Visa changes for Graduates and Students - increasing visa duration and work hours

The Government will grant an extra two years of post-study work rights to international higher education graduates of Australian institutions with eligible qualifications to strengthen the pipeline of skilled labour. This measure will apply from 1 July 2023. The work hour cap for international student visa holders will be reinstated from 1 July 2023, following its removal during the COVID-19 pandemic. It will be increased by 8 hours from pre-pandemic levels to 48 hours per fortnight. International students working in the aged care sector will be exempt from the 48 hour per fortnight work limit until 31 December 2023. These changes are in line with recommendations made in the report to Government by the Post Study Work Rights Working Group in October 2022. The increase to post-study work rights is estimated to increase receipts by $800.0 million, and increase payments by $185.6 million, which includes a $185.0 million increase in GST payments to the states and territories over the 5 years from 2022-23. Bringing back the work hours cap for international students is estimated to result in an unquantifiable increase in receipts over the 5 years from 2022-23. Treasury | Treasury