A Graduate Visa Subclass 485 is a visa for an international student who wants to work after they have finished their 2-year studies in Australia.

This temporary visa is a good option for international students to extend their stay and upgrade their skills by working in Australia.

The applicant should be onshore and should have a valid student visa while applying for this application. 

Since November 2019, there’s an update for this visa. Students who graduate from the regional campus of a registered university/institution and if they would like to continue living in a regional area, they can get extra 1 or 2 years of post-study work rights. 

Graduate Visa Subclass 485 has 2 streams, the post-study work stream and the graduate work stream.

• The post-study works stream is the stream for international students who have completed a minimum of a bachelor’s degree.
• Graduate work stream is for international students who have completed at least a diploma degree with the specific skill and qualifications requirement.

There are some basic requirements that the applicant needs to meet, such as:

1. Must be under 50 years old;

2. Must hold an eligible visa, in this case, is a student visa;

3. Must have a recent qualification in a CRICOS-registered course;

4. Must meet the 2-year study requirement;

5. Must meet the English skill requirement;

6. If needed, you must provide the skill assessment from assessing authority.

1. What is the difference of Graduate Work Stream and Post Study Stream?
   • The difference is on the qualification requirement.
   • The Graduate Work Stream is eligible for applicants who just finished their diploma or advanced diploma.
   • While Post Study stream is for applicants who have finished their bachelor, master, or PhD degree.
2. Is it mandatory to have a skill assessment when apply for the Graduate Work stream?
   • Yes, it is. You need to have a positive outcome of skill assessment in order to be granted this visa application.
3. If I am not meeting the criteria for IELTS requirement, what should I do?
   • There are 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.
4. I am holding an OSHC for my student visa. Can I use it for graduate visa application?
   • Unfortunately, you can’t. You would need to obtain OVHC as a requirement for this visa application.
5. What if my visa got refused? Can I appeal?
   • You would need to have a look at the refusal letter given by the Department. If it stated the decision can be reviewed, therefore you can lodge an appeal within a specific timeframe.
6. How long does it take for processing the visa application for Graduate Work Stream and Post Study Stream?
   • Graduate Work Stream processing time is between 5 – 6 months while the Post-Study Work stream is between 57 days – 6 months.
7. How much the visa fee for Graduate visa?
   • The visa fee is AUD 1,650 for the main applicant. The additional applicant over 18 years old will be charged AUD 825 and the additional applicant under 18 will be charged AUD 415.
8. Should I apply the visa onshore or offshore?
   • You can be inside Australia when applying for this visa. Due to COVID 19, the Department will allow the graduates to apply offshore and may grant this visa while the applicant is offshore.
9. Can I include my family members?
   • Yes, you can include family members in your application when you apply. Family members who apply for the visa must meet our health and character requirements.
10. Is there any time limit to apply graduate visa?
    • Yes it is, 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.
11. Will I get the bridging visa after I apply the visa onshore?
    • If you apply the onshore graduate visa, before your student visa cease, you will be granted the Bridging Visa A.
    • This BVA will be your valid visa while waiting the decision of the graduate visa. Usually, this BVE will allow you to work in Australia.