Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES)

• stay in Australia for up to 2 years
• live and work in Australia
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
• bring members of your family unit to Australia.

This is a temporary visa. It lets you stay in Australia for up to 2 years.

The visa starts on the day you first enter Australia.

You can't stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. You will not be eligible to apply for a further Subclass 403 MATES stream visa.

You must apply for a new visa if you want to stay longer.

You can include members of the family unit in your visa application.

Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.

Find out what to do if your child is born after you apply.

From AUD470.00, for the main applicant.

There is also a fee for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

To work out what your visa will cost, you can use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account other costs you may have to pay for, such as:

• police certificates
• health checks

You must be outside Australia when you apply for the visa and when we decide your application.

Family members may be in or outside of Australia when they apply for the visa.

For an indication of processing times for this visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.

We assess applications on a case-by-case basis. Actual processing times can vary due to individual circumstances including:

• whether you have submitted a complete visa application, including all supporting documents (see Check twice, submit once)
• how quickly you respond to requests for more information
• how long it takes to perform required checks on supporting information provided
• how long it takes to receive further information from external agencies, particularly about health, character, and national security requirements.

If granted a visa, you and members of your family unit must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws.

Learn more about conditions for this visa.

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is valid. The time you spend outside Australia does not extend the visa.

We will electronically link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.

You can only apply for this visa if you have been randomly selected in the MATES ballot. If we have invited you to apply, you will have received a Notification of Selection letter.

The letter provides details on how to apply for this visa.

You have 30 days from the date of selection to complete and submit a visa application online. You must apply for this visa on or before the date specified in your Notification of Selection letter. The cut-off time on the last day to apply is 11:59PM AEDT. We cannot accept your application if you apply after this date.

You can monitor the status of your ballot registration through your ImmiAccount.

You must hold a valid passport issued by India at the time you register in the ballot and at the time you apply for the visa.

You must be 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) on the date the ballot registration open period commences.

You must be outside of Australia when you apply for the visa and when we decide on your application.

You must have not previously entered Australia on a Subclass 403 MATES stream visa.

You must have obtained a qualification and graduated:

• from an eligible educational institution
• within two years of the beginning of the ballot registration open period.

The eligible educational institutions are the Top 100 listed on the Indian Ministry of Education’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) India Rankings Overall 2024 List. Note: This list is managed by the Government of India. Educational institutions are specified by name and city/state. Affiliated educational institutions not specified on the list do not qualify.

Your qualification must be equivalent to an Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Bachelor degree or higher. This means a:

• Bachelor degree
• Bachelor degree (honours/research)
• Postgraduate diploma
• Masters degree
• Doctoral degree.

Your qualification must also relate to one of these industries:

• renewable energy
• mining
• engineering
• information communications technology
• artificial intelligence
• financial technology
• agricultural technology.

You must have completed an English language test, and achieved the required result, in either the 1 year before:

• the date of submitting a valid visa application or
• the day we decide your application, if you did not give evidence of an English language test at the time you submitted your visa application.

You must have achieved the required test score in a single sitting, unless the test was an OET.

While you are in Australia, you must have the financial capacity to support yourself and any members of the family unit who come with you.

You can show financial capacity by providing evidence of an employment offer with an Australian business.

If you do not have an employment offer, you must show that you have enough money to support yourself. This is usually about AUD5,000 for your initial stay.

You and members of the family unit, who apply for this visa with you, must meet our health requirement.

You should wait until you are invited to apply for the visa before you organise your health examinations.

You and members of the family unit aged 16 years and over, who apply for the visa with you, must meet our character requirement.

You and members of the family unit, who apply for this visa with you, are personally liable for all your healthcare costs while you are in Australia. Medical insurance helps limit your financial liability.

You must have adequate health insurance for the whole of your stay to be granted this visa. Your health insurance should cover you for medically necessary treatment, including transport.

Learn more about what we consider adequate health insurance.

You and members of the family unit, who apply for this visa with you, must have a genuine intention to stay temporarily in Australia.

If you or any members of the family unit owe the Australian Government money, you or they must pay it back or have arranged to pay it back.

We will consider your immigration history when we make a decision on your application. This means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused.

In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused. For more information, see Limitations on applications in Australia.

If applying for a visa from outside Australia, see Can I go to Australia.

If you want immigration assistance, see Who can help with your visa application.

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have a valid:

• visa to enter Australia
• passport or other travel document.

Arrive before first entry date

Your first entry to Australia must be on or before the date provided in your visa grant letter. The first entry date will be 12 months from the date of visa grant.

If you do not enter Australia before this date, your visa will cease. You will no longer be allowed to travel to Australia as the holder of a Subclass 403 MATES stream visa.

At the Border

Completing an Incoming Passenger Card

All people arriving into Australia must complete the Incoming Passenger Card.

Use the SmartGate

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

With this visa you can

• do any kind of work and study
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want

Work

To see your conditions for work, use VEVO.

When you work in Australia, you are protected by Australian workplace law. See your workplace rights and entitlements.

Superannuation

Australia has compulsory superannuation(a retirement savings scheme). If you earn over a certain amount, your employer must pay superannuation into your superannuation fund.

When you leave Australia, you can access your superannuation.

Travel

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while the visa is in effect.

Time spent outside Australia after your first entry does not extend the visa’s 24 month period of stay in Australia.

How long you can stay

This is a temporary visa. The visa starts on the date you enter Australia.

Once you have entered and the visa stay period starts, you can stay in Australia for up to 24 months.

To see when your visa expires, use VEVO.

Staying longer

You can’t stay in Australia longer by extending this visa. You must apply for a new visa if you want to stay longer.

Proving you have a visa

To prove you have a visa and show your conditions to someone, use VEVO.

To get proof of your travel in and out of Australia request your international movement records .

Tell us if things change

Things you need to let us know about include:

• changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
• changes to your relationship status
• the birth of a child

See what to do if your situation changes.

Need Assistance

For information about minimum pay and conditions, and your employer’s obligations visit Fair Work Ombudsman.

If you know someone who might be involved in visa fraud, illegal work or exploitation you can:

• call 1800 009 623
• report them through Border Watch
• call Fair Work Ombudsman info line 13 13 94, or
• make an online anonymous report to Fair Work Ombudsman.

Before you leave

Check your travel documents (all visas)

You must have a valid passport or other travel document to leave Australia.

Ensure your visa is still valid (all visas)

See what to do if your visa has expired or is about to expire.

At the Border

Departures SmartGate

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You may leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

After you leave

Getting your superannuation

You are likely to have some money in a superannuation fund if you worked in Australia and you are:

• aged 18 years or older
• paid AUD450 or more before tax in a month

See how to access your super.

Proving you have been to Australia

To get proof of your travel in and out of Australia request your international movement records.