The Australian Government has announced that as part of the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA) the Innovation and Early Careers Skills Exchange Pilot (IECSEP) will be introduced to provide new opportunities for UK citizens to take their next career step in Australia through the introduction of a new Australian visa stream aimed at facilitating work in Australia for UK citizens.

The purpose of IECSEP is to build on the existing connections between Australia and the UK by establishing a new and streamlined mobility pathway for early career professionals and demonstrated innovators from the UK.

Program Streams:

There are two streams under the IECSEP:

• the Early Careers Skills stream, which will allow participants to undertake a short-term placement, secondement, or intra-corporate transfer for up to one year in Australia.
• the Innovation stream, which will allow highly skilled and experienced participants, with a demonstrated contribution to innovation, to undertake opportunities for up to three years in Australia.

Eligibility Criteria:

All IECSEP applicants must be able to demonstrate UK citizenship, and that they have adequate financial means to support themselves for the duration of their stay in Australia ($5,000 plus the fare to where the applicant is going to after Australia).

All IECSEP applicants must have a confirmed job in Australia to be eligible to participate in the IECSEP. Applicants will need to provide DFAT with either a letter of employment offer, or a copy of an employment contract, to prove their prospective employment in Australia when they submit their application.

To be eligible for the Early Careers stream applicants must:

• be aged between 21 and 45 (inclusive) at the time of application;
• hold tertiary qualifications;
• have worked for at least 3 months in their current role, and the prospective employment in Australia; must be relevant to the applicant’s field of work in their current role; and
• have prospective employment in Australia in an occupation defined at the ANZSCO Skill Levels 1, 2 or 3.

To be eligible for the Innovation stream applicants must:

• have a demonstrated contribution to innovation;
• be highly skilled;
• be highly experienced; and
• have prospective employment in Australia in an occupation defined at the ANZSCO Skill Level 1.

Application Information:

Total visas available under the IECSEP will be 1,000 in the first year, and 2,000 in the second year of operation, during which the program will be reviewed.

IECSEP is now open for applications.

The current round for the Early Careers stream will close at 11.59pm (GMT) on 31 December 2024.

The current round for the Innovation stream will close at 11.59pm (GMT) on 31 December 2024.

The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) may close application rounds with respect of one or both IECSEP streams on a date before the advertised times above.

Benefit for Employers and Businesses:

The Australian Government has highlighted that the purpose of IECSEP is to recognise the importance of innovation and skills mobility to the economies of Australia and the United Kingdom.

The IECSEP will provide Australian employers with an opportunity to access innovative and early-career professionals from the UK, through the pilot of a new and streamlined temporary mobility pathway from the UK to Australia. UK organisations are intended to benefit from employee upskilling, as well as a way of providing key staff with an international career development opportunity.

Disclaimer:

The information on this website is intended only to provide a summary and general overview on relevant matters. It is not intended to be comprehensive nor does it constitute legal advice. You are advised to seek legal or other professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content contained in this website.