Overview of the 485 Visa Australia: What it is and who is eligible?

Introduction to 485 Visa Australia

As an international student, if you are planning to stay in Australia to get some work experience and potentially gain permanent residence, the 485 visa subclass is the perfect option for you. This blog article will guide you regarding the application process and the time required to do everything so that you can prepare accordingly. If you are thinking of other visa routes as well, you can read this article to weigh your options properly before deciding on one and paying the visa processing fee. There are four streams for this visa type:

• Graduate Work stream
• Post-study work stream
• Second post-study work stream
• Replacement stream

Extended Post-Study Work Rights For International Graduates

The Australian Government announced that from 1 July 2023 onward. International education graduates will relevant qualifications will be granted an extra two years of post-study work rights.

The two-year work extension is for international graduates with select degrees that are in areas of verified skill shortage. View the indicative list of eligible occupations in demand and the related qualifications which are eligible for the extension. Post-study work rights will be increased from:

• Two years to four years for select Bachelor’s degrees
• Three years to five years for select Masters’s degrees
• Four years to six years for select PhDs

Purpose and Benefits of the 485 Visa Australia

The 485 visa allows visa holders to stay in Australia for up to 18 months with the permit to work full-time or part-time. This is a great option because it allows international students to apply for visa subclass 189 or 190 later on.

Rights and Obligations of 485 Visa Holders in Australia

Each stream of the 485 visa gives you a different set of rights regarding your stay in Australia and you must fulfil the obligations of your visa to keep it valid. This section covers what each stream of visa will offer you.

• Graduate Work stream: Live, study and work in Australia for up to 18 months. You can also bring your family members
• Post-study work stream: After finishing your studies, you can live, study and work in Australia for 2 to 4 years. You are also allowed to bring immediate family members
• Second post-study work stream: With this visa, you can travel, stay and work in Australia for 1 to 2 years depending on the regional area where you studied and worked under the Temporary Graduate visa
• Replacement stream: This visa can be granted at any time between 18 months to 5 years (the grant period will be the same as your previous visa but there is an extended period granted for Masters students who had Post study work visa and for Graduate Work visa stream holders) and you can live, study and work in Australia with this visa. Immediate family members can also be brought

Types of 485 Visa Australia and their Eligibility Requirements

Each of the visa streams mentioned above has its own eligibility criteria and they are suitable for different kinds of candidates. Here’s a quick summary of the eligibility criteria for each of the streams:

Graduate work stream

• You should be under the age of 50
• You should be holding an eligible visa
• You have been holding a study visa for the past six months
• Your educational degree should be related to an occupation on the skilled occupation list (Note: this is not a requirement for applicants who have applied between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023)
• You should have applied for the skills assessment of your occupation
• Provide evidence of health insurance and AFP (Australian Federal Police) check
• Provide proof of the required level of English

Post-study work stream 

• All of the eligibility criteria of the Graduate Work stream apply except the need for a skills assessment application
• You need a recent degree a CRICOS-registered course
• Your first study visa should have been granted or applied for on or after 5th November 2011

Second post-study work stream

• You should be under the age of 50
• You should be residing in Australia at the time of application
• At the time of application, you should be holding a Temporary Graduate visa in the post-study work stream or replacement stream, and you should have been the main applicant for the Temporary Graduate work visa
• Your previous Temporary Graduate work visa should have been based on the degree you have earned in a course that is CRICOS registered and the institute should have been situated in a regional area in Australia
• You should have been living in the designated regional area for the past two years as a requirement of your Graduate work visa
• Provide evidence of health insurance for yourself and other applicants

Replacement stream 

• You should apply before 1st January 2027
• Your relevant Temporary Graduate visa should have been granted before 15 December 2021 and you should have lost time on it due to the COVID-19 restrictions
• After your Temporary Graduate visa, you should not have been granted another visa or have it cancelled by the immigration office

Required Documents for the 485 Visa Australia Application

Generally, for all four streams, you will be required to submit the following documents with your visa application:

• Identity documents as well as divorce or marriage certificates if dependent are applying with you
• Your educational documents and related CRICOS registration numbers of your institute
• The results of your English language proficiency tests
• Skills assessment documents
• Health insurance documents
• Character documents

Make sure all these documents are translated if they are not in English

The Application Process for the 485 Visa Australia

The application process for each of the visa streams is slightly different but here is the general summary of the process:

• Before you apply, check if you have a valid passport and fulfil the conditions for the visa. Also, organise the required health exams
• Then gather all your required documents and this including documents for the dependents applying with you
• Make an account on ImmiAccount and apply there
• You must take care of the deadlines and apply according to the Australian local time
• After your visa is granted, you will receive the visa grant number, date and the conditions for the validity of the visa (the processing time for each type of visa varies)

Cost of Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)

Processing Time and Duration of the 485 Visa Australia

For each of the streams, the processing times are as follows:

• Graduate Work stream: 90% of the visas are processed within 13 months
• Post-study work stream: 90% of the visas are processed within 15 months
• Second post-study work stream: Processing time is not mentioned on the Immigration website
• Replacement stream: Processing time is not mentioned on the Immigration website

You can talk to Edvise Hub consultants about these visas in-depth book a session now with our mentors and find out more about the different pathways to stay in Australia after completing your studies. Our experts will guide you well and keep you updated about the entire process and deadlines.