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MATES visa announcement
MATES is introduced for Indian nationals to live and work in Australia for up to 2 years. MATES continues to build on Australia and India’s strong people-to-people ties. It allows Indian nationals to gain employment in Australia and valuable experience in their areas of expertise. The scheme will also benefit Australian industry sectors and businesses by giving access to talented graduates with in-demand knowledge and skills.
MATES ballot process and visa applications
MATES is a temporary mobility pathway for Indian graduates and early career professionals with knowledge and skills in targeted fields of study to live and work in Australia for up to 2 years. Eligible fields of study include renewable energy, mining, engineering, information and communications technology, artificial intelligence, financial technology and agricultural technology. More information is available in the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) Factsheet (558KB PDF).
The department will grant up to 3,000 Subclass 403 MATES stream visas each year. Indian nationals interested in applying will be selected through a pre-application ballot.
You must first register in the pre-application ballot. Those selected in the ballot will then be invited to apply for the visa. You won't be able to apply for the visa without an invitation.
The first ballot for this visa stream opens for registrations on 9 December 2024 and will close on 7 January 2025 for program year 2024-2025.
For more information on the ballot and visa application process, see Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme 403 and How to Apply Guide (121KB PDF).