Subclass 485 — Temporary Graduate Visa — immi.wiki

The Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa is Australia's post-study work visa, allowing international students who have completed at least 2 years of study at an Australian educational institution to work in Australia for a period after graduation. The visa has two streams: the Graduate Work stream (for applicants with skills in a specific occupation on the skilled occupation list) and the Post-Study Work stream (for graduates from certain Australian universities with a bachelor's, master's, or doctoral degree).

The Subclass 485 is the key bridge between international study and skilled migration. It allows graduates to gain Australian work experience, which is highly valuable for skilled visa applications (through SkillSelect EOI scores).

Graduate Work stream

• Must have studied in Australia for at least 2 years while holding a student visa
• Must have an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list (MLTSSL or STSOL)
• Must hold a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority
• English: vocational English (IELTS 5.0 per band or equivalent)
• Duration: 18 months

Post-Study Work stream

• Must have studied in Australia for at least 2 years while holding a student visa
• Must hold an Australian bachelor's degree, bachelor honours degree, master's degree, or doctoral degree from an Australian institution (no occupation list requirement)
• English: vocational English (IELTS 5.0 per band or equivalent)
• Duration: depends on qualification level and location of study:
  • Bachelor/honours: 2 years (4 years if study was in a regional area)
  • Master's by coursework: 3 years (5 years regional)
  • Master's by research or doctoral degree: 4 years (6 years regional)

Subclass 485 applications are lodged online via ImmiAccount. The application must be lodged within 6 months of completing the final requirement of the course. Key requirements include:

• Evidence of completion of the Australian qualification (final transcript, degree certificate)
• Evidence of 2 years of study in Australia on a student visa
• English test results (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, Cambridge)
• Skills assessment (Graduate Work stream only)
• Health examination

The Subclass 485 grants open work rights — the holder may work for any employer in any occupation and in any location in Australia. There are no conditions restricting the employer or occupation. The holder may study, travel, and include family members in the application.