Temporary Graduate Visa 485 – Post-Higher Education Work Stream
The 485 Visa – Post Study Work stream is now called Post Higher Education Work stream. The validity of this visa is between 2 and 3 years. It is available for international students who have completed their studies at the Bachelor, Masters or Doctorate degree which take at least 2 academic years.
485 Visa – Post Higher Education Work Stream (Previously Post Study Work Stream)
As of 1 July 2024, the 485 Visa – Post Study Work stream is called Post Higher Education Work stream. The visa is valid for 2 to 3 years, depending on your degree. You must have completed a Bachelor’s, Master’s or Doctorate degree, which takes at least 2 academic years.
It is a perfect option for students who wish to extend their stay in Australia following their education. It also benefits international students who want to stay in Australia permanently, whether through Skilled Migration or Employer Sponsorship Visa. How? This visa provides full work rights, allowing international students to obtain work experience and build connections in the country.
Post Higher Education Work Stream vs Post Vocational Education Work Stream
The main differences between the Post Higher Education Work stream and Post Vocational Education Work stream are:
| Post Higher Education Work Stream | Post Vocational Education Work Stream |
|---|---|
| Specified for international students with Bachelor, Master or Doctorate degree. | Specified for international students who have completed a Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Trade Qualification. |
| Does not require a nominated occupation on the Skilled Occupation List | Requires a nominated occupation on the Medium and Long-Term Strategic Skills List |
| Does not require a Skills Assessment | Requires a Skills Assessment |
End of Two-Year Extension for Post Study Work Stream
Previously, the Australian Government provided a two-year extension for 485 Post Study Work stream visa. The extension allows the holders to stay for up to 6 years, depending on the original validity period of their visa.
The two-year extension for the 485 Post Study Work stream is officially terminated on 1 July 2024.
Post Higher Education Work Stream – Temporary Graduate Visa 485 Requirements
There are some requirements that you have to meet to apply for the Post Higher Education Work stream, such as:
- Must be under 35 years old;
- Must be under 50 years old if you have completed a Master’s by research and a Doctoral degree.
- Must hold the student visa after 5 November 2011;
- Must meet the Australian study requirement;
- Must hold eligible qualifications, in this case, a bachelor, master or doctoral degree;
- Must have eligible English skill language or have a passport from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland;
- Must have adequate health insurance;
- Must meet the health and character requirements;
- Must not have any debt to the Australian government;
- Must not have had a visa cancelled or refused.
More Details About Temporary Graduate Visa 485 – Post Higher Education Work Stream
Validity Period
The validity period of the 485 Visa – Post Higher Education Work stream depends on your qualification:
- Bachelor’s degree (including honours): 2 years.
- Master’s degree by Coursework and Extended: 2 years.
- Master’s degree by Research: 3 years.
- Doctoral degree: 3 years.
Meanwhile, the validity period of Post Higher Education Work stream for Indian nationals (as agreed on AI-ECTA) is as follows:
- Bachelor’s degree (including honours): 2 years.
- Bachelor’s degree with first-class hnours in STEM (including ICT): 3 years.
- Master’s degree (Coursework, Extended, and Research): 3 years.
- Doctoral degree: 4 years.
First Student Visa Requirement
You are only eligible for a Post Higher Education Work stream if you filed for and were granted your first Student Visa on or after 5 November 2011.
If you had a Student Visa that you applied for before 5 November 2011, you are not eligible. This might include scenarios in which you studied and returned to your home country, possessed a visa to study non-award courses or English classes, or even had a Student Visa as a dependent.
Even if you applied for a Student Visa on or after 5 November 2011, you will not be eligible if you previously held a Student Visa.
It is important to note that the date you applied for the visa is more important than the date it was granted.
You may still be eligible if you applied for a Student Visa before 5 November 2011, but it was refused or withdrawn.
Australian Study Requirements
You must complete a course or sequence of courses in Australia that takes at least 2 academic years. Other than that, the study must:
- Be Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate level.
- Be registered on CRICOS with a total registered study period of at least 92 weeks.
If you have exemptions due to overseas studies, these may count against you when computing the 92-week threshold.
You can count more than one course as long as each one fits the standards above and results in 2 academic years of study. You can have a break in between the studies.
English Language Requirements
To meet the English requirements for the 485 Visa – Post Higher Education Work stream, you must show one of the following:
- Valid passport if you’re a citizen of UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland.
- IELTS with an overall score of at least 6.5 (minimum 5.5 for each test component).
- TOEFL iBT with a total score of at least 83 (minimum score of 7 for listening, 8 for reading, 18 for writing, and 16 for speaking).
- PTE Academic with an overall score of at least 57 (minimum score of 43 for listening, 48 for reading, 42 for speaking, and 51 for writing).
- OET with at least a B for each test component.
- Cambridge C1 Advanced Test with an overall score of at least 176 (minimum score of 162 for all test components).
Health Insurance Requirements
When your 485 Visa is granted, you must show that you have suitable health insurance plans in place. While OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) is acceptable at the time of application, Working Visa coverage is required for approval of your 485 Visa.
You must also keep your Working Visa insurance active while on your 485 Visa. If you don’t maintain adequate health insurance, your 485 Visa may get cancelled.
Can I Work Full-time on 485 Visa – Post Higher Education Work Stream?
The 485 Visa – Post Higher Education Work stream provides full work rights. So, you can work full time during the validity of your visa. If you want to stay in Australia after your visa expires, you must apply for a different visa subclass.
What Visa Can I Apply for After 485 Visa – Post Higher Education Work Stream?
You can only extend your 485 Visa once, which is only feasible with the Post Higher Education Work stream. If you hold a 485 Visa – Post Higher Education Work stream, you can extend your stay by applying for the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream.
You must meet the general requirements for Second Post-Higher Education Work stream, which include:
- Be under 35 years old;
- Hold a 485 Visa – Post Higher Education Work stream;
- Have completed a course in the Australian regional area;
- Have lived, worked and studied in the Australian regional area for at least two years;
- Have adequate health insurance;
- Meet the health and character requirements.
If you don’t meet the above requirements, let’s explore other options that might suit you better.
Apply for a skilled permanent visa
As a holder of a 485 visa, you have the same work rights as any Australian permanent resident, allowing you to get Australian work experience. The permanent skilled visa system is points-based. You’ll earn points for your age, education, level of English and so on. Whether you’d qualify for a skilled visa such as 189, 190 or 491 visa is another question. Call us and we’ll discuss if that would be your best option.
Apply for an employer-sponsored visa
If you’ve been working for a while for some great employer, I bet they’d be willing to keep you for longer. Ask them if they’d help you with your visa. Depending on your occupation and work experience, we might apply for 407 (training visa), 482 visa (also called TSS visa), 186 visa (also called ENS visa) or 494 visa visa (also called SESR visa).
485 Visa Application Process
Step One: Check your eligibility for the visa Temporary Graduate 485 Visa
Make sure you check your eligibility to see if you meet all the criteria and requirements for a Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 Visa. The requirements depend on each visa stream.
Step Two: Skills Assessment – for Post-Vocational Education Work stream
You must obtain a positive Skills Assessment from the relevant Skills Assessing Authority for your nominated occupation. This is required for Post-Vocational Education Work stream only.
You can check the relevant Skills Assessing Authority here.
Step Three: Submit 485 Visa Application
After ensuring the requirements for Visa 485 Australia, you can then gather all the required and additional documents to complete and support your application.
You can apply online through your IMMI account.
Step Four: Visa Outcome
If successful, you can stay temporarily in Australia, depending on which stream you’ve applied for. If you get refused, the DHA will inform you in writing.
485 Visa FAQs
ONE derland Consulting managing director and also registered migration agent, Indah Melindasari, B.Com (MARN 0961 448) is here to answer your subclass 485 visa questions!
- What is the difference between the Post-Vocational Education Work Stream and Post Higher Education Work Stream of the 485 visa Australia?
- The difference is in the qualification requirement.
- The Post-Vocational Education Work Stream of the subclass 485 visa Australia is eligible for applicants who have just finished their diploma or advanced diploma course.
- Meanwhile, the Post Higher Education Work Stream of the subclass 485 visa Australia is for applicants who have finished their bachelor, master, or PhD degree.
- Is it mandatory to have a skill assessment when applying for the Post-Vocational Education Work Stream?
- Yes, it is. You need to have a positive outcome of skill assessment in order to be granted the Post-Vocational Education Work stream of 485 visa Australia.
- If I do not meet the criteria for the IELTS requirement, what should I do?
- There are a few options to be able to show your English capability. Apart from IELTS, you can try TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, OET, or Cambridge C1 Advanced Test.
- I am holding an OSHC for my student visa. Can I use it for a subclass 485 visa Australia application?
- Unfortunately, you can’t. It’s okay to have OSHC at the time of your 485 Visa application, but you will need a Working Visa cover to be approved a 485 Visa.
- What if my visa got refused? Can I appeal?
- You must check he refusal letter given by the Department. If a review right is given, then you can lodge an appeal within a specific timeframe.
- How long does it take to process the visa application for the Post Vocational Education Work stream and Post Higher Education Work stream?
- Post Vocational Education Work stream processing time is between 83 days to 7 months, while the Post Higher Education Work stream is between 12 days – 4 months.
- How much is the visa fee for a Graduate visa?
- The visa fee is AUD 2,235 for the main applicant. The additional applicant over 18 years old will be charged AUD 1,115 and the additional applicant under 18 will be charged AUD 560.
- Should I apply for the temporary graduate visa 485 Australia onshore or offshore?
- You must be in Australia when applying for the 485 Visa. You can be onshore or offshore at the time of receiving the decision of your 485 Visa application.
- Can I include my family members?
- Yes, you can include family members in your 485 visa Australia application when you apply. Family members who apply for the visa must meet the health and character requirements.
- Is there any time limit to apply for a temporary graduate visa 485 Australia?
- Yes, you must apply within 6 months of completion of your Australian studies.
- You must either hold a student visa when you apply, or to have held a student visa within the last 6 months.
- You must also make sure that you apply prior to expiry of your student visa.
- Will I get the bridging visa after I apply the visa onshore?
- If you apply for the onshore temporary graduate visa 485 Australia, before your student visa ceases, you will be granted the Bridging Visa A.
- This BVA will be your valid visa while waiting for the decision of the temporary graduate visa 485 Australia. Usually, this BVA will allow you to work in Australia.
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“I thank Ibu Indah, Ibu Vira, and the ONEderland Consulting team for assisting with my Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485). I received my Visa less than two weeks after my health assessment. They helped me thoroughly prepare my documents, communicated with the department, answered my inquiries and gave me clear advice. I highly recommend the ONEderland consulting service for Australian visa applications.”
Reynald Kusumahadi
Temporary Graduate Visa
Indah Melindasari, B.Com
Lead Migration Agent – MARN 0961 448
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