Article Author
Jason ZHANG
Introduction
China joined the Washington Accord in 2016. Since then, engineering graduates from certain universities have become eligible to apply for the Subclass 476 visa within two years of graduating.
The number of eligible graduates is actually quite significant — yet the vast majority are unaware that such a favourable visa option exists for them.
The full list of Washington Accord signatory countries can be found here: https://www.ieagreements.org/accords/washington/signatories/
Engineering
Which Engineering Programmes in China Are Accredited?
Engineer
As shown in the diagram above, accreditation of engineering programmes in China is administered by the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST). A specific list of accredited programmes does exist — it is available on the website of the China Engineering Education Accreditation Association (CEEAA):
https://www.ceeaa.org.cn
The website provides a searchable link to the list of accredited programmes.
Since the link above can be difficult to access, I searched online and found the June 2022 accreditation list on the Ministry of Education website:http://www.moe.gov.cn/s78/A08/tongzhi/202206/W020220629313352626682.pdf
It is a PDF document, which makes searching far more convenient.
Engineering
What Does an Accredited Programme Actually Get You?
Engineer
Opening the list at that link, you will see that nationwide, 288 universities and 1,977 programmes have received accreditation.This means that of these 1,977 programmes, any graduate who meets the following two requirements can obtain a positive skills assessment for Australian skilled migration through their academic qualifications alone.
Skills assessment for migration:
1. The programme was completed from 2016 (the year China joined the Washington Accord) or later
2. Programmes marked in the list’s “expiry date” column as “(conditional)” are excluded
Obtaining a positive skills assessment addresses the most fundamental hurdle in Australian skilled migration. For further detail, see the article 《The Three Core Challenges of Australian Skilled Migration》。
Engineering
Which Programmes Qualify for the Subclass 476 Visa?
Engineer
As shown in the image above, the green sectionrequires that your institution be specified in a legislative instrument (standard migration-law terminology; those familiar with the field will know the term).the blue sectionsimply requires that the field of study be specified in a legislative instrument. That instrument is IMMI 14/010, downloadable here: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2014L00130/Download
As shown below, the green sectionspecifies that your institution simply needs to appear on the accredited-institutions list of a Washington Accord signatory country and have at least one accredited programme, while the blue sectionindicates that any Engineeringdegree qualifies:
This means that if a university has even a single accredited programme, all of its engineering programmes qualify for the Subclass 476 visa.This covers the vast majority of Chinese universities ranked at the Tier 2 level and above.
For example, take Jimei University. This university has only one accredited programme — “Food Science and Engineering” — yet all engineering programmes at this university qualify for the Subclass 476 visa.
The Department of Home Affairs’ Interpretation: Confirmed.
Don’t take my word for it — the Department of Home Affairs’ own view is equally clear. According to the Procedure Advice Manual (PAM), which all licensed migration agents are familiar with,the Department explicitly states: “Use of the Washington Accord does not limit the course to an accredited course,”as shown in the image below:
The red-highlighted section in the image above fully confirms this interpretation.
Engineering
Beyond Academic Qualifications:
What Other Requirements Does the Subclass 476 Visa Have?
Engineer
The Subclass 476 is a work visa. It permits holders to live and work in Australia for up to two years. In addition to the academic requirements outlined above, the following basic criteria apply:
1. The visa application must be lodged within two years of graduation(note: engineering master’s and doctoral graduates are also eligible within two years of completing their degree）
2. At the time of application, the applicant must hold English language results equivalent to an overall IELTS score of 6.0, with no individual band below 5.0(roughly equivalent to CET-4 or above)
3. 3. Must be under 31 years of age at the time of application
4. Visa application fee: AUD $425
5. Must meet health requirements
6. Must have no criminal record
This visa has no financial or assets requirement. It is ideal for engineering graduates with solid English who want to work and experience life in Australia — particularly those from modest financial backgrounds who may not have the savings for full-time study but are happy to work in Australia for a period(Australia’s national minimum wage is AUD $22.33 per hour, equivalent to approximately RMB 100 per hour).
After two years in Australia, once sufficient savings have been built up, it is entirely possible to onshore transfer to a student visa, and upon meeting the requirements, there are very real pathways to applying for permanent residency.
The one drawback is that once a Subclass 476 visa has been granted, any future student visa application will make the holder ineligible for the Subclass 485 Graduate Work visa after completing their studies.
If this applies to you, now is the time to act!
End of article.
If you are an engineering graduate in China who meets the requirements,
or if your visa is about to expire and you need extension options,
add our customer service contact below and we will arrange a consultant for you.
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