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Home / Migration / General Skilled Migration / Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)

Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)

The Temporary Graduate visa is specifically designed for recent international graduates who have completed at least 2 years of study from an Australian educational institution. Applicants are only allowed to hold one temporary visa as a primary applicant. Be aware of the eligibility criteria process at the time of applying for Temporary Graduate Visa  

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Streams 

The visa is divided into these streams 

Post-Vocational Education Work Stream

A visa in this stream is valid for up to 18 months and applicable to those international students who have: 

  • Finished 2 years of study in Australia  
  • Occupation listed on Skilled Occupation List  
  • A relevant skill assessment in that occupation 
Post-Higher Education Work Stream 

A visa in this stream is valid up to 3 years and applicable to those international students who have: 

  • Hold an Australian student visa  
  • Hold a recent degree from a CRICOS-registered course  
  • Hold a Bachelor, Master or Doctorate degree from an Australian education provider irrespective of their field of study. Visa duration depends on qualification level: Bachelor’s (2 years), Master’s (2-3 years), Doctorate (3 years), with possible extensions for regional study.
Second Post-Higher Education Work Stream 

Eligible Subclass 485 visa holders in the Second Post-Higher Education Work Stream can apply for a second Subclass 485 visa if they hold a previous visa in the Post-Higher Education Work Stream, Post-Study Work Stream, and have a degree from an Australian institution in a regional area. The duration is between 1 and 2 years, depending on the regional location of the educational institution and the regional area lived in.  

Note: The Replacement Stream, which this stream partially replaces for eligible prior holders, is closed to new primary applications from 1 July 2024. 

 

Benefits Of Temporary Graduate Visa 

  • You can include your eligible family members in the visa application.
  • It provides you and your family members a right to live, work or study along with the freedom to travel in and out of Australia for the duration of visa. 

 

Eligibility Criteria 

The key requirements to get eligible for this visa are 

  • You must be 35 years old or younger when you apply (50 years or younger if you have a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport). 
  • You must be inside Australia at the time of lodging a visa application 
  • You must be having a Australian Study requirements 
  • You must have applied for the visa within 6 months of receiving the results 
  • You must meet the specific requirements of each stream (Post-Vocational Education Work or Post-Higher Education Work) 
  • You must have health insurance for the duration of stay in Australia 
  • You must have at least competent English (updated requirements effective 23 March 2024: IELTS overall 6.5 with no band below 5.5; tests valid for 12 months; One Skill Retake accepted; transitional rules for tests between August 2024 and August 2025; further updates to accepted tests effective 7 August 2025) 
  • You can apply for this visa once in lifetime 

 

Study requirements to be met before applying for the Temporary Graduate Visa 

You can only meet the Australian study requirement if your course(s) is/are 

  • Registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS) 
  • Conducted in English 
  • Include a duration period of minimum 92 weeks over at least 16 calendar months 
  • Undertaken on a valid student visa in Australia 
  • Not Associated with English language proficiency or enabling programs 

 

Health & Character Requirements

  • You and the dependent family members in your application must undergo medical examinations to fulfil the health requirements. 
  • To meet character requirements, you must show confirmation of having applied for an Australian Federal Police check (with 12 months’ validity) before you lodge for a visa. 

 

Health Insurance Requirements 

  • You must have appropriate level of health insurance to cover the health costs of you and your family members for the duration of stay in Australia. 
  • Your health insurer can either be in Australia or in your home country. 
  • If you are applying for a temporary graduate visa in Australia, you must have an active health insurance before lodging for a visa application. 
  • If you are still on student visa, Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) will be accepted when you lodge your application for Temporary Graduate visa. However, if you no longer hold the student visa or granted a bridging visa, OSHC will not be accepted. 

No debts to the Australian Government You must not have any outstanding debts to the Australian Government when the visa is granted. 

 

Eligible Family Members To Include In Visa Application 

You can include following family members in your visa application 

  • Your spouse 
  • Dependent Children (under 18 or studying full-time & financially dependent, 18-23) 
FAQs About Temporary Graduate Visa (SUBCLASS 485)

If you are applying this visa under the post-study work stream, a skill assessment is not needed. Only if you are applying under the Graduate stream, you must provide an evidence of having your skills assessed by the relevant authority. 

While the checklist varies depending on different cases, some of the common documents required are: Current passports or travel documents; Copy of birth certificate showing parents of both primary applicant and the spouse; Evidence of name change; Certified copies of marriage certificates; If you are in de facto relationship, evidence showing a relationship for at least 12 months is required; If the spouse is widowed, divorced or separated permanently, a certified copy of death certificate, divorce or separation documents are required; Health & Character documents. 

The Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) is a temporary visa option for international students who have recently completed their studies in Australia. It allows eligible graduates to live, study, and work in Australia temporarily after their studies. 

To be eligible for the Subclass 485 visa in Australia, you must have recently completed a qualification from an Australian educational institution. There are two streams under this visa: the Post-Vocational Education Work stream and the Post-Higher Education Work stream. The eligibility criteria vary depending on the stream you apply for. 

The Post-Vocational Education Work Stream in Australia is for graduates with skills and qualifications that are relevant to specific occupations in demand in the country. To apply for this stream, you need to have completed a qualification that is closely related to an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list. 

The Post-Higher Education Work Stream in Australia is for graduates who have completed a higher education degree (bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral) from an Australian educational institution. The length of the visa granted under this stream depends on the level of qualification completed. 

The length of the Subclass 485 visa in Australia depends on the stream you apply for and the level of qualification you have completed. The Post-Higher Education Work stream can provide a visa for up to 3 years for eligible applicants. 

Yes, the Subclass 485 visa in Australia allows you to work in the country. The Post-Higher Education Work stream even offers unrestricted work rights, allowing you to work full-time.

Yes, you can study on the Subclass 485 visa in Australia. However, the main purpose of this visa is to allow graduates to gain work experience in the country related to their field of study. 

Yes, you can include certain family members, such as your partner and dependent children, in your visa application for Australia. They will have the same visa duration and work rights as you.

The Subclass 485 visa itself is a temporary visa and does not lead directly to permanent residency in Australia. However, the work experience gained during your stay in the country could potentially contribute to your eligibility for other permanent residency pathways, such as employer-sponsored visas or skilled migration visas. 

You need to apply for the Subclass 485 visa online through the Australian Department of Home Affairs website. Make sure to provide all required documents and meet the eligibility criteria for the stream you’re applying to. 

It’s recommended to apply for the visa within six months of completing your studies in Australia, as the eligibility requirements often include having recently graduated from an Australian institution. 

Overall score of at least 6.5 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each module (Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking), or hold an eligible passport from the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, or Ireland. The English language score for Subclass 485 is valid for 12 months immediately before applying for your visa. Updated from 23 March 2024 to include higher thresholds and One Skill Retake for IELTS; revised accepted tests effective 7 August 2025.

Visa Class

General Skilled Migration Visa essentially serves the best to those skilled workers who are willing to live and work in Australia on a permanent basis.

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Visa Subclass
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