Australia's student and graduate visa pathway allows international students to come to Australia for study and then remain temporarily after graduation to work and build Australian work experience. This pathway consists of two stages: the subclass 500 Student visa during study, and the subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa after graduation.

The subclass 485 is a critical bridge visa for many skilled migrants — the Australian work experience gained on the 485 can contribute to a points test score for skilled migration applications, and the visa provides time to obtain skills assessments and meet other eligibility requirements for more permanent pathways such as subclasses 189, 190, 491, 482, and 186.

• Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2 — Subclasses 500 and 485
• DHA: Student 500 page — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/student-500
• DHA: Temporary Graduate 485 page — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/485

Stage 1: Subclass 500 Student visa

The subclass 500 is the primary student visa for international students enrolled in a registered course at an Australian registered provider (CRICOS-registered education provider). Students must meet the Genuine Student (GS) requirement, have adequate financial capacity, meet English language requirements for their course, and satisfy health and character requirements.

Key features during study:

• Work rights: 48 hours per fortnight while the course is in session; unlimited during vacation periods
• Duration: tied to the course of study (plus a short period after graduation)
• Must maintain full-time enrollment and progress toward the course

Stage 2: Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa

The subclass 485 is available to eligible graduates of Australian educational institutions. There are two streams:

• Post-Higher Education Work (PHEW) stream: For graduates who completed a bachelor degree, graduate diploma, master's degree, or doctorate at an Australian institution. The visa duration varies by the highest qualification completed and whether the study was in a regional area — refer to the DHA PHEW page for current durations. Generally ranges from 2 years (bachelor degree, non-regional) to longer periods for higher degrees and regional study.
• Graduate Work stream: For graduates with a trade qualification or vocational qualification in an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list, who have completed at least 2 years of study in Australia. Duration is typically 18 months.

Holders of the subclass 485 have unlimited work rights — they may work for any employer, in any occupation, without restriction. This makes the 485 a valuable period for building Australian work experience.

Pathway to skilled permanent residence

The subclass 485 period is commonly used by graduates to:

• Obtain a skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority
• Build Australian work experience that contributes points in the skilled migration points test
• Achieve English language test scores that qualify for Competent, Proficient, or Superior English levels
• Apply for state/territory nomination for subclass 190 or 491
• Find an employer willing to sponsor them for subclass 482 or 186

Recent changes — international student reforms (2024)

The Australian Government introduced reforms to the international student program in 2024, including:

• Introduction of the Genuine Student (GS) requirement replacing GTE for student visa applications from 23 March 2024
• An annual cap on international student enrolment numbers at educational institutions
• Changes to the work hour restrictions (48-hour fortnightly cap from 1 July 2023)

The subclass 485 must be applied for within a specific time after course completion — typically 6 months. Graduates who miss this window may not be eligible. Applicants should check the application period requirements at the time of their graduation.

Australia's student program is one of the largest in the world, with hundreds of thousands of international students enrolled each year. The reforms of 2024 aimed to reduce total enrolment numbers and improve the quality and integrity of the program after several years of rapid growth.