024 should be eligible to apply under the previous 485 Temporary Graduate visa conditions.
GSA has recommended the following actions in the letter:
- There should be no changes made to the length of time someone on the 485 visa can stay in Australia.
- If the length of time someone can stay in Australia on the 485 visa is to change, this should be grandfathered so that it only applies to students enrolling in a course after 1 July 2024. This would ensure it does not affect students who enrolled in their degree program under the belief that they were eligible to stay in Australia for longer than two years.
- The maximum age restriction for both HDR and coursework degrees should be 50 years of age or over. Any age restrictions should be consistent.
If you have any queries, concerns, or would like to speak further about these changes, please don’t hesitate to email me at president@gsa.unimelb.edu.au
Yours sincerely,
Ethan Chou, GSA President and Board Chair