Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa

**There have been recent changes to the Temporary Graduate visa. Learn more.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa you must:

• Be 35 years of age or under at the time of application. Exceptions apply.
• Have held a Student (subclass 500) visa in the last six months.
• Provide evidence you have applied for an AFP check when you apply.
• Provide evidence of the required level of English language with the application.

Length of stay and work rights

The length of your stay on a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) varies depending on the course you studied and the visa stream you apply for.

There are three streams:   

1. Post-Vocational Education Work stream (former Graduate Work stream)

This visa stream is for international students who have recently graduated with qualifications that are relevant to specific occupations Australia needs.

• Post-Vocational Education Work stream holders can stay in Australia for up to 18 months. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may stay for 5 years.
• You must be 35 years of age or under when you apply. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders must be aged under 50 years when they apply.
• You must hold a qualification relevant to your nominated occupation on the skilled occupation list.
• You must meet the Australian study requirement with an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification only.

2. Post-Higher Education Work stream (former Post-Study Work stream)

This visa stream is for international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian education provider.

• You must be 35 years of age or under when you apply. If you hold a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport or are using a Masters (research) or Doctoral Degree to meet the Australian study requirement, you must be under the age of 50 when you apply.
• You need a recent degree in a CRICOS-registered course.
• You must meet the Australian study requirement with a degree level qualification or higher.

Stay periods:

• You can stay usually between 2 and 3 years, depending on your qualification.
• Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may stay for 5 years.
• Indian nationals have the following stay periods as agreed in the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement:
  1. Bachelor degree (including honours) – up to 2 years
  2. Bachelor degree (with first class honours in STEM, including ICT) – up to 3 years
  3. Masters (coursework, extended and research) – up to 3 years
  4. Doctoral degrees (PhD) – up to 4 years.

Temporary Graduate Visa holders who graduated from an education provider based in a regional area, and who have lived in a regional area for at least 2 years before applying, may be eligible for a second Temporary Graduate visa in the post-higher education work stream.

3. Second Post-Higher Education Work stream (former Second Post-Study Work stream)

This visa stream is for Temporary Graduates holding a Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work or Replacement visa with a degree from an Australian institution located in a regional area.

You must be 35 years of age or under when you apply. If you hold a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport or are using a Masters (research) or Doctoral Degree to meet the Australian study requirement, you must be under the age of 50 when you apply.

You can stay between 1 and 2 years depending on:

• the regional location of the education provider that you graduated from that led to the grant of your first Temporary Graduate visa
• the regional area that you live in as the holder of your Temporary Graduate visa in the Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work or Replacement stream.

Which stream should I apply for?

The qualification you use to meet the Australian study requirement determines the stream you can apply for.

• If you hold an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification, you should apply for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream. The qualification you use must be closely related to your nominated occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
• If your qualification is degree level or higher, you should apply for the Post-Higher Education Work stream.

How to apply

Visit the Home Affairs website for a step-by-step guide on how to apply online using ImmiAccount.