The Government will implement a new Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) program for Indian nationals from 1 November 2024.
MATES offers a new avenue for 3,000 Indian graduates and early career professionals, aged 18 to 30, to live and work in Australia for up to two years, targeting individuals with specialised skills in key fields of study.
Under the Australia-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement (MMPA), the scheme introduces a pre-application charge of $25 and an application fee of $365, both subject to future consumer price index adjustments.
In a parallel development, the validity of the Visitor visa (subclass 600) Business Visitor stream for Indian nationals is extended from three to five years, bolstering bilateral ties and economic partnerships.
The initiatives are projected to boost revenue by $435.0 million and expenses by $70.9 million over the next five years, reflecting the government’s commitment to fostering talent exchange and economic growth.
Furthermore, the government outlines plans to allocate 70 percent of the 185,000 places in the 2024–25 permanent Migration Program to the Skill stream, with an extension of the planning horizon to four years from 2025–26, aiming for strategic, long-term skill alignment.
These measures signal a proactive approach towards addressing Australia’s evolving skill landscape while optimising cross-government planning for sustained growth and prosperity.
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