Navigation:
- 485 Post-Study Work Stream Visa Length
- 485 Post-Study Work Stream Visa Costs
- 485 Post-Study Work Stream Visa Processing Time
- 485 Post-Study Work Stream Visa Eligibility
- 485 Post-Study Work Stream Visa Checklists
1. How long can you stay
The length of your stay in Australia with this temporary visa will depend on the level of your Australian study qualification.
- bachelor degree (including honours): 2 years
- masters by coursework: 2 years
- masters by research: 3 years
- doctoral degree: 4 years
Hong Kong passport holders who successfully complete a bachelor, masters or doctoral degree: 5 years. For more information on recent changes regarding Hong Kong passport holders read New visa options for Hong Kong
To stay further in Australia after this visa, you might be eligible for other skilled work visas.
2. Visa application fee:
AUD 1895 for the primary applicant.
There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.
Subsequent entrants must pay the full visa application charge.
The subclass 485 visa is exempt from the subsequent Temporary Application Charge.
Other Costs
You might also have to pay other costs for health checks or police certificates and biometrics.
3. Visa Processing time:
- 25% of applications: 52 Days
- 50% of applications: 56 Days
- 75% of applications: 3 Months
- 90% of applications: 8 Months
Updated on 2023.07
Your application can take longer to process if:
- you do not fill it in correctly
- the Department of Home Affairs needs more information from you
- it takes the Department time to verify your information
The Department can’t process your application if you do not pay the correct visa application charge. You will be notified if this is the case and if necessary return your application.
4. Eligibility
Age:
You must be under 50 years of age.
Australian study
Unless impacted by COVID-19 travel restrictions, in the past 6 months before you applied for this visa you must have met the Australian study requirement. You will meet this if you are awarded at least one degree, diploma or trade qualification and:
- your course was a Commonwealth Register of Institutions and courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)-registered course
- successfully completed all course requirements
- study was in English
- completed your course as a result of at least two academic years (92) weeks study
- completed your course in Australia in not less than 16 calendar months
- held an Australian study visa that allowed you to study.
When applying for this stream of the subclass 485, the course or courses must have resulted in a degree, diploma or trade qualification.
To meet the second academic year component of the Australian study requirement, you may combine courses in some circumstances.
Student visa holders impacted by COVID-19 travel restrictions, will be able to count online study towards the Australian Study Requirement. Your education provider will need to complete Form 1545 – COVID-19 Impacted Students (229KB PDF). You should attach the completed and signed form to your Temporary Graduate visa application. Failure to attach this form when you apply may cause processing delays.
Eligible qualification
You must have also met the Australian study requirement within the past six months, which means:
- your course is CRICOS-registered
- you successfully completed all course requirements
- your study was in English
- you completed your study over at least two academic years (92 weeks)
- you were physically in Australia for at least 16 calendar months to complete the study
- you held an Australian visa that allowed you to study
The qualification that you have completed must be an eligible degree. This means a:
- bachelor degree
- bachelor (honours) degree
- masters by coursework degree
- masters (extended) degree
- masters by research degree
- doctoral degree
If you have studied a standalone diploma or trade qualification, you are not eligible eligible to be granted a visa in this stream.
English
You can either show the Department of Home Affairs that you hold a valid passport from the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand or the Republic of Ireland,
or prove your English proficiency.
To do this, show the Department evidence that in the last 3 years, you achieved:
Test | Score |
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | Overall score of at least 6
with a minimum score of 5 for each of the 4 parts |
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | Overall score of at least 50
with a minimum score of 36 for each of the 4 parts |
Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) | Total score of at least 64
with a minimum score of 4 for listening, 4 for reading, 14 for writing and 14 for speaking |
Occupational English Test (OET) | At least B for each of the 4 parts |
Cambridge C1 Advanced test | Overall at least 169
with a minimum score of at least 154 in each of the 4 test components |
Health insurance
You must have adequate health cover for the whole of your stay to be granted this visa. Your cover should cover you for medically necessary treatment, including transport. Medical insurance helps limit your financial liability.
Some countries have a reciprocal healthcare agreement with Australia. Find out more from Services Australia about reciprocal healthcare agreements.
Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is acceptable health insurance if you are still on a student visa when you submit or send your application for a subclass 485 visa. However, OSHC will not be acceptable evidence of adequate health cover if you no longer hold a student visa. If you are applying for this visa while you are covered by OSHC, you will need to have adequate health cover (other than your OSHC) either immediately after your OSHC ends or before the Department of Home Affairs makes a decision, whichever comes first. If the Department decides on your application before your OSHC ends, they will contact you to ask you to obtain non-OSHC cover before they decide it.
Health and Character
You and any family who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement.
You and any family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa must meet our character requirement.
Visa Record
You might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused while you were in Australia. Check if visa cancellation affects your eligibility.
5. Checklists
Identity documents
- the pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.
- a national identity card, if you have one
- proof of change of name
Documents that prove a change of name include:
- a marriage or divorce certificate
- change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or the relevant overseas authority
- documents that show other names you have been known by
Study documents
- a completion letter from your education provider, stating:
- the date the course started
- the date you completed the course
- your education provider’s CRICOS code
- a certified copy of course transcripts.
If you have had any credit applied to your course and you want to use the credit to meet the Australian study requirement, you must also provide those course details and prove that your credit met the conditions of the Australian study requirement.
English language test results
You need to prove your English proficiency. To do this, show the Department evidence that in the last 3 years, you achieved:
Test | Score |
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) | Overall score of at least 6
with a minimum score of 5 for each of the 4 parts |
Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) | Overall score of at least 50
with a minimum score of 36 for each of the 4 parts |
Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-based Test (TOEFL iBT) | Total score of at least 64
with a minimum score of 4 for listening, 4 for reading, 14 for writing and 14 for speaking |
Occupational English Test (OET) | At least B for each of the 4 parts |
Cambridge C1 Advanced test | Overall at least 169
with a minimum score of at least 154 in each of the 4 test components |
You do not need to provide these results if you hold a valid passport from:
- the United Kingdom
- Canada
- New Zealand
- the United States
- the Republic of Ireland
Health insurance documents
You must prove that you have adequate health insurance in Australia. Provide:
- a signed letter from a health insurance provider
- evidence of health insurance
Character documents
You and any other applicants over 16 years of age must provide evidence that you have applied for an Australian Federal Police check during the 12 months before you apply for this visa.
The Department of Home Affairs only accepts complete disclosure National Police Certificates issued by the Australian Federal Police. They do not accept standard disclosure certificates or national police certificates issued by Australian state or territory police.
If requested by the Department, you may also need to provide:
- an overseas police certificate from every country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16
- military service records or discharge papers if you served in the armed forces of any country
Partner documents
Provide your partner’s following document if your partner is applying with you:
- identity documents
- character documents
- documents about other family members, if applicable
If you are married, provide your marriage certificate or other evidence that your marriage is valid in Australia.
If you are a de facto partner, provide proof of your de facto relationship.
This proof should show that:
- you have a mutual commitment with your partner to the exclusion of all others
- your relationship is genuine and continuing
- you either live together or don’t live permanently apart
- you are not related by family
For a de facto relationship, please also provide evidence that:
- you have been in your de facto relationship for at least 12 months before you applied for this visa, or
- if applicable, provide evidence that your relationship is registered by a participating Australian state or territory
Dependants under 18 documents
For every dependant 18 years old or younger who is applying with you, provide:
- copies of birth certificates or the family book showing the names of both parents of all your dependent children
- copies of the adoption paper, if applicable
- parental responsibility documents
You must get consent for any applicant under 18 years of age to migrate to Australia from anyone who:
- has a legal right to decide where the child lives and
- is not coming to Australia with the child
They must complete either:
- Form 1229 Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under the age of 18 years (240KB PDF)
- a statutory declaration giving their consent for the child to visit Australia on this visa
Alternatively, you can show the Department of Home Affairs:
- an Australian court order that allows your child to migrate to Australia, or
- that the laws of your home country allow them to migrate
Include:
- an identity document that shows the signature and photo of the person who completed the form or declaration, such as a passport or driver’s licence
- adoption papers or other court documents if applicable
Dependants over 18 documents
To include your child who is over 18 in your visa application, they must be:
- over 18 years of age but not yet turned 23, and dependent on you or your partner, or
- over 23 years of age and unable to earn a living to support themselves due to physical or cognitive limitations and dependent on you or your partner
If your child is likely to turn 23 while your application is being processed, you will need to provide evidence they are dependent on you due to disability.
Provide:
- a copy of their birth certificate to prove their relationship to you
- documents about their other relationships, if applicable
- identity documents
- character documents
You must also provide proof the child is dependent on you.
- proof of your relationship with the dependant such as a birth certificate or adoption papers
- a completed Form 47a Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over (307KB PDF)
- proof of financial dependency such as bank statements, money transfers and rent receipts
- if the child is aged 23 or is likely to turn 23 while your application is being processed, you must also provide a report from a qualified medical practitioner that states they are dependent on you or your partner due to the total or partial loss of their bodily or mental functions
COVID-19 Impacted Students
Student visa holders who undertook online study outside Australia because of COVID-19 travel restrictions are able to count this study towards the Australian Study Requirement, for the purposes of applying for a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa.
You must attach Form 1545 – COVID-19 Impacted Students (229KB PDF) with your student visa application. Your education provider must fill out and sign this form.
Failure to attach this form with your visa application may result in processing delays.
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