DFAT Graduate Program 2028: Timeline, Salary, Eligibility, Acceptance Rate

Applications for the 2028 DFAT Graduate Program are not open yet: on 1 November 2026 DFAT's graduate page said the 2027 program had closed and that you can register your interest in the 2028 program and be notified when applications open. DFAT has published no 2028 dates; for the 2027 program applications opened in March 2026 and closed in April 2026, so we expect the 2028 round around March–April 2027 (our expectation, not an announced date: check dfat.gov.au).

For the 2027 program DFAT lists a salary of $84,115 plus 15.4% superannuation at APS 4 on commencement, rising to $92,753 plus 15.4% super at APS 5 when you complete the 18-month program. You must be an Australian citizen when you apply, and for the 2027 program you needed at least a bachelor's degree completed between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2026. We found no official acceptance rate. This guide sets out the official timeline, salary, eligibility rules, streams and selection stages, and how to prepare before the round opens.

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DFAT Graduate program and Graduate selection process pages, read 1 November 2026.

Two DFAT pages give the official picture: the Graduate program page (salary, streams, eligibility) and the Graduate selection process page (timeline and stages). Both pages invited you to register your interest in the 2028 program when we read them.

After the eligibility check, the online assessment is the first assessment stage. DFAT's selection page describes it as a "behavioural and/or psychometric assessment" and names no test provider, length or question types. Start a short free sample below: it mixes reasoning and behavioural questions in our timed practice player and explains every answer. Our DFAT online assessment guide covers this stage in detail, and the APS graduate aptitude test guide covers aptitude tests across APS graduate programs.

DFAT published a recruitment calendar for the 2027 program. Here it is, with the dates we expect for the 2028 program if DFAT repeats it. The right-hand column is our expectation, shifted by one year; DFAT has not announced any of it.

Two things follow from this calendar. First, the 2027 window was short: applications opened in March 2026 and closed in April 2026 (DFAT gives months, not exact dates), so it pays (our advice) to have your degree details, your study and work history and examples of your experience ready before the 2028 round opens. Second, the published calendar allows roughly 10 to 11 months between the application window and the February 2027 start (our arithmetic), covering selection, recommendations and the security clearance; letters of offer are scheduled for October to December 2026, pending the grant of the clearance. To hear when the 2028 round opens, use the register-your-interest link on DFAT's Graduate program page.

DFAT states the classification and salary on its program summary. For the 2027 program:

Superannuation is paid by the employer on top of salary, so the 15.4% does not come out of your pay. DFAT also lists training from its Diplomatic Academy, generous leave, employee networks, an inclusive and flexible workplace and a relocation package if you move to Canberra from within Australia. DFAT has not yet published a 2028 salary; we expect it with the 2028 recruitment information. The figures above are the 2027 program's.

DFAT's graduate page sets these rules for the 2027 program, on top of its general eligibility requirements:

Two DFAT pages put the security interview slightly differently. The graduate page says the interview "will be conducted in Australia"; DFAT's general eligibility page says that, depending on your circumstances, it may be by videoconference or you may need to travel to Canberra at your own expense, assessed case by case. Plan for travel if you are abroad. The clearance process can take several months and includes background checks with ASIO, and DFAT says an offer of employment may be withdrawn if you cannot get the required clearance.

The 18-month program has two streams, and DFAT says you can apply for either the Corporate or the Policy stream. Each graduate completes four placements.

DFAT says it looks for graduates who work collaboratively, manage relationships and show humility, drive and accountability, who are adaptable and resilient, and who solve problems through analytical thinking. Its AI guidelines ask you to use your own knowledge and specific examples from your experience, to be transparent and appropriately reference any AI tools or external support used to enhance your responses, and not to use AI tools during the interview or any assessment task; knowingly providing false statements may disqualify you. DFAT says its employees are required to uphold the APS Values (impartial, committed to service, accountable, respectful, ethical, and stewardship), and DFAT adds its own values of achievement, leadership and accountability, valuing people, and collaboration (APS and DFAT values). RecruitAbility applies: if you choose to apply under it, declare a disability and meet the minimum requirements, you are invited to further assessment (RecruitAbility).

For the one-way recorded stage, our DFAT video interview guide has a timed three-minute practice box.

We found no official acceptance rate. We checked its Graduate program and selection process pages and the "Managing our people" sections of its 2024–25 and 2025–26 annual reports: we found no figure for the number of graduate applications, offers or the size of the intake, so no official acceptance rate can be calculated. Treat any percentage you see on a forum or a jobs site as unverified unless it links to an official DFAT source.

What the official pages do show is how many separate hurdles there are: each of the online assessment, the video interview and the assessment centre is a separate stage, followed by referee checks and a merit pool, and an offer is conditional on an NV2 clearance that can take months. The part you control is preparation for each stage and having your clearance paperwork in order.

If you are not yet eligible, DFAT's Other opportunities page lists cadet programs for students completing a bachelor's degree, which it says are open to First Nations students and to students of an accounting or finance related discipline with at least 12 months of study remaining in the year they start. Cadets work a minimum of 600 hours a year across two rotations, have up to 36 months to finish, and move into a permanent job at DFAT on completion; Finance Stream cadets work in Canberra, First Nations cadets in Canberra or a state capital city. DFAT does not offer internships in Canberra, though some overseas posts run local internships. It also points to the New Colombo Plan for undergraduates and to programs at its portfolio agencies (Austrade, Tourism Australia and ACIAR). Experienced applicants can watch DFAT's current opportunities.