Graduate Temporary Visa
Upon completing your studies in Australia, the temporary graduate visa (subclass 485) enables you to continue residing, studying, or working within the country.
The subclass 485 visa presents a favourable prospect for international students to obtain work experience and potentially qualify for permanent residency in Australia.
From 1 July 2023, a duration of up to 6 years, graduates may work either full-time or part-time. Further, it can provide a pathway to other visas, including the skilled visa subclass 189 or 190.
Subclass 485 Visa Streams
The Temporary Graduate Visa comprises of four distinct streams:
- Graduate Work;
- Post-Study Work;
- Second Post-Study Work; and
- Replacement.
Please note that you can only select one visa stream when applying, as it is not permitted to change streams after submission.
Graduate Work Stream
This visa is for recently graduate international students to allows you to remain in Australia for typically 18 months, which has been temporarily extended to 24 months for visas granted from 1 December 2021. During your stay, you have the freedom to travel, work, or study within Australia.
If you hold a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport, you may remain in Australia for up to 5 years. This is a temporary visa, and it is granted with multiple entries, enabling you to exit and re-enter Australia as many times as you desire while the visa remains valid.
Please note that you are unable to extend this visa.
Post-Study Work Stream
This visa allows you to remain in Australia for a period ranging from 2 to 4 years after completing your studies. During this time, you are free to travel, work, or continue your studies within the country.
The duration of your stay in Australia depends on your level of Australian study qualification. If you hold a bachelor’s degree (including Honours), you can stay for up to 2 years. For masters by research and coursework, as well as extended masters programs, the maximum stay is 3 years. If you are pursuing a doctoral degree, you can stay for up to 4 years. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders who successfully complete a bachelor’s, masters, or doctoral degree may remain in Australia for up to 5 years.
Please note that the visa becomes valid from the date it is granted.
Please note that you are unable to extend this visa.
Second Post-Study Work stream
This visa allows you to stay in Australia for a period of 1 to 2 years and permits you to travel, work or study during your stay.
The duration of your stay will be based on the region where you studied as a student visa holder and where you reside as a temporary graduate visa holder in the post-study work stream or replacement stream. If you studied and live in a Category 2 area, you can stay for up to 1 year. Please note that a Category 2 area is places such as Adelaide, Newcastle, Geelong, the Sunshine Coast and cities and other major regional centres. Please note that if you have studied in Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane – you are not covered by the Category 2 classification.
However, if you studied and reside in a Category 3 area, you can stay for up to 2 years. Please note that places such as Canberra, Darwin, Armidale, Lismore, Bathurst, Ballarat, fall into the Category 3 classification.
Please note that you are unable to extend this visa.
Replacement Stream
This stream enables visa holders to apply for another 485 visa for the same duration as their original visa, provided they were unable to stay in Australia for the full period of their previous visa due to COVID restrictions that were in effect between 1 February 2020, and 14 December 2021.
To be eligible for this stream you must meet the requirements. This visa allows you to stay in Australia for between 2 to 4 years depending on your individual circumstances. Please note that Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders who successfully complete a bachelor’s, masters, or doctoral degree may remain in Australia for up to 5 years.
Please note that there is a government induced cut-off date of 1 January 2027 for this stream. You will be required to make your application for this visa prior to that date.
Please note that you are unable to extend this visa. However, if you have studied in a regional area while on a student visa and have lived, worked, and/or studied in a regional area while holding your Replacement stream visa, you may qualify for a Second Post-Study Work stream visa.
Am I Eligible For A Subclass 485 Visa?
To be eligible for the subclass 485 visa, you must meet the basic requirements which are as follows:
- You must be under 50 years of age.
- You must hold an eligible visa.
- You must have held a student visa in the last 6 months.
- You must have completed a qualification in a course that is registered under CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students).
- You must meet the character and health requirements.
- You and all dependents must have the appropriate health insurance cover.
- You must not have any debt to the Australian government.
- You must have applied for a national police check.
- You must provide evidence of the required level of English.
- You must meet the additional requirements of the relevant stream.
It’s important to note that each stream of the Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) may have specific eligibility criteria that you must also satisfy.
Please note that the Department of Home Affairs does not assist visa applicants with finding employment.
For more detailed information on the eligibility requirements, it’s recommended to check the Department of Home Affairs website or contact Wickham International.
Estimate Costs
The application fee for the temporary graduate visa (subclass 485) varies depending on the type of visa you are applying for.
Furthermore, the processing time for your application will be contingent on the work stream you have chosen. For example, as of 1 April 2023, the visa application fees for the primary applicant for the Second Post-Study Work stream is currently AUD680. Whereas, the Graduate work stream is currently AUD1, 730.
If you are applying for the temporary graduate visa (subclass 485) alongside family members, be aware that there will be an additional fee for each individual. Furthermore, any additional entrants who apply for the visa after you will be required to pay the full visa application charge.
Further, there are additional costs prior to making this visa application such as you will be required to pay for health assessments, overseas health cover, police clearances, and biometric screenings.
Extension of Post-Study Work Rights
The extended post-study work rights under the Temporary Graduate Work visa (subclass 485) are specifically targeted towards international students who have completed degrees that are associated with skill shortages in Australia. These eligible graduates will benefit from an increase in their post-study ‘stay and work’ period as follows:
- Bachelor degree graduates will now be able to stay and work for four years, instead of the previous two years.
- Master degree graduates will now be able to stay and work for five years, instead of the previous three years.
- Doctoral graduates will now be able to stay and work for six years, instead of the previous four years.
It’s important to note that these extensions are in addition to the existing one to two years of additional work rights that are available to eligible students who study, live, and work in regional areas.
To be eligible for this extension, you must meet the eligibility criteria for the Post-Study Work stream of the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), and your qualification must be listed as eligible (see below).
Additionally, one of the following conditions must also apply to you:
- You already hold a Temporary Graduate visa (Post-Study Work stream) on 1 July 2023.
- You have submitted an application for a Temporary Graduate visa (Post-Study Work stream) by 1 July 2023.
- You submit an application for a Temporary Graduate visa (Post-Study Work stream) after 1 July 2023.
Assistance to those affected by Covid-19
If your Temporary Graduate visa expired or will expire between 1 September 2022 and 1 July 2023, or if you were in Australia throughout the pandemic period and are not eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa Replacement stream, you may be eligible for the COVID-19 Pandemic Event (subclass 408) visa, which allows for a 2-year stay period.
To be eligible, you must be currently working in Australia or have a job offer.
To apply for the Pandemic Event visa, you must submit your application 90 days before your Temporary Graduate visa expires, or within 28 days after your Temporary Graduate visa expires. It’s important to note that if you are granted a 408 Pandemic Event visa, you will not be eligible to apply separately for an extended Temporary Graduate visa. Therefore, we advise you to carefully evaluate your options before applying.
Additionally, the requirement to nominate an occupation from the skilled occupation list and obtain a skills assessment has been removed for Temporary Graduate visa Graduate Work stream applications lodged between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023.
Can Wickham International Help Me Apply for a 485 visa?
Our team can offer international students’ thorough guidance on its benefits and prerequisites of the Temporary Graduate Visa – Subclass 485.
We can further assist graduates with the subclass 485 visa application process, help them prepare the required documentation, and facilitate the identification of potential job prospects while also preparing them for job interviews.