The ballot for the 2025-26 Mobility Arrangement for Talented Early-professionals Scheme (MATES) opened on November 1, 2025 and will close on December 14, 2025.
MATES is a stream of the Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403). It allows skilled Indian graduates and early-career professionals to gain valuable work experience in Australia without employer sponsorship.
Applicants must have graduated on or after November 1, 2023, with an eligible qualification from a Top 100 institution on the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) India Rankings Overall 2024 List.
If successful, applicants can:
- live and work in Australia for up to two years
- bring eligible family members (who are not included in the annual cap)
- gain international work experience in key growth sectors.
Each year, up to 3,000 primary applicants are selected through a ballot process. The ballot selection period will run from December 15, 2025 to June 30, 2026.
Those selected through the ballot will be notified by the Department and invited to lodge a visa application. The ballot registration fee is AUD 25.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
Erickson Immigration Group will continue monitoring developments and sharing updates as more news is available. Please contact your employer or EIG attorney if you have questions about anything we’re reporting above or if you have case-specific questions.