The Government has included in the legislations the previously announced concessions to some visa categories, to benefit applicants affected by the travel restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes changes in relation to prospect 485 visa applicants, and it allows them to:
- apply for and be granted a Subclass 485 visa while in or outside Australia during a concession period (from February 2020 to date);
- apply for the visa from outside of Australia without the usual requirement to have held a student visa within the 6 months before application;
- apply for the visa after 12 months from completing the course (instead of 6) if you have been prevented from returning to Australia due to travel restrictions
These changes are valid for applications submitted on or after 19 September 2020.
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