The Australian government has created a special program for fresh engineers from selected Universities, which allows you to live and work in Australia for 18 months on a temporary visa. After 18 months (or 12 months of work), you can apply for an Australian skilled visa. This permit is called the Subclass 476 Visa.

However, acquiring an Australian Visa is long and requires you to submit various documents like Passport copy, IELTS certificate etc., some of these may take weeks or even months to obtain from universities/colleges.

1. What is Australia subclass 476 (Skilled—Recognised Graduate) visa?

Fresh Engineers from selected Universities are provided with an 18 months temporary visa, which allows you to live, work or study in Australia. Post 18 months (or after 12 months of work), you can apply for a skilled visa in Australia.

2. What are the eligibility criteria for visa subclass 476?

The minimum visa requirements to qualify for Australia visa 476 are:

1. You need to be below 31 years.
2. Bachelor’s degree (Engineering) in the last 2 years or less.
3. You should complete your education from a recognized University.
4. You should meet the health and character requirement.
5. You should be able to clear the English test (IELTS/PTE/TOFEL).

3. What are the processing times for the Australia visa?

While the Australian Embassy has mentioned the processing times as 10-12 months, yet if you are able to demonstrate your eligibility through paperwork in a clear way, it is likely that you can get the visa far early than a year.

4. What is the fees visa for Skilled—Recognised Graduate visa?

5. Can you include your family members in this visa?

Australia understands that family comprises of an important part. There are several instances when applicants don’t take their immigration application forward because there’s a lot of issues surrounding the family’s immigration.

While the subclass visa is usually aimed for Engineering graduates with adequate work experience or for those who intend to study in the country, your family unit can be included under the subclass 476 visa.

However, with this visa, there are certain family members who can be included, like your spouse and your or your partner’s child or stepchild.

6. How can you prove English language proficiency for the subclass 476 visa?

Unlike Canada, Australia accepts not one but several language tests for immigration. It is important to qualify in the English language tests since it is the business language in Australia.

In most the countries the IELTS is the primary determining factor when it comes to language test qualification.

There are three crucial reasons as to why you should take the IELTS test.

• The first one is the most significant one, which is for migrating to countries like Australia. This will act as the major proof of proficiency in English.
• Secondly, if you are planning to study further, there are institutions that identify IELTS as proof that you have undertaken English proficiency training.
• The third one is for those Engineering graduates who want to work in Australia. Your communication and hold on the English language will be determined by your test.
• For IELTS, you need to possess a minimum score of 5 in each band and an overall score of 6.
• For the OET, you must get B in each test band.
• You need an overall score of at least 169 and a minimum score of 154 in each of the four Cambridge English tests.
• Get an overall 50 points with at least 36 in each band.
• For TOEFL IBT, you need to score at least 64 points-4 points in reading and listening, 14 points in writing, and speaking.

7. Does the subclass 476 visa make you eligible for permanent residency in Australia?

If you are wondering how you can become a permanent resident of Australia with the Subclass 476 visa, then here’s your answer.

• Completely your Engineering degree from a recognized University.
• Attempt an English language assessment.
• Check your eligibility for the visa
• Start the application online.
• Submit the required documents.
• Pay the applicable fee.
• Wait for your visa application to be verified and approved.

It is important to note that this visa is valid only for 18 months and can be converted into a PR permit on getting a job in Australia.

As getting a permanent residency involves different ways and different categories, here are a few ways to help you out to apply PR after getting a job.

• You can apply for the Employer Nomination Scheme visa if you have been nominated by an Australian employer for any skilled position within an organization. This is easier if you have proven work experience with any organization in the country.
• You can apply for the Skilled Independent Visa if you want to live and work permanently in the Australian subcontinent. However, remember that this is a point-tested visa, and you have to have a minimum score of 60 points in the test.
• If you have been a regional resident in any part of Australia with a Subclass 476 visa, then you can apply for the Skilled Regional Visa. You can even apply for this visa if you are planning to move here for occupational purposes.
• If you have been nominated by the Australian state or territory, then you can apply for the Skilled Nominated visa.

8. What are the chances of getting a job on a skilled, recognized graduate visa?

If you are a skilled worker or have a job offer from an Australian employer, there are chances that you would be capable of quicker immigration to Australia. If you already have a job in hand, then this neutralizes the question.

However, if you are a fresh Engineering graduate and looking for a job opportunity in Australia under the Subclass 476 visa, then this is for you.

You are capable of getting a job based on the skills you possess. If you have good skills, then you are eligible. Also, a lot depends on how well you perform in your job interview.

If everything goes well, you can get a job in Australia. If you are still unsure about how to get prepared, you can seek professional help.

9. What are the possibilities of an extension?

As we know that the Subclass 476 visa is strictly for the graduates in different streams of Engineering, such as Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, and more.

After your visa expires and you want to continue your stay or become a permanent resident of Australia, make sure you take adequate measures and start applying for the visa beforehand.

The processing time can vary anywhere between 4 months to 11 months. The cost and time required to process your Australian PR can vary depending upon the number of applicants and other factors affecting the department of immigration.

Delay in the Visa Application Process

If you have already applied for the visa and your application process is getting delayed, then here’s the reason.

The several reasons that can lead to the delay of the visa application include the high number of application that is pending for review in the department of Australian immigration.

The delay can also happen due to inaccurate paperwork or if you have missed attaching any of the necessary documents. It can even happen if your payment has not taken place or has failed.

If you want clarification, you should seek advice from Australia immigration experts.

10. What are the recent rules for subclass 476 visa?

Having a degree in Engineering is one of the prime requirements when it comes to the Subclass 476 visa.

For applying for a skilled-recognized visa, unlike most other general migration visas, you don’t need to undergo a point-based for your application. In the initial stage, your eligibility shall be determined.

With this being said, the subclass 476 visa demands every applicant to meet the following conditions to be eligible.

The recent rules under this category includes:

• As an applicant, you must be below 31 years of age.
• You must have received an Engineering degree within the last 2 years from a recognized university.
• You must not have been the primary holder of the Subclass 476 visa or 485 visa previously.
• You must prove your English language proficiency.

Other rules include you should have graduated from a NBA- accredited institutions in India since it is an authorized signatory of Washington Accord in India. As a part of this visa, you are eligible to stay in Australia only for a period of 18 months.

The current amount that an applicant needs to pay as the visa fee is AUD 365, which is equivalent to approximately Rs 17,885. The processing of this visa can take upto three to four months.

Once you have successfully qualified the English Proficiency test, there are several other tests and clearances that you need to undergo.

These include health clearance to ensure that there’s healthy immigration taking place within the country.

You would also need a police certificate to ensure that there are no criminal records against you where you have stayed for more than a year within the last 10 years.

If you are planning to immigrate with your family, each of the members should have police clearance. You also need to provide certified copies to prove authenticity.