Australia•Oceania14-120 days
755 AUD
Up to 4 years (stream-dependent)
Yes
Not Required
Not Specified
No
Not Required
Temporary Work (International Relations) Visa.
The Australian Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) has six streams for foreign nationals linked to bilateral commitments: Government Agreement, Foreign Government Agency, Domestic Worker (Diplomatic/Consular), Privileges and Immunities, PALM, and MATES.
PALM lets Pacific Island and Timorese citizens work seasonally or up to 4 years; MATES offers Indian graduates aged 18-30 from top NIRF institutions a 2-year pathway with 3,000 ballot places per year. All streams require sponsorship or nomination; no PR pathway. Fees from AUD 375 (PALM AUD 355; Privileges: free).
This visa is ideal for diplomats, foreign government staff, Pacific Island workers seeking placements, and Indian graduates in engineering or technology fields.
Government Agreement, Foreign Government Agency, Domestic Worker, and MATES streams base fee | 375 AUD |
Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) stream base fee | 355 AUD |
Privileges and Immunities stream base fee | 0 AUD |
MATES stream ballot registration fee | 25 AUD |
3000
Must be sponsored or nominated by an approved Australian organisation (stream-dependent)
Meet Australian health requirements including medical exams, TB screening, and vaccinations if required
Police clearances required from all countries lived in for 12+ months over the past 10 years
Government Agreement stream: must work under a bilateral government agreement
Foreign Government Agency stream: letter of support from foreign government agency, ministry, mission, or international organisation
Domestic Worker (Diplomatic/Consular) stream: must be 18+ years old and have DFAT support
Privileges and Immunities stream: must hold or be expected to hold privileges under relevant Acts; DFAT letter of support required
PALM stream: must be a citizen and resident of a participating country (Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu) and sponsored by an approved PALM employer
MATES stream: Indian citizen aged 18–30, graduated within 2 years with a Bachelor's degree or higher in a targeted sector from a top 100 NIRF Indian institution, and selected in the MATES ballot (no job offer required if showing AUD 5,000 in savings)
Education
none or higher
Min. Savings
5,000 EUR
Valid passport
Sponsorship or nomination approval documentation (stream-dependent)
Letter of support from relevant government agency, DFAT, or international organisation (stream-dependent)
Police clearances from all countries lived in for 12+ months over the past 10 years
Health examination results (chest X-ray, medical, vaccinations as required)
Evidence of citizenship and residency for PALM stream
Proof of tertiary qualification and job offer (or AUD 5,000 savings) for MATES stream; job offer and recruitment approval for PALM stream
Evidence of age (18+ for Domestic Worker stream; 18–30 for MATES stream)
| Annual Allocation | 3000 | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Application Steps | Determine which stream applies to your situation; Confirm eligibility and obtain sponsorship or nomi… | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| English Min Score | IELTS: 6.0 overall (min 5.0 in each component); PTE: 50 overall (min 36 in each component) | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| English Test Name | IELTS or PTE Academic (MATES stream only) | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Fee Breakdown | Government Agreement, Foreign Government Agency, Domestic Worker, and MATES streams base fee: 375 AU… | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Fees | From AUD 375 (stream-dependent; Privileges and Immunities stream is free; PALM stream is AUD 355) | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Forms | Online application via ImmiAccount (no separate paper form) | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
| Included Nationalities | — | immi.homeaffairs.gov.au |
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