Skilled Recognised Graduate Subclass 476 Visas

On this page:

1. About
2. Regulatory requirements
3. Criteria
4. Specified educational institutions
5. Qualifications accredited/signatories/Institutions in Countries that is accredited

1. About

The Subclass 476 (Skilled – Recognised Graduate) visa was implemented to enable young skilled people, who have obtained a professional qualification in an occupation in demand from a high-quality university overseas, to be able to come to Australia. The visa has only been available to graduates in engineering.

You must have completed your engineering qualification accredited under the Washington Accord.

You must.

• be under 31 years of age
• work for up to 18 months.
• Eligible visa holders have the option for Australian permanent residence
• have completed an engineering degree at a specified educational institution in the past 2 years

The visa does not require the support of:

• an employer sponsors
• an eligible Australian relative sponsor, living in a designated area
• a nominating state/territory government.

2. Regulatory requirements

For a VF-476 application to be valid, the requirements of Schedule 1 item 1228 must be met. Information is written to be read with the legislation ie, Migration Act 1958 (“the Act”) and Migration Regulations 1994 (“the Regulations”) and associated administrative processes.

3. Criteria

The main criteria are as follows

Age

The main applicant must be under 31 at the date of lodgement.

English

You must provide evidence of your English language ability at date of lodgement by showing one of the following:

• Hold a passport from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada or New Zealand; or
• IELTS (Academic or General Training): overall average of 6 and at least 5 in each band; or
• Occupational English Test (OET): B Pass in each band; or
• Pearson (PTE Academic): overall average of 50 with at least 36 in each band; or
• TOEFL iBT (Internet Based Test): total score of 64, with at least 4 in Listening and Reading, and at least 14 in Writing and Speaking; or
• Cambridge (CAE): 169 overall average with at least 154 in each band.

Qualifications

You must have completed a qualification at most 2 years prior to lodgement. The qualification must be:

• In the engineering field
• At the bachelor level or higher
• Completed at an institution which offers courses accredited through the Washington Accord, or an institution specified by Immigration.

Points Test

The Recognised Graduate subclass 476 visa is not points-tested.

Do I Apply in Australia or Overseas?

Unless the main applicant is an NZ citizen, all applicants must be outside Australia when the visa application is granted.

You can be in Australia when the application is lodged but must depart Australia for visa grant.

As a result, no bridging visa is issued in general.

Including Family Members

You can include the following types of family members in your application:

• Spouses, defacto partners and same-sex partners
• Dependent children

If you already hold a 476 visa, you can apply for family members to join you in Australia on 485 visas.

Duration and Conditions

Valid for 18 months from the date of first entry to Australia.

You must maintain private health insurance whilst on a recognised graduate visa.

Please book an Appointment with one of our advisors if you would like advice on your visa options, or in making an application.

4. Specified educational institutions

The Washington Accord

The clause 476.212 Instrument specifies institutions that conduct a course that is accredited by that accrediting body under the Washington Accord. The Instrument also specifies several institutions that are not covered under the Washington Accord, which are listed in the Schedule to the Instrument.

You must have completed your engineering qualification at a specified educational institution. Any institution offering an Engineering qualification accredited under the Washington Accord is a specified institution.

If you studied at an institution or college that is only affiliated with a Washington Accord specified institution, you would not satisfy this requirement.

5. Qualifications accredited/ signatories/ Institutions in Countries that is accredited

SIGNATORIES

SIGNATORIES HAVE FULL RIGHTS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE ACCORD

Qualifications accredited or recognized by other signatories are recognised by each signatory as being substantially equivalent to accredited or recognised qualifications within its own jurisdiction.

• Korea– Represented by Accreditation Board for Engineering Education of Korea (ABEEK) (2007)
• Russia– Represented by Association for Engineering Education of Russia (AEER) (2012)
• Malaysia– Represented by Board of Engineers Malaysia (BEM) (2009)
• China– Represented by China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) (2016)
• South Africa– Represented by Engineering Council South Africa (ECSA) (1999)
• New Zealand– Represented by Engineering New Zealand (EngNZ) (1989)
• Australia– Represented by Engineers Australia (EA) (1989)
• Canada– Represented by Engineers Canada (EC) (1989)
• Ireland– Represented by Engineers Ireland (EI) (1989)
• Hong Kong China– Represented by The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE) (1995)
• Chinese Taipei – Represented by Institute of Engineering Education Taiwan (IEET) (2007)
• Singapore– Represented by Institution of Engineers Singapore (IES) (2006)
• Sri Lanka– Represented by Institution of Engineers Sri Lanka (IESL) (2014)
• Japan– Represented by JABEE (2005)
• India– Represented by National Board of Accreditation (NBA) (2014)
• United States– Represented by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) (1989)
• Turkey– Represented by Association for Evaluation and Accreditation of Engineering Programs (MÜDEK) (2011)
• United Kingdom– Represented by Engineering Council United Kingdom (ECUK) (1989)
• Pakistan– Represented by Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC) (2017)
• Peru– Represented by Instituto de Calidad y Acreditacion de Programas de Computacion, Ingenieria y Tecnologia (ICACIT) (2018)

Please note that currently:

• the Engineering the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology of the United States and
• Council of the United Kingdom

have accredited several courses in third countries, including countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

Use of the Washington Accord does not limit the level of the qualification

Officers should note that, although the Washington Accord is an agreement that applies to the accreditation of Bachelor-level Engineering courses, its only visa purposes is to specify institutions for the purposes of clause 476.212. For example, if an applicant holds a Masters degree in Engineering from Brunel University in the United Kingdom, the fact that Brunel University offers courses accredited under the Washington Accord at Bachelor level means that the Masters course satisfies clause 476.212.

Sri Lanka – List of Four Year Accredit Engineering Degree Programmes

List of Accredited Engineering Degree Programs * (Washington Accord) as at April 09, 2020

UNIVERSITY OF MORATUWA

UNIVERSITY OF PERADENIYA

UNIVERSITY OF RUHUNA

Note: *These programs which have been accredited in accordance with Washington Accord guidelines will be recognized as having academic qualifications equivalent to accredited Engineering Degree programmes by other Washington Accord signatories if the respective degree holders have graduated after June 13, 2014.

PROVISIONAL SIGNATORIES ARE RECOGNISED AS HAVING APPROPRIATE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES IN PLACE TO DEVELOP TOWARDS BECOMING A FULL SIGNATORY

• Chile– Represented by Agencia Acreditadora Colegio De Ingenieros De Chile S A (ACREDITA CI)Provisional Status Approved in 2018.
• Thailand– Represented by Council of Engineers Thailand (COET)Provisional Status Approved in 2019.
• Bangladesh– Represented by The Institution of Engineers Bangladesh (IEB)Provisional Status Approved in 2016.
• Costa Rica– Represented by Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y de Arquitectos de Costa Rica (CFIA)Provisional Status Approved in 2016.
• Mexico– Represented by Consejo de Acreditación de la Enseñanza de la Ingeniería (CACEI)Provisional Status Approved in 2016.
• Philippines– Represented by Philippine Technological Council (PTC)Provisional Status Approved in 2016.
• Myanmar– Represented by Myanmar Engineering Council (MEngC)Provisional Status Approved in 2019.
• Indonesia– Represented by Indonesian Accreditation Board for Engineering Education (IABEE)Provisional Status Approved in 2019.

We will also accept an engineering degree (or higher qualification) from:

• Argentina – Catholic University of Argentina
• Brazil – Federal University of Minas Gerais
• Chile – Universidad Catolica del Norte
• Chile – Catholic University of Chile
• Chile – University of Chile
• Chile – University of Concepcion
• Finland – HUT, Helsinki
• Germany – RWTH, Aachen
• Germany – Technical University of Berlin
• Germany – Technical University of Clausthal
• Germany – TU Bergakademie Freiberg
• Germany – University of Hannover
• Hungary – University of Miskolc
• India – Anna University, Chennai
• India – Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi
• India – Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore
• India – Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• India – Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad
• Iran – Amir Kabir University of Technology
• Iran – University of Tehran
• People’s Republic of China – Beijing Normal University
• People’s Republic of China – Beijing Petroleum University
• People’s Republic of China – Beijing University of Chemical Technology
• People’s Republic of China – Beijing University of Technology
• People’s Republic of China – China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing
• People’s Republic of China – Guangzhou University
• People’s Republic of China – Shanghai University of Engineering Science
• People’s Republic of China – Shanghai Jiaotong University
• People’s Republic of China – Tongji University
• People’s Republic of China – Tsinghua University
• People’s Republic of China – University of Science and Technology, Beijing
• Philippines – University of the Philippines
• Poland – Wroclaw University of Technology
• Slovakia – TU Kosice
• Sweden – Lulea University of Technology
• Tanzania – University of Dar es Salaam

Notes:

Information is written to be read with the legislation ie,  Migration Act 1958 (“the Act”) and Migration Regulations 1994 (“the Regulations”) and associated administrative processes.