Start your career in Australia with a post-study work visa

In further support of international students, the Australian Government has announced new extensions and flexibility to the Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485). Time spent studying from home amid border restrictions will count toward the visa application. Plus, the visa length of stay has been extended from two to three years for Master’s graduates.

The visa allows international graduates to work legally in Australia on a full-time basis, depending on the visa streams applicable for you. The visa can also be a pathway for those who want to settle in Australia.

It enabled Imad to accelerate his career by entering the Australian job market, with the backing of a highly reputable UNSW master’s degree:

"Working in Australia is amazing. If I was in my own country, I might not have been in my career," said Imad. "I'm working in my career and I'm progressing in my career. I think Australia is the best place for me."

With the huge impact of the pandemic on economies worldwide, Australia has performed well in resisting economic recession and recovering its economy. Figures from Austrade indicate that Australia's GDP grew 1.1% larger by 2021 than pre-pandemic 2019 - a far larger increase than the average rate of 0.4% across advanced economies.

Australia’s resilience is supported by a diversified, services-based economy. This has underpinned Australia’s job market return to its strong pre-pandemic levels by 2021, according to OECD Employment Outlook 2021.

Australia’s National Skills Commission envisages that employment is projected to increase significantly in health care and social assistance, accommodation and food services, and professional, scientific and technical services, over the five years to November 2025.

Imad says UNSW’s career-focused education helped him develop the communication and interpersonal skills required to thrive in a team environment.

"At UNSW, you need to work with people who come from different backgrounds with different skillsets. They have different ideas and different approaches to design. You will learn how to work in a group dynamic," Imad said. "This has helped me with my career a lot as when you move into professional practices, it's all about navigating among different people." 

Communication, interpersonal skills and teamwork are the top three soft skills that employers are looking for in today's job market, according to the latest surveys conducted by the Australian Association of Graduate Employers.

With professional development woven into your UNSW studies, these are skills you will hone throughout your degree. Through practical exercises, internships and programs developed closing with industry, UNSW truly equips you with the knowledge and experience to feel confident when stepping into the workforce.

The workshops on interview skills and other UNSW career support that Imad had used helped him understand employers' expectations and how workplaces function in Australia. 

"I can just talk with my teachers and ask for their suggestions on how to develop my CV and portfolio," he said.

Our career development resources for international students are designed to assist you adapt to Australia workplace and equip you with must-have skills for employment.

For international students who are looking for a job, Imad's top tip is: "don't give up and keep looking. Get in touch with anyone you know in the industry."

"As international students, we do feel shy or unsure about ourselves. But don't be shy or unsure. Go with the biggest confidence in the world and show people who you are, your personality and capabilities," Imad said.