403 Visa – Temporary Work (International Relations)

Early Careers Stream

To be eligible under this stream, applicants must:

• Be between 21-45 years of age
• Have completed a tertiary qualification (this can include trades)
• Demonstrate at least 3 months’ work experience that is relevant to the prospective occupation in Australia, at ANZSCO Skill level 1-3.
• Prove they have a legitimate job offer
• Evidence at least AU$5,000 in savings

Visas under this stream can be granted for up to 12 months.

Innovation Stream

To be eligible under this stream, applicants must show that they are highly skilled and experienced, with a demonstrated contribution to innovation. They must also:

• Have a firm job offer in an occupation at ANZSCO Skill level 1.
• Be able to show $5,000 in savings
• Provide evidence of their work experience, accolades, and innovation in their field.

There is no age limit for the Innovation stream.

Visas granted under this stream can be valid for up to 3 years.

Benefits

• Applicants can be inside or outside of Australia to apply for a visa under the IECSEP program
• There is no limit on occupation, as long as it falls into the ANZSCO skill level classifications required
• Part-time work is acceptable
• Employing businesses do not need a Standard Business Sponsorship, undertake labour market testing, incur the Skilling Australia Fund levy, or pay a wage equivalent to TSMIT. No employer sponsorship is required.

Restrictions

• This visa cannot be renewed, and only one visa can be granted per applicant under the pilot program.
• It is not possible to include family members in the application. Adult family members can apply for their own visa under the pilot, if eligible.

Ballot and Visa

To be eligible to register for the MATES ballot, applicants must:

• be aged between 18 – 30 years (inclusive) at the beginning of the ballot registration open period for that process
• hold a valid Indian passport
• hold a valid permanent account number (PAN card) issued by the Indian Government​
• have a valid email address

There is a registration fee of $25 payable. Applicants may only register once per ballot period.

Once a ballot registration is received, applicants have up to 30 days to lodge a Subclass 403 visa application.

It is possible to include family members in this application. They do not form part of the 3000 places available and do not require a separate ballot.

All applicants must meet health and character requirements, and satisfy Immigration that they are a genuine temporary entrant.

Recent Graduate

Applicants must have completed at least a Bachelor degree or higher qualification:

• • Within 2 years of the ballot registration open period
  • From an eligible education institution in the Top 100 of the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) India Rankings Overall 2024 List.
  • Related to one of the following industries:
    • renewable energy
    • mining
    • engineering
    • information communications technology
    • artificial intelligence
    • financial technology
    • agricultural technology

English

Within 12 months of applying for the 403 visa, applicants must sit an English test and obtain the following scores:

• Overall IELTS band score score of at least 6.0, with no less than 5 in each component in each of the four test components.
• Overall PTE Academic test band score of at least 50, with at least a score of 36 in each of the four test components
• OET test score of at least C in each of the four test components
• Total overall score on TOEFL iBT test of at least 64, with at least the following scores in the four test components: 4 for listening, 4 for reading, 14 for writing and 14 for speaking
• Cambridge C1 Advanced – overall test score of at least 169, with a score of at least 154 in each of the four test components.

Test results must be in a single sitting (unless the test was an OET) at an authorised testing centre. Online or at-home versions of the tests are not accepted by Immigration.