The Australian Department of Home Affairs has issued a warning to Indian nationals about potential scams linked to the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES).
MATES, a temporary mobility pathway, allows Indian graduates and early-career professionals in fields such as renewable energy, engineering, ICT, AI, and fintech to live and work in Australia for up to two years.
Highlights:
- New MATES Visa Scheme: Indian graduates to live and work in Australia for up to two years under Subclass 403 Visa.
- 3,000 Visa Places Annually: The program will offer 3,000 spots each year, selected through a pre-application ballot.
- Eligible fields: Renewable energy, Mining, Engineering, Information Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Financial Technology, and Agricultural Technology.
- No Employer Sponsorship Required: Applicants do not need employer sponsorship
Home Affairs has stressed that official communication for those selected in the MATES ballot will:
- Come from an email ending in @homeaffairs.gov.au
- Include a unique Registration ID number
- Match details in the applicant’s ImmiAccount
Warning signs of scams:
- Emails requesting payments, passwords, or bank details should not be trusted.
The department encourages reporting suspicious activity via its Border Watch platform. More information is available in the MATES factsheet on the Home Affairs website.
Indian nationals interested in applying must register in the pre-application ballot, and only those invited can proceed with visa applications.
The scheme offers 3,000 Subclass 403 visas annually, with applicants selected through a pre-application ballot. The announcement, which came as a special Diwali gift, marks a significant step forward in strengthening the two nations’ ties.
The program is a key feature of the Australia-India Migration and Mobility Partnership Arrangement (MMPA), signed in May 2023, which aims to promote two-way migration and enhance collaboration between the two countries.
The scheme will benefit both nations by facilitating skills transfer and offering Australian industries access to some of India’s most talented graduates, particularly in high-demand fields such as renewable energy, mining, engineering, information technology, artificial intelligence, financial technology, and agricultural technology.
Key eligibility criteria for the MATES scheme include:
- Age Limit: Applicants must be 30 years or younger at the time of application.
- Educational Qualification: A Bachelor’s degree or higher in eligible fields.
- Graduation Timeline: The degree must have been obtained within two years of applying.
- English Language Proficiency: An IELTS score of at least 6 (with a minimum of 5 in each section) or an equivalent.
- Previous Participation: Applicants must not have participated in MATES before.
The first MATES visa ballot opened on 9 December 2024. Successful applicants will have 12 months to make their first entry into Australia and can stay for up to 24 months with multiple entries allowed.
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