Overview

A Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) allows international graduates to continue living and working in Australia once they have completed their minimum of two academic years of recognised studies in Australia while holding a student visa. This visa plays a critical role in not only allowing the allowing the eligible international students to gain valuable work experience after completing their Australian studies but also gives them a pathway to settle down in Australia permanently.

There are three streams in this visa, more popularly known as the Graduate Visa, as detailed below, to allow the visa holders to continue living in Australia up to 4 years after they have completed their higher studies in Australia.

Streams

This visa is meant for international students who have successfully completed their Australian studies within 6 months before the visa application at a degree, diploma or trade certificate that are relevant to the skills and experience that are needed in Australia – please refer to Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills Shortage List (MLTSSL) to confirm your eligibility. It is important that the courses completed in Australia must be registered on CRICOS and have a combined duration of minimum 2 academic years or 92 weeks in English language.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be under the age of 50
• Hold an eligible visa and must have held a student visa in the previous 6 months prior to lodging the visa application
• Meet the course requirements – each eligible qualification completed in Australia must meet the following requirements:
  • The award must be either a bachelor’s degree or higher, a diploma, an advanced diploma, or a trade qualification – or a combination of any of these qualifications as long they are closely related to the nominated skilled occupation
  • undertaken at an Australian educational institution in Australia
  • medium of instruction was in English language
  • be registered on CRICOS
  • have been undertaken while you held a visa authorising you to study
• nominate a skilled occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and provide a favourable skills assessment from the approved assessment authority in Australia
• You and your family members, if included in the visa application, must have an Australian health insurance at the time of lodgement
• Applicants must meet the health criteria – “One fails, all fail” policy applies
• Applicants over the age of 16 years have to meet the character requirements
• The applicants must not owe any debt to the Australian government
• All applicants have to accept Australian Values Statement before the visas can be granted
• Must not have any history of visa cancellation or refusal of a past visa application –
• All applicants must meet the applicable health requirement by undergoing an approved medical test prior to the visa application
• Meet the following English language requirement

IELTS – General Training	PTE – Academic	TOEFL – iBT	CAE	OET
Overall score of at least 6 with a minimum score of 5 in each of the 4 modules	Overall score of at least 50 with a minimum score of 36 for each of the 4 modules	Total score of at least 64 with a minimum score of 4 for listening, 4 for reading, 14 for writing and 14 for speaking	Overall at least 169 with a minimum score of at least 154 in each of the 4 test components	At least B for each of the 4 parts

Post Study Work Stream

This stream of the Temporary Graduate Visa is meant for those international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution. This visa, once granted, allows the holders to live, work and study in Australia for the period of its validity. Subject to meeting the applicable criteria, this visa usually allows the holder to live in Australia between 2 and 4 years, depending on your qualification. However, Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may stay for 5 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Be under the age of 50
• Hold an eligible visa and must have held a student visa in the previous 6 months prior to lodging the visa application
• Meet the course requirements – each eligible qualification completed in Australia must meet the following requirements:
  • The award must be either a bachelor’s degree or higher, a diploma, an advanced diploma, or a trade qualification – or a combination of any of these qualifications as long they are closely related to the nominated skilled occupation
  • undertaken at an Australian educational institution in Australia
  • medium of instruction was in English language
  • be registered on CRICOS
  • have been undertaken while you held a visa authorising you to study
• nominate a skilled occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and provide a favourable skills assessment from the approved assessment authority in Australia
• You and your family members, if included in the visa application, must have an Australian health insurance at the time of lodgement
• Applicants must meet the health criteria – “One fails, all fail” policy applies
• Applicants over the age of 16 years have to meet the character requirements
• The applicants must not owe any debt to the Australian government
• All applicants have to accept Australian Values Statement before the visas can be granted
• Must not have any history of visa cancellation or refusal of a past visa application –
• All applicants must meet the applicable health requirement by undergoing an approved medical test prior to the visa application
• Meet the following English language requirement

IELTS – General Training	PTE – Academic	TOEFL – iBT	CAE	OET
Overall score of at least 6 with a minimum score of 5 in each of the 4 modules	Overall score of at least 50 with a minimum score of 36 for each of the 4 modules	Overall score of at least 50 with a minimum score of 36 for each of the 4 modules	Overall at least 169 with a minimum score of at least 154 in each of the 4 test components	At least B for each of the 4 parts

Post Study Work Stream

This stream of the Temporary Graduate Visa is meant for those international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution. This visa, once granted, allows the holders to live, work and study in Australia for the period of its validity. Subject to meeting the applicable criteria, this visa usually allows the holder to live in Australia between 2 and 4 years, depending on your qualification. However, Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may stay for 5 years.

Second Post Study Work Stream

Eligibility Criteria

• Be under the age of 50
• This particular option allows the holders of a first Post Study Work Graduate visa holders of who graduated with a degree from an Australian institution located in a regional area. Once granted, this visa allows the holders to remain in Australia for an additional period of between 1 and 2 years depending on the following circumstances
  • The regional location of the educational institution that the visa holder has graduated from that led to the grant of her/his first Temporary Graduate visa under the Post Study Work Stream.
  • The regional area that the visa holder lived in during her/his first Temporary Graduate visa under the Post Study Work Stream
• The holder of first Temporary Graduate post-study work stream visa has continued to work and/or study in the designated regional area
• You and your family members, if included in the visa application, must have an Australian health insurance at the time of lodgement
• Applicants must meet the health criteria – “One fails, all fail” policy applies
• Applicants over the age of 16 years have to meet the character requirements
• The applicants must not owe any debt to the Australian government
• All applicants have to accept Australian Values Statement before the visas can be granted
• Must not have any history of visa cancellation or refusal of a past visa application –

Further information regarding the designated areas for the applicants of Second Post Study Work Stream Visa

The holders of the first Temporary Graduate Post-Study Work Stream Visa must have lived only in a designated regional area for at least 2 years prior to applying for their second Temporary Graduate Post Study Work Stream Visa. The table below provides a guide on the residence and study requirements for the second Temporary Graduate post-study work stream visa.

Key Visa Entitlements

• The Graduate Visa – Subclass 485 holders are allowed to live in Australia and work anywhere in Australia during the validity of their visa
• The visa holders can include their immediate family members in this visa even after it is granted allowing them to live in Australia
• The visa holders may travel out of Australia multiple times during the validity of their visa

Visa Application Charges

Graduate Visa and Post Study Work Streams

Primary Applicant	AUD 1,680
Spouse/Secondary applicant over the age of 18 years	AUD 840
Each additional applicant under the age of 18 years	AUD 425

Second Post Study Work Visa Stream

Primary Applicant	AUD 660
Spouse/Secondary applicant over the age of 18 years	AUD 330
Each additional applicant under the age of 18 years	AUD 170
Non-internet Application Charge (paper-based visa application)	AUD 80

Processing Timelines

Processing times for applications in this visa subclass can vary significantly depending on the risk assessment level of the applicants’ country of origin and how promptly the applicants can submit the requested documents, including translations, if required. The general processing times for the visa applications in this visa subclass are given below and it does not include the time needed to process the skills assessment (if required).

• 75% of the applications are processed within 8 months
• 90% of the applications are processed within 10 months