Australia Temporary Graduate Visa 485: Complete Guide

The Australia Temporary Graduate Visa 485 allows eligible international graduates to remain in Australia temporarily after completing their studies. During the visa period, graduates can work, study, travel, and gain professional experience that may help them qualify for another Australian work or skilled migration visa.

However, the Temporary Graduate visa is not automatically granted after graduation. Applicants must select the correct visa stream, meet the Australian study requirement, apply within the permitted period, provide health insurance, and satisfy the English, health, and character requirements.

What Is the Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485?

The Temporary Graduate visa, commonly called the 485 visa, is a temporary Australian visa designed for international students who recently completed an eligible qualification from an Australian education provider.

Successful applicants can generally:

• Live temporarily in Australia.
• Work without a fixed hourly restriction.
• Work in any occupation, even if it is not directly related to their qualification.
• Study additional courses.
• Travel outside Australia and return while the visa remains valid.
• Include eligible family members in the application.

Temporary Graduate visa holders have unrestricted work rights once the visa is granted.

Australia 485 Visa Streams

The correct stream depends mainly on the qualification completed in Australia.

1. Post-Vocational Education Work Stream

This stream is intended for graduates with an:

• Associate degree.
• Diploma.
• Advanced diploma.
• Trade qualification.

The qualification must be relevant to an occupation on an applicable skilled occupation list. Applicants must also nominate an eligible occupation and apply for a suitable skills assessment.

The visa is normally granted for up to 18 months. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may receive a longer stay of up to five years.

2. Post-Higher Education Work Stream

This stream is intended for graduates who completed an eligible:

• Bachelor’s degree, including honours.
• Master’s degree by coursework.
• Extended master’s degree.
• Master’s degree by research.
• Doctoral degree.

Current standard stay periods are generally:

• Bachelor’s degree: up to two years.
• Master’s by coursework or extended master’s: up to two years.
• Master’s by research: up to three years.
• Doctoral degree: up to three years.

Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may be permitted to stay for up to five years.

A Graduate Certificate alone no longer qualifies an applicant for the Temporary Graduate visa. A Graduate Diploma may qualify in limited circumstances when it follows an Australian bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree, relates to the same field, and was studied during the same or following academic year.

3. Second Post-Higher Education Work Stream

Eligible graduates may obtain an additional Temporary Graduate visa when they:

• Hold or previously held an eligible Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work, or Replacement stream visa.
• Graduated from an institution in a designated regional area.
• Lived, studied, and continued residing in an eligible regional location.
• Meet the relevant regional residence requirements.

Applicants may receive an additional stay of one or two years, depending on the location where they studied and lived. Evidence of residence in a designated regional area during the required period must be provided.

Temporary Graduate Visa 485 Eligibility Requirements

Although requirements vary between streams, applicants will generally need to:

1. Be 35 years old or younger when applying.
2. Be physically present in Australia when submitting the application.
3. Hold an eligible visa or have held a Student visa during the previous six months.
4. Have recently completed an eligible Australian qualification.
5. Meet the Australian study requirement.
6. Provide evidence of adequate health insurance.
7. Meet the applicable English-language requirement.
8. Satisfy Australian health and character requirements.
9. Obtain an Australian Federal Police check when required.
10. Meet the additional qualification and skills-assessment rules for the selected stream.

Applicants using a master’s degree by research or a doctoral degree may apply while under 50. Certain Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may also qualify under the higher age limit.

Australian Study Requirement

To meet the Australian study requirement, an applicant generally needs to have completed one or more eligible CRICOS-registered courses that represent at least two academic years of study.

The courses must normally have been:

• Completed in Australia.
• Delivered in English.
• Completed while the applicant held a visa permitting study.
• Finished over a period of at least 16 calendar months.
• Completed within the relevant period before applying for the 485 visa.

Online study completed outside Australia may not count in the same way as study undertaken physically in Australia. The Department of Home Affairs confirms that qualifying study must total at least 16 calendar months.

English-Language Requirement

Applicants who do not hold an exempt passport must provide evidence from an approved English-language test.

Accepted tests may include:

• IELTS Academic or General Training.
• PTE Academic.
• TOEFL iBT.
• Cambridge C1 Advanced.
• OET for eligible applicants.
• Other tests currently approved by Home Affairs.

The approved tests and score calculation rules changed on 7 August 2025. Some results from tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 may remain usable until 6 August 2028, depending on the visa and the test’s validity rules. Fully online or at-home English tests are generally not accepted.

Applicants should check the current Home Affairs requirements before booking a test because accepted scores and validity periods may change.

Temporary Graduate Visa 485 Cost in 2026

From 1 July 2026, the Department of Home Affairs lists the main application charge for the Post-Higher Education Work and Post-Vocational Education Work streams as starting from approximately:

• Primary applicant: AUD 5,750

Additional charges may apply for:

• A partner included in the application.
• Dependent children.
• Health examinations.
• Police certificates.
• English tests.
• Skills assessments.
• Health insurance.
• Document translation or professional immigration assistance.

The amount displayed when the application is lodged should be treated as the final applicable government charge.

Documents Required for the Australia 485 Visa

Applicants may need to prepare:

• Valid passport and identity documents.
• Australian qualification certificates.
• Official academic transcripts.
• Course completion letter.
• Evidence that the course was CRICOS registered.
• English-language test result.
• Health insurance documents.
• Australian Federal Police check.
• Skills-assessment application evidence for the vocational stream.
• Marriage and birth certificates for family members.
• Regional study and residence evidence for a second visa.
• Certified translations of documents not written in English.

Documents should be prepared before submission whenever possible. Missing evidence can delay processing or result in refusal.

How to Apply for the Temporary Graduate Visa 485

Step 1: Confirm your stream

Choose between the Post-Vocational Education Work, Post-Higher Education Work, and Second Post-Higher Education Work streams.

Step 2: Check the completion date

Do not confuse the date of your graduation ceremony with the official course completion date stated by your education provider.

Step 3: Arrange insurance and police checks

Obtain adequate health insurance and apply for the required Australian Federal Police check before lodging the application when applicable.

Step 4: Complete any skills assessment requirement

Post-Vocational Education Work applicants normally need evidence that they have applied for a skills assessment in their nominated occupation.

Step 5: Apply through ImmiAccount

Complete the online application, upload the supporting documents, include eligible family members, and pay the visa fee.

Step 6: Respond to additional requests

Home Affairs may request health examinations, biometrics, updated documents, or further information.

Processing times are not fixed and depend on the stream, completeness of the application, character and health checks, application volumes, and how quickly additional requests are answered. Applicants should use the official visa processing-time tool for a current estimate.

Common Reasons for 485 Visa Refusal

Applications may be refused because of:

• Applying under the wrong stream.
• Applying after the permitted deadline.
• Failing to meet the Australian study requirement.
• Using an ineligible qualification.
• Missing the age requirement.
• Providing an invalid English test.
• Failing to arrange the required skills assessment.
• Uploading insufficient health-insurance evidence.
• Providing incomplete or inconsistent information.
• Failing the character or health requirements.

Because several eligibility conditions must be satisfied on the application date, submitting an incomplete application and attempting to correct it later can be risky.

Does the 485 Visa Lead to Permanent Residency?

The Australia Temporary Graduate Visa 485 is not a permanent residence visa and does not guarantee permanent residency.

However, graduates may use the visa period to:

• Gain skilled Australian work experience.
• Improve their English-language score.
• Complete a professional year where available.
• Obtain a skills assessment.
• Seek employer sponsorship.
• Build eligibility for a state or territory nomination.
• Prepare an Expression of Interest for skilled migration.

Possible future routes may include employer-sponsored visas, state-nominated visas, regional skilled visas, or other temporary work visas. Eligibility depends on the applicant’s occupation, age, points, experience, location, and the migration rules operating at that time.

Final Advice

The Temporary Graduate Visa 485 can provide valuable time to begin a career in Australia, but applicants should not wait until their Student visa is close to expiring.

Check your official completion date, identify the correct stream, arrange your English test and supporting documents early, and verify the current fees before submitting the application.

Official Sources

• Secrétariat d’État aux migrations — Travailler en Suisse
• Secrétariat d’État aux migrations 
• Portail officiel ch.ch — Travailler en Suisse en tant qu’étranger
• Fedlex — Loi fédérale sur les étrangers et l’intégration
• swissuniversities — Liste des hautes écoles suisses accréditées
• Swiss ENIC — Reconnaissance et évaluation des diplômes étrangers