Graduate Visa

Graduate visa planning should start before study completion

Decision points

• Study and qualification history
• Timing, English and document readiness
• Future skilled or employer pathway

Timing review

Check deadlines before results and documents are delayed.

Document readiness

Prepare evidence before lodgement pressure builds.

Future pathway

Use the graduate visa as part of a broader plan.

These are the practical issues we usually clarify before a matter is treated as ready.

Graduate Visa

What is Graduate Visa?

Graduate visa is designed to enable international students to live study and work in Australia after they have finished their studies. The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) generally allows up to 18 months in the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, or two years for a bachelor degree or coursework masters and three years for a research masters or doctorate in the Post-Higher Education Work stream. Eligible Indian nationals have longer stays for certain qualifications, and Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders may stay for five years.

Who can get Graduate Visa?

Eligibility requirements:

• First-stream 485 applicants must hold an eligible visa and have held a Student visa in the previous six months. A qualifying Bridging A or B may satisfy the current-visa limb; holding any bridging visa is not sufficient.
• have met the Australian Study requirements in the last six months
• meet English language requirement
• meet health and character requirement
• meet additional criteria of the stream in which you are applying for

What are the streams under the Temporary Graduate visa?

Post-Vocational Education Work stream (subclass 485)– for international students who hold an eligible qualification and have graduated with skills and qualifications required for an occupation on the list of eligible skilled occupations. Post-Vocational Education Work generally provides up to 18 months. Qualifying Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders can receive up to five years.

Post-Higher Education Work stream – for eligible graduates with a higher education degree from an Australian institution. The stay period depends on the current stream settings, qualification and passport position.

Check the current Temporary Graduate visa streams and eligibility before planning a graduate application.

How long to process Graduate Visa?

Temporary Graduate visa processing and eligibility should be checked against the current Home Affairs subclass 485 settings before lodgement.

Further Graduate eligibility and second-⁠stage planning

First-stream primary applicants generally must be 35 or under at application. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders can apply while under 50; research-master’s and doctoral graduates have the relevant Post-Higher Education Work under-50 exception.

Primary applicants for the first Post-Vocational and Post-Higher Education Work streams must be in Australia, outside immigration clearance, at application. Subsequent entrants have different location rules.

For a first-stream primary application, the applicant must have held a Student visa during the six months immediately before application and meet the eligible-current-visa rules.

Provide evidence of adequate health insurance for all applicants at lodgement, under the requirements for the selected 485 stream.

Post-Vocational Education Work applicants must provide a suitable skills assessment or evidence of having applied for one, and meet the nominated-occupation assessment requirements. A qualification alone does not replace that step.

The Second Post-Higher Education Work stream is a separate application for eligible holders who meet the regional study, residence and other criteria. It can provide an additional one or two years according to the relevant regional category.

A previous primary-applicant 485 or 476 grant can prevent another first-stream primary 485 grant. The Second Post-Higher Education Work pathway has its own separate eligibility requirements.