Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has confirmed that the age limit for post-study work visas will remain at 50 for research students, following revisions set to take effect on July 1st.

In early May, the Department outlined upcoming changes to the Temporary Graduate Visa Program, effective July 1st, 2024, as part of the Migration Strategy announced in December. These changes include renaming various visa streams and reducing the visa validity period.

Initially, it was announced that the age limit for all streams under the Temporary Graduate 485 visa would decrease from 50 to 35 years, with the exception of Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders.

However, the Department has now updated these changes, confirming that the previous age limit of 50 will remain in the Post-Higher Education Work Stream (formerly known as the Post-Study Work Stream) for research students.

“Masters (research) and doctoral degree (PhD) graduates, as well as Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders, will still be eligible if they are under 50 years of age,” the Department stated in its latest update.

The Department noted that it received significant feedback on the impact of the reduced age requirement on postgraduate research students.

Click here to read the latest update on changes to the Temporary Graduate Visa Program in Australia.