Australia Offers New Visa Options for Hong Kong

Last updated on 25 August 2020

The Australian government is offering new and extended visa options to students and skilled workers from Hong Kong. This will help Hong Kong passport holders to remain in Australia, with pathways to permanent residency.

On 5 August 2020, the AVAC resumed limited services to support clients wishing to submit supporting documents or seek assistance to lodge an online application ​for the Business Talent visa (subclass 132) or Business Innovation & Investment visa (subclass 188).

Current and future students from Hong Kong will be eligible for a 5 year temporary graduate visa once they successfully complete eligible tertiary studies.

• Those former students already on a temporary graduate visa will be given an extension of up to 5 years, starting from 9 July 2020
• These graduates will also have a pathway to permanent residency after 5 years
  • For those who study at a regional campus and choose to live and work in regional Australia, the pathway to permanent residency will be available after 3 years.

Current temporary skilled visa holders from Hong Kong will be eligible for an additional 5 years from 9 July 2020 in addition to the time they’ve already been in Australia. They will also be eligible for a pathway to permanent residency at the end of that 5 years.

• Future applicants from Hong Kong for temporary skilled visas will be eligible for a 5 year visa, if they:
  • have qualifications listed on the o​ccupational skills lists and meet Labour Market Testing requirements, or
  • qualify through the Global Talent temporary visa scheme, which is for exceptional talent where the sponsoring employer pays above the Fair Work High Income Threshold of ​$153,600.
• These future temporary skilled visa holders will also be eligible for a 5 year visa with a pathway to permanent residency.

​These changes will be implemented through updates to regulations and procedural instructions. Check back for further updates.