Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485

This is a temporary visa that allows recent graduates to live, work and study in Australia after the completion of their studies. The Temporary Graduate Visa allows international students who have recently graduated from an Australian Educational Institution to continue residing in Australia temporarily after the completion of their current degree.

There are two streams via which individuals can apply for a 485 visa and it is one of the best ways for recent graduates to extend their stay in Australia which increases their chances of bagging a permanent residency visa. Applicants can apply through one of the two streams according to their eligibility; the Graduate Work Stream and the Post-Study Work Stream.

Graduate Work Stream

The Graduate Work Stream pathway allows applicants who have recently graduated with skills and qualifications that are pertinent to the list of eligible skilled occupations to stay in Australia after the completion of their studies. Applicants who are granted this visa can continue living in Australia for up to 18 months generally. The stay period can be temporarily increased to 24 months for visas granted from 1 December 2021 and Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may stay for 5 years.

This visa lets you live, study and work in Australia temporarily and bring your family members at the same time or as subsequent entrants. You must apply from within Australia for this visa type and there is no option to extend this visa. Once granted, applicants can travel in and out of Australia as many times as they like. The graduate work stream is for international students who hold an eligible qualification and have graduated with skills and qualifications required for an occupation on the list of eligible skilled occupations.

Eligibility criteria for the 485 visa via the Graduate Work Stream

1. You must be under 50 years of age.
2. You must currently hold a student visa, or must have held a student visa up to 6 months ago and now have a bridging visa A or B granted on the basis of a valid application for a visa or currently hold a substantive visa and held a student visa (6 months ago) or your student visa was canceled and in the past 28 days the tribunal set aside the decision of the Minister.
3. You must have met the Australian study requirements which imply that you: completed a CRICOS registered course, you successfully completed all course requirements and your study was in English and you completed at least 2 years of study (you can sometimes combine courses) and you were in Australia for at least 16 months of the study and you held an Australian visa that allowed you to study.
4. You must nominate 1 occupation in the Medium to Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and have a degree, diploma, or trade qualification closely related to that occupation and be assessed by a relevant assessing authority as having skills suitable for that occupation.
5. You must have at least scored at least 6 on the IELTS test or alternatively be from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, or New Zealand.
6. You must have adequate health insurance.
7. You must meet all character requirements.
8. You must sign the Australian values statement.
9. You must have cleared all your debts to the Australian Government.
10. You must not have had an Australian visa canceled or refused.

Post-Study Work Stream 

The Post-Study Work Stream pathway allows international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution to live, work and study in Australia, temporarily. This approach is for students who have graduated with a higher education degree from an Australian education provider, regardless of their field of study and is only available to students who applied for and were subsequently granted, their first Australian student visa on or after 5 November 2011.

The stay period is usually between 2 and 4 years, depending on your qualification. Applicants with a select degree may be eligible for an extended 2 years on their visa and if you already hold a post-study work visa and are eligible for the additional 2 years with a select degree, you can lodge your application via ImmiAccount. But applicants with a select degree are only eligible to be granted the 2 years extension once and further applications for the extension will be deemed invalid. Additionally, Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may stay for 5 years.

Eligibility criteria for the 485 visa via the Post-Study Work Stream

1. You must be under 50 years of age.
2. You must currently hold a student visa, or must have held a student visa up to 6 months ago and now have a bridging visa A or B granted on the basis of a valid application for a visa or currently hold a substantive visa and held a student visa (6 months ago) or your student visa was canceled and in the past 28 days the tribunal set aside the decision of the Minister.
3. You must have met the Australian study requirements which imply that you: completed a CRICOS registered course, you successfully completed all course requirements and your study was in English and you completed at least 2 years of study (you can sometimes combine courses) and you were in Australia for at least 16 months of the study and you held an Australian visa that allowed you to study.
4. You must hold an eligible degree or higher.
5. You must have studied with an Australian Education Provider.
6. You must have at least scored at least 6 on the IELTS test or alternatively be from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada, or New Zealand.
7. You must have adequate health insurance.
8. You must meet all character requirements.
9. You must sign the Australian values statement.
10. You must have cleared all your debts to the Australian Government.
11. You must not have had an Australian visa canceled or refused.

Privileges linked with the 485 visa

• Entitlement to live, study, and work anywhere in Australia temporarily until the stay period of your visa allows.

The period for which one can stay while under the Post-Study Stream will depend upon the level of qualification they have completed in Australia:

1. 2 years – Bachelor Degree, Bachelor Degree with Honors, Masters by Coursework Degree or Masters (extended) Degree
2. 3 years – Masters by Research Degree
3. 4 years – Doctoral Degree

• Bring your family to live in Australia directly after a visa grant or subsequently.
• Travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want throughout your stay.
• Apply for permanent residency if eligible before the expiry of the 485 visa.

Processing time and cost for a 485 visa

Average processing time

The time period for eligible applications to be processed varies under each stream and although a guaranteed processing time cannot be determined, an average standard time taken to process these applications can be determined. The processing period for the Graduate Work Stream comes to 90% in 77 days globally. The processing period for the Post-Study Work Stream comes to 90% in 3 months.

The time to successfully process an application may vary depending on each case. External agencies and governmental bodies may take some time to conduct checks and verify the data presented in your application. To avoid any delays that may arise from your side, you must ensure that a complete and fully-checked application is filed on your behalf and any additional requests by the department must be handled promptly.

Average estimated cost

The fees associated with applying for 485 Visa fees are prescribed by the Department of Home Affairs and are updated from time to time which can be easily checked in the department’s online portal as well. The relevant fees are payable on the lodgment of your 485 Visa application depending upon the pathway that you are choosing.

The primary application fee of an individual applying for a 485 Visa under each stream as of now is mentioned hereunder:

• Graduate Work Stream: AU$ 1,895
• Post-Study Work Stream: AU$ 1,895

However, these fees are only a general primary fee quoted by the department as of now and changes in the amount are made as per requirement by the department itself. Additional fees are applicable for individuals who are looking to include their spouse or children in their application. The amount of additional fees varies according to the age and relationship of the included individual with the applicant. This is also constantly being updated by the Department of Home Affairs and can easily be checked from their online portal as well.

Steps to apply for the Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) 

We have a very straightforward and principled process of visa appeal which ensures you the best results. Our agents and lawyers are always with you throughout the process of your application and they will make sure that your personal application is up-to-date with all the constantly changing policies and figures. You can go through these steps in order to apply for your desired visa type:

1. Schedule a free consultation with our team through our portal where we shall go over your case briefly to provide you with the necessary recommendations.
2. After your consultation, our agents shall begin the process of preparing for your appeal. We will gather and prepare all of the documentation and perform any additional checks that are necessary to lodge a visa application.

Please make sure that you inform us if you have a ‘No further stay’ condition attached to your current visa so we can arrange for this condition to be renounced.

3. If you are applying under the Graduate Work Stream, we will organize a skills assessment within your nominated occupation. This must be performed by the relevant Australian Assessing Authority for your nominated eligible skilled occupation.
4. After having all of the information we need, we will then begin to prepare and then lodge your application in a timely manner. In the meantime, if you are an onshore applicant, you will be granted a bridging visa until your current visa expires.
5. The final step includes waiting for the outcome of your application. We will notify you of the result promptly.