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Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485
This is a temporary visa that allows international students to live, study and work after they have finished their studies.
There are currently 2 streams that fall under subclass 485-
- Graduate Work Stream
- Post-Study Work Stream
To be eligible for either stream, applicants must:
- be under 50 years of age
- hold an eligible visa
- have a recent qualification in a CRICOS-registered course
Refer to the tables below for information on each stream.
Graduate Work Stream
| Overview | This visa is for international students who have recently graduated with skills and qualifications that are relevant to specific occupations in Australia needs. It lets them live, study and work in Australia temporarily. |
| Visa type | Temporary |
| Cost of application | AUD1,650 for the main applicant Does not include other costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics |
| Duration of visa | Up to 18 months, allows multiple entry |
| Uses of this visa |
|
| Eligibility | Applicants must meet the following requirements-
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AUSTRALIAN STUDY REQUIREMENT
In the past 6 months before you applied for this visa you must have met the Australian study requirement. You will meet this if you are awarded at least one degree, diploma or trade qualification and:
- your course was a CRICOS-registered course
- you successfully completed all course requirements
- your study was in English
- you completed your course as a result of at least two academic years (92 weeks) study
- you were physically in Australia for at least 16 calendar months to complete the study
- you held an Australian study visa that allowed you to study
To meet the 2 academic year component of the Australian study requirement, you may combine courses in some circumstances.
When applying for this stream of subclass 485, the course or courses must have resulted in a degree, diploma or trade qualification.
For example, a student may complete two consecutive Diploma level courses and satisfy the Australian study requirement under the Graduate Work stream, provided the other components of the requirement are satisfied.
Visa Requirements
Your visa application will be processed only if-
- you are the main holder of a current student visa (but not one supported by the Defence or Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister);
- you held a student visa within the past 6 months before your application and you now have a Bridging Visa A or Bridging Visa B, granted on the basis of a valid application for a visa
- you held a student visa within the past 6 months before your application and you now hold a substantive visa
- your student visa was cancelled, but in the past 28 days the Tribunal has notified you of a decision to set aside and substitute the Minister’s decision not to revoke the cancellation
You cannot be granted this visa if you had previously been granted a subclass 485 or a subclass 476 visa as a primary visa holder.
Skills and Qualifications
- You will need to:
- nominate 1 occupation on the Medium and 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
- You must nominate the occupation when you apply, or your visa application will not be processed. You can’t change the occupation you nominate after you apply.
- The qualification level must be closely related to that occupation (eg.- completing a physiotherapy degree and nomination ‘Physiotherapist’ as your skilled occupation)
- Additionally, your skills must be assessed by a relevant assessing authority as suitable for the nominated occupation. For example, if you nominated ‘Speech Pathologist’, the authority you must get an assessment from is Speech Pathology Australia.
- If your skills are assessed on the basis of a qualification you got in Australia when you held a student visa, the qualification must be from studying a course registered on CRICOS.
- You must provide evidence when you apply that you have at least applied for a skills assessment or we cannot process your visa application.
- It is your responsibility to arrange for the skills assessment. Contact the relevant assessing authority well before you apply for this visa, because each assessing authority has its own assessment procedures, timeframes and charges.
- Some assessing authorities only provide assessments that are valid for a set period. It is your responsibility to check that this period has not expired by the time we make a decision. If there is no set period, then you must have obtained the assessment within the last 3 years.
English Language Requirement
To showcase your English proficiency, you must show evidence in the last 3 years that you received one of the following-
| Test | Score |
| IELTS | Overall score of at least 6 with a minimum score of 5 for each of the 4 parts |
| TOEFL iBT | Total score of at least 64 with a minimum score of 4 for listening, 4 for reading, 14 for writing and 14 for speaking |
| PTE Academic | Overall score of at least 50 with a minimum score of 36 for each of the 4 parts |
| OET | At least B for each of the 4 parts |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced test | Overall at least 169 with a minimum score of at least 154 in each of the 4 test components |
If you show that you possess a valid passport from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland, you will be exempt from proving English proficiency.
Post-Study Work Stream
| Overview | This visa is for international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution and lets them live, work and study in Australia, temporarily. |
| Visa type | Temporary |
| Cost of application | AUD1,650 for the main applicant Does not include other costs such as health checks, police certificates and biometrics |
| Duration of visa | The length of stay will depend on the applicant’s study qualifications
|
| Uses of this visa |
|
| Eligibility | Applicants must meet the following requirements-
|
Australian Study Requirement
In the past 6 months before you applied for this visa you must have met the Australian study requirement. You will meet this if you are awarded at least one degree, diploma or trade qualification and:
- your course was a CRICOS-registered course
- you successfully completed all course requirements
- your study was in English
- you completed your course as a result of at least two academic years (92 weeks) study
- you were physically in Australia for at least 16 calendar months to complete the study
- you held an Australian study visa that allowed you to study
- To meet the 2 academic year component of the Australian study requirement, you may combine courses in some circumstances.
Visa Requirements
Your visa application will be processed only if-
- you are the main holder of a current student visa (but not one supported by the Defence or Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister);
- you held a student visa within the past 6 months before your application and you now have a Bridging Visa A or Bridging Visa B, granted on the basis of a valid application for a visa
- you held a student visa within the past 6 months before your application and you now hold a substantive visa
- your student visa was cancelled, but in the past 28 days the Tribunal has notified you of a decision to set aside and substitute the Minister’s decision not to revoke the cancellation
You cannot be granted this visa if you had previously been granted a subclass 485 or a subclass 476 visa as a primary visa holder.
Eligible Qualification
The Post-study Work stream of the subclass 485 visa is for international students with eligible qualifications, regardless of their field of study. You must have also met the Australian study requirement within the past six months, which means:
- your course is CRICOS-registered
- you successfully completed all course requirements
- your study was in English
- you completed your study over at least two academic years (92 weeks)
- you were physically in Australia for at least 16 calendar months to complete the study
- you held an Australian visa that allowed you to study
Qualifications
The qualification that you have completed must be an eligible degree. This means a:
- Bachelor degree
- Bachelor (honours) degree
- Masters by coursework degree
- Masters (extended) degree
- Masters by research degree
- Doctoral degree
If you have studied a standalone diploma or trade qualification, you are not eligible to be granted a visa in this stream.
English Language Requirement
| Test | Score |
| IELTS | Overall score of at least 6 with a minimum score of 5 for each of the 4 parts |
| TOEFL iBT | Total score of at least 64 with a minimum score of 4 for listening, 4 for reading, 14 for writing and 14 for speaking |
| PTE Academic | Overall score of at least 50 with a minimum score of 36 for each of the 4 parts |
| OET | At least B for each of the 4 parts |
| Cambridge C1 Advanced test | Overall at least 169 with a minimum score of at least 154 in each of the 4 test components |
