Graduate 485 Visa
The Graduate Work 485 Visa is an 18 month visa for international students who have completed their studies in Australia, taking a minimum of 2 academic years or more.
This visa is perfectly designed for graduates looking to stay in Australia as a permanent resident. General Skilled Migration or employer sponsorship are the visa pathways to utilise the 485 visa. Once granted, this visa is then valid for 18 months. It has full work rights, and also full study rights and allows all holders to travel freely to and from Australia throughout the length of validation.
You are required to nominate an occupation on the 189- 485 and 489 Visa Skilled Visa Occupation List and the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) .
485 visas take approximately 2-3 months to process for a complete application.
AUSTRALIAN STUDY REQUIREMENTS | You must complete a course or series of courses in Australia which take at least 2 academic years. There are a number of requirements:
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SKILLS ASSESSMENT | You will need to pass skills assessment in your nominated occupation – this will depend on the occupation and will generally be based on your qualifications, English language ability and any registration requirements. Many skills assessing authorities have lower requirements for 485 applicants – this includes the accounting bodies, VETASSESS, Trades Recognition Australia and the Australian Computer Society. The skills assessment must be lodged prior to the 485 visa application, but need not be completed at lodgement. It is important to ensure that you are able to meet the skills assessment requirements for your occupation, otherwise, your visa application will be refused. |
ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS | You will need to establish your English language ability when you lodge your 485 visa application. You can show this in one of the following ways:
Note that from 18 April 2015, average band scores apply with lower minimum scores apply to most English tests for the purposes of 485 visas. |
HEALTH INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS | You will need to show that you have adequate arrangements for health insurance when your 485 visa is granted. Whilst it is OK to have OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) at the time of application, you will need Working Visa cover for approval of your 485 visa. You also need to maintain your Working Visa cover whilst you hold your 485 visa. If you do not maintain this level of cover, your 485 visa might be cancelled. |
HEALTH CHECK | You would generally need to do medicals for grant of a 485 visa. If you’ve recently applied for a student visa extension, you may be able to re-use these medicals. |
POLICE CHECK | You will need an Australian Federal Police (AFP) Check for yourself and any members of your family aged 16 or over. You must apply for the AFP checks prior to lodgement of your 485 visa. Note that from February 2015, police checks for countries you have lived in outside Australia are no longer required. |
TIME LIMITS | You must apply for your 485 visa within 6 months of completion of your Australian studies. You must either hold a student visa when you apply, or to have held a student visa within the last 6 months. You must also make sure that you apply prior to expiry of your student visa, or at least have applied for another visa and are on a bridging A or B visa when the 485 application is lodged. |
BRIDGING VISA | When you apply for your 485 visa, you would in general receive a Bridging A visa allowing you to remain in Australia during processing of your 485 visa application. The Bridging A visa has full work rights. If you held a substantive visa (eg student visa) when you apply for your 485, the work rights on the bridging visa will come into effect when the substantive visa expires. The Bridging A visa may cease if you depart Australia. If you wish to travel whilst waiting for a decision on your 485 visa, you may wish to apply for a Bridging B visa to facilitate your travel. |