Graduate Temporary (Subclass 485) Visa

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This visa allows migrant students who have completed at least 2 years of study in Australia to live and work in the country for between 18 months and 4 years.

Visa streams

There are three streams for the Subclass 485 visa:

  • Graduate work

For students who have completed at least 2 years of study in Australia, and who nominate an occupation on one of the Australian Skilled Occupation Lists. The study undertaken must be closely related to the nominated occupation.

Length of stay
Subclass 485 visas granted under the Graduate work stream are valid for 18 months
 

  • Post-study work and the Second post-study work

This stream allows international students who have completed a bachelor's degree or higher at an Australian higher education institution to remain in Australia for up to 4 years. Applicants for this stream do not need to nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL).

Length of stay
Subclass 485 visas granted under the Post-study work stream are valid for between 18 months and 4 years, depending on the applicant's qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree or taught master's degree - 2 years
     

  • Research based master's degree - 3 years
     

  • PhD - 4 years

Application conditions

Unlike most General Skilled Migration visas, applications are not by invitation only, and applicants do not need to submit an Expression of Interest for this visa. However, there are some conditions applicants must meet in order to apply. Applicants must:

  • be older than 18 and less than 50 years of age when they apply
     

  • meet general Skilled Migration basic requirements, including English language, health, and character checks
     

  • meet the 2 year study requirement (see below)

  • Have a recent qualification in a CRICOS-registered course 

  • have held a student visa in the last 6 months 

 

Family

Family members can be included with this visa. Your children can be added up until a decision is made on your application. No other family members can be added to your application during this period.  

You can include the following family members in your visa application:

  • your partner
     

  • your or your partner's dependent child
     

  • your or your partner's dependent relative

 

Entitlements

This visa allows you and your dependants to:

  • temporarily live and work in Australia
     

  • study in Australia
     

  • travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid

 

2 year study requirement

In order to meet the requirements for this visa applicants have studied for, and been awarded, a qualification in Australia over the course of 2 years or more. The full requirements are as follows:

  • Applicants must have received a recognised diploma, trade qualification or degree (such as a bachelor's, master's, or PhD) from an Australian educational institution.
     

  • The course studied must be registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)
     

  • The qualification must have been received within the 6 months leading up to the application
     

  • The course must have taken at least 92 weeks of of study time, and must have taken place over at least 16 months
     

  • The course must have been taught in English
     

  • The student must have had a valid Australian student visa for the duration of their studies

Further Information, help, and advice

Workpermit.com has over twenty years of experience helping people immigrate to countries all over the World. If you feel that you can pass the points test and wish to immigrate to Australia, fill out our free assessment form and one of our representatives will contact you shortly.

For more information and advice on Australian immigration law and Australian visa applications please contact us on 0344 991 9222 or at london@workpermit.com