The MATES visa Australia pathway allows eligible Indian graduates and early-career professionals to live and work in Australia for up to two years.
MATES stands for the Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme. Although applicants commonly call it the “MATES visa,” it is not a separate visa subclass. Applicants use the MATES stream of the Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (Subclass 403).
Unlike many Australian work pathways, MATES does not require applicants to secure employer sponsorship before entering the process. Eligible applicants first register for a ballot. Home Affairs then randomly selects applicants and invites successful participants to apply for the visa.
Quick Answer: What Is the MATES Visa in Australia?
MATES is a temporary mobility scheme for eligible Indian nationals who are recent graduates or early-career professionals with qualifications in targeted fields.
Successful participants can live and work in Australia for up to two years. The MATES program offers up to 3,000 places for primary applicants per program year and uses a random ballot to determine who can apply.
The process generally involves:
- Checking that you meet the MATES requirements.
- Registering for the ballot through ImmiAccount while registrations are open.
- Waiting for the random selection process.
- Receiving a Notification of Selection if Home Affairs selects you.
- Applying for the Subclass 403 MATES stream within the required period.
- Waiting for Home Affairs to assess the visa application.
If Home Affairs selects you in the ballot, you can proceed with the visa application. Selection does not guarantee that Home Affairs will grant the visa.
Who Can Apply for the MATES Visa?
MATES specifically targets eligible Indian nationals.
To register for the ballot, applicants must meet requirements including:
- holding a valid Indian passport
- holding a valid PAN card
- being aged 18 to 30 inclusive at the beginning of the relevant ballot registration period
- having an ImmiAccount and valid email address
- paying the applicable ballot registration fee
The ballot represents only the first stage of the process. Additional requirements apply when you submit the visa application.
Applicants need to have graduated within the required period from an eligible educational institution and hold a Bachelor degree or higher relevant to one of the targeted MATES sectors.
Home Affairs bases the eligible institution requirements on specified institutions in India’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Overall list. Applicants should therefore check the current Home Affairs requirements rather than assuming that any Indian university qualifies.
Which Fields Are Eligible for MATES?
MATES does not cover every academic or professional field. It targets qualifications relevant to specific sectors.
These include:
- renewable energy
- mining
- engineering
- information and communications technology
- artificial intelligence
- financial technology
- agricultural technology
Your qualification must relate to an eligible sector. Graduating from an eligible institution alone does not make you eligible if your qualification does not meet the relevant requirements.
What Are the MATES Visa Australia Requirements?
In addition to securing a place through the ballot, applicants need to satisfy the requirements for the Subclass 403 MATES stream.
Depending on your circumstances, these include:
- meeting the age requirement
- holding the required Indian identity documents
- having graduated within the required period
- graduating from an eligible institution
- holding an eligible Bachelor degree or higher
- having a qualification relevant to a targeted sector
- meeting the applicable English requirement
- demonstrating sufficient financial capacity
- having adequate health insurance
- meeting health and character requirements
- not having previously participated in MATES
It is important to distinguish ballot eligibility from visa eligibility. Meeting the requirements to enter the ballot does not automatically mean you satisfy every requirement for the subsequent visa application.
How Does the MATES Visa Australia Ballot Work?
You cannot apply directly for the MATES stream simply because you meet the eligibility requirements.
First, you must register through ImmiAccount during an open MATES ballot registration period and pay the applicable registration fee.
Home Affairs then places valid registrations into a random selection process. This means MATES does not operate on a first-come, first-served basis.
If Home Affairs selects your registration, it sends you a Notification of Selection. You then have a limited period in which to submit the actual visa application.
Applicants whom Home Affairs does not select cannot lodge a MATES stream application using that ballot registration. They may be able to register for a future ballot if they still meet the eligibility requirements.
Is the MATES Visa Australia Ballot Open in 2026?
MATES operates through annual ballot periods, so applicants should always check the current registration dates before applying.
For the 2025–26 program year, registrations opened on 1 November 2025 and closed on 14 December 2025. The selection period ran until 30 June 2026.
Those dates do not apply to future rounds. Prospective applicants should check the current MATES information published by the Department of Home Affairs for the next available ballot and its applicable deadlines.
How Do You Apply for the MATES Visa?
The application process has two main stages: entering the ballot and applying for the visa if Home Affairs selects you.
1. Check Your Eligibility
Check whether you meet both the ballot requirements and the requirements that would apply to the visa application.
2. Register for the Ballot
Register through ImmiAccount during the applicable registration period and pay the ballot registration fee.
3. Wait for Selection
Home Affairs enters eligible registrations into the random ballot. You can only proceed to a MATES stream visa application if Home Affairs selects your registration.
4. Apply for the Visa
If Home Affairs selects you, follow the instructions in your Notification of Selection and lodge your Subclass 403 MATES stream application within the specified timeframe.
You can be inside or outside Australia when registering for the ballot. However, you must be outside Australia when lodging the MATES stream visa application.
What Documents Are Required for a MATES Visa Australia Application?
The documents you need depend on your circumstances, but you should prepare evidence that supports the requirements of your application.
This can include:
- passport and identity documents
- PAN card
- qualification and graduation evidence
- evidence relating to your educational institution
- English language evidence
- evidence of financial capacity
- health insurance information
- health and character documents
Home Affairs gives successful ballot participants a limited period in which to submit their visa applications. Preparing relevant supporting documents in advance can therefore make the application stage easier to manage.
Make sure the information you provide during ballot registration also matches the information in your subsequent visa application.
How Much Does the MATES Visa Australia Cost?
Applicants need to consider separate costs for entering the ballot and applying for the visa.
The ballot has its own registration fee. If Home Affairs selects you, you must then pay the applicable Subclass 403 visa application charge when lodging your application.
Visa charges can change, so check the current Department of Home Affairs fees before registering or applying rather than relying on an older figure.
Additional expenses may include English testing, health examinations, police certificates, health insurance and document preparation.
Do You Need a Job Offer for the MATES Visa?
You do not need a job offer to enter the MATES ballot.
This is an important difference between MATES and pathways that depend on an Australian employer sponsoring or nominating a worker.
However, receiving a MATES visa does not mean that someone will arrange employment for you. Visa eligibility and finding a suitable job in Australia are separate matters.
If your main objective is employment in Australia, the Work Visa page provides an overview of other work visa options that may be relevant.
Can You Bring Your Family on MATES?
You may include eligible members of your family unit in your MATES stream visa application.
Home Affairs does not count accompanying eligible family members towards the annual allocation of primary MATES places.
However, applicants should not confuse MATES with visas specifically designed for family migration. The 870 visa is a temporary pathway for eligible sponsored parents, while the 143 visa is a permanent Contributory Parent visa.
How Long Can You Stay in Australia on MATES?
The MATES stream can allow successful participants to live and work in Australia for up to two years.
It is a temporary pathway and does not itself provide Australian permanent residence.
If your longer-term goal is to remain in Australia, you would need to determine whether you qualify for another visa under the requirements that apply at that time. IC Australia’s Permanent Residency Visa Options provides an overview of permanent migration pathways.
MATES Visa vs Other Australian Work Visas
MATES has a specific purpose and target group, so applicants should not treat it as interchangeable with other temporary Australian visas.
The 407 visa focuses on eligible occupational training and professional development.
The Subclass 400 visa covers certain short-term, highly specialised work or activities.
MATES instead gives eligible Indian graduates and early-career professionals a temporary mobility opportunity through the Subclass 403 MATES stream.
The appropriate pathway depends on factors such as your nationality, qualifications, purpose for coming to Australia and the type of work or activity you intend to undertake.
Does MATES Lead to Permanent Residency?
MATES does not provide permanent residency by itself.
Working in Australia through MATES also does not guarantee that you will later qualify for permanent residence. You would need to meet the eligibility requirements for any future temporary or permanent visa you decide to pursue.
Applicants should therefore consider MATES for the temporary opportunity it provides to live and work in Australia rather than as a guaranteed route to permanent residency.
Common MATES Visa Mistakes
Common misunderstandings include:
- assuming MATES is a separate visa subclass
- assuming all Indian graduates qualify
- overlooking the eligible institution requirement
- assuming any degree or field of study qualifies
- confusing ballot eligibility with visa eligibility
- assuming ballot registration guarantees selection
- assuming selection guarantees a visa grant
- missing the application deadline after selection
- assuming an Australian employer must sponsor you
- treating MATES as an automatic route to permanent residency
Checking the eligibility requirements before entering the ballot can prevent problems later if Home Affairs selects your registration.
Where to Go Next
If you’re exploring MATES and other Australian migration pathways, these IC Australia resources can help:
FAQs
Yes. MATES operates as a stream of the Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (Subclass 403). Applicants commonly call it the MATES visa, but MATES itself is not a separate visa subclass.
Yes. The MATES pathway specifically targets eligible Indian nationals. Applicants need to meet the nationality and identity requirements that apply to the ballot and subsequent visa application.
Applicants must be aged 18 to 30 inclusive at the beginning of the relevant ballot registration period.
No. You must first register for the MATES ballot. Home Affairs must then select you before you can lodge an application for the Subclass 403 MATES stream.
The MATES program offers up to 3,000 places for primary applicants per program year. Home Affairs does not count eligible accompanying family members towards this allocation.
Conclusion
The MATES visa Australia pathway gives eligible Indian graduates and early-career professionals an opportunity to live and work in Australia for up to two years.
The main point to understand is that MATES is not a separate visa subclass. It operates through the MATES stream of the Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (Subclass 403), and Home Affairs uses a pre-application ballot to determine who can apply.
Applicants should check both stages carefully: whether they qualify to enter the ballot and whether they can meet the full visa requirements if Home Affairs selects them. Pay particular attention to age, graduation timing, the eligible institution requirements and whether your qualification relates to one of the targeted sectors.
If you’re unsure whether MATES or another Australian work pathway is appropriate for your circumstances, book a consultation with IC Australia to discuss your options.
Claire Dawson
Australian visa content specialist focused on skilled migration, employer sponsorship, partner visas, student pathways, and long-term options for moving to Australia.
