Australia MATES Visa 2025: Indian Graduates & Early Career Professionals Pathway to Work in Australia

What is the MATES Program?

The MATES program, officially the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early- professionals Scheme under the Subclass 403 visa, is a joint initiative between the Governments of Australia and India designed a program to allow eligible Indian graduates and early-career professionals to live and work in Australia for up to two years.

Key features:

  • Up to 3,000 places annually for primary applicants.
  • No employer sponsorship required.
  • Applicants can bring dependents (spouse/children) who can also work in

Australia: dependents are not counted towards the 3,000 cap.

  • Targeted fields of study/skills: renewable energy, mining, engineering, ICT, AI, FinTech, AgriTech.
  • Age and qualification restrictions: e.g., up to age 30; recent graduate (within 2 years), etc.

What’s New & Key Updates for 2025?

First Intake & Timelines

  • First ballot registrations were announced to open on 9 December 2024 and close on 7 January 2025 for program year 2024-25, and successful applicants should have received their visa for the 2024-25 program year.
  • For the program year 2025-26, registrations are slated to open on 1 November 2025 and close on 14 December 2025.
  • Once selected in the ballot, applicants will be invited to apply for the visa.

Eligibility & Fields

  • Age: Be aged 18 to 30 years (Inclusive) at the beginning of the ballot registration open period.
  • Recent graduate: Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in one of the eligible target fields, within 2 years of ballot registration open period from an eligible educational institution.
  • English proficiency: e.g., IELTS overall 6.0 with minimum 5.0 in each band (or equivalent) for some sources.

Benefits & Conditions

  • Duration: Stay in Australia for up to 24 months (2 years) after first entry.
  • Multiple entries allowed.
  • No job offer required. You can work in Australia, potentially in any field (though subject to visa conditions) while you gain experience.
  • Opportunity to bring family members (spouse / dependent children).

Why This Pathway is Significant for Indian Graduates &

Professionals?

  • Australia has launched this pilot with the aim of bringing in talent to sectors of high demand while deepening bilateral India-Australia cooperation.
  • For recent graduates and early-career professionals, MATES offers a work mobility opportunity without needing employer sponsorship—a rare option.
  • Gaining 12-24 months of Australian work experience can strengthen your career profile and potentially feed into future migration pathways (skilled visas, etc.).
  • For organisations like Migration Hub Team (which has guided around 80,000 applicants through various Australian visas), there is expertise available to help you maximise this opportunity.

Those selected through the ballot will be notified by the Department and invited

to lodge a visa application. The ballot registration fee is AUD 25.

Ballot selection period

The table below shows the open and close dates for the MATES ballot selection

period. This is when we can randomly select registrations for the ballot during

program year 2025-2026.

​ ​

Selection Open Date Selection Close Date

15/12/2025 30/06/2026

More information

For more details, including who can apply, registration dates and how to apply,

visit Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-Professionals Scheme (MATES)

Or

Contact Migration Hub team on +61 447081570 or Info@migrationhub.com.au

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