Ever thought of a scheme that extends your visa duration by up to five years? Well, if you are someone from Hong Kong, you could be the lucky one! As the Australian government has decided to extend the temporary visas for students and skilled workers from Hong Kong. Under this scheme, the current and future Hong Kong students and skilled workers will be allowed to stay on the Australian soil for up to 5 years. Existing students or skilled workers benefit from the amendment as they get an extension on their future or current temporary visa by up to 5 years. However, the ones studying or working in regional Australia will have a temporary residency for 3 years. The extension is not only limited to the primary applicant, but also provides visa extension to the family members of the primary visa holder. It is not mandatory for the family members to be a Hong Kong passport holder to benefit from the scheme. The scheme allows TSS Visa and Temporary Graduate 485 Visa holders to remain in Australia for 5 years and travel to and from Australia on multiple occasions. However, this amendment is not for an indefinite time and is only valid till 8th July 2025.
Hong Kong being a business hub is an attractive potential ally with thousands of companies operating their regional headquarters in Hong Kong, making it a destination for global talent, investments and innovation. Hence, this scheme essentially aims to attract talent and business opportunities from Hong Kong to move to Australia, incentivizing both the economies to create a win-win situation. Visa application centers shut due to Covid-19 have now been opened to support the future applications and ease the process.
Although the beneficial nature of the scheme for Hong Kong passport holders is crystal clear, the blurred lines about various issues such as the Skilling Australian Fund for existing or new nominees under a Subclass 482 visa, 457 visa, or 485 visa still remain in the dark.
If you are someone looking for assistance, our team of Registered Migration Agents at Migration Centre of Australia is trained to assist our onshore and offshore clients. You can contact us at info@migrationcentreofaustralia.com.au or call us at (02) 4626 100 to speak to one of our Registered Migration Agents who can assist you with your case.
