Australia’s new Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) will open its inaugural electronic ballot on 1 November 2025, the Department of Home Affairs announced on 23 October. Through the ballot, up to 3,000 Indian citizens aged 18-30 who hold recent tertiary qualifications in priority sectors—renewable energy, artificial intelligence, fintech, mining technology, agricultural tech and advanced engineering—will be invited to apply for a two-year, multiple-entry Subclass 403 (MATES) visa.
Successful visa holders may work for any employer in Australia and can apply for a second two-year stay if they complete at least three months of regional work in a designated industry. Unlike the Working Holiday Maker program, the MATES visa carries no occupational-health-and-safety training surcharge, and income tax will be withheld at ordinary resident rates, making it commercially attractive for both workers and hiring firms.
The scheme is a flagship outcome of the Australia–India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement and is designed to deepen two-way talent flows while meeting Australia’s high-skill labour needs. Universities Australia estimates that nearly 100,000 Indian students are currently enrolled onshore; MATES provides a post-study option for graduates who do not yet meet skilled-visa salary thresholds but hold sought-after STEM qualifications.
Indian technology companies with Australian subsidiaries have welcomed the program, noting that it complements the existing Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) pathway and eases short-term project staffing. Employers should, however, plan for the short application window: ballot registrations close on 14 December and invitations will be issued in January 2026, with visa grants expected from March.
Migration agents advise prospective applicants to open an ImmiAccount and have degree certificates, English-language test results and police clearances ready to upload within 14 days of receiving an invitation, otherwise the opportunity will lapse and the ballot fee is non-refundable.
Successful visa holders may work for any employer in Australia and can apply for a second two-year stay if they complete at least three months of regional work in a designated industry. Unlike the Working Holiday Maker program, the MATES visa carries no occupational-health-and-safety training surcharge, and income tax will be withheld at ordinary resident rates, making it commercially attractive for both workers and hiring firms.
The scheme is a flagship outcome of the Australia–India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement and is designed to deepen two-way talent flows while meeting Australia’s high-skill labour needs. Universities Australia estimates that nearly 100,000 Indian students are currently enrolled onshore; MATES provides a post-study option for graduates who do not yet meet skilled-visa salary thresholds but hold sought-after STEM qualifications.
Indian technology companies with Australian subsidiaries have welcomed the program, noting that it complements the existing Temporary Skill Shortage (subclass 482) pathway and eases short-term project staffing. Employers should, however, plan for the short application window: ballot registrations close on 14 December and invitations will be issued in January 2026, with visa grants expected from March.
Migration agents advise prospective applicants to open an ImmiAccount and have degree certificates, English-language test results and police clearances ready to upload within 14 days of receiving an invitation, otherwise the opportunity will lapse and the ballot fee is non-refundable.
