485 Visa Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve graduated from a bachelor’s degree or higher, AIS Immigration Solutions can help you obtain a post study work visa to extend your stay. The temporary graduate working visa (subclass 485) allows international students who have received an Australian qualification on a student visa to extend their stay in Australia. There are two streams which apply to different circumstances. For more information about the 485 visa, visit this page on the temporary graduate working visa.

AIS Immigration Solutions are here to assist with any questions you may have and can guide you through the visa application process. Give us a call on +61 7 3216 0052, send us an enquiry, or book a skype interview with one of our friendly migration agents if you can’t make it to our Brisbane office.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What’s the difference between the two streams and what one should I select?

There are two streams, the graduate working visa stream and the post-study work stream. These are suited to different types of students. The graduate working visa stream is designed for students with an Australian Cert III / Diploma or higher, giving them the opportunity to work in selected fields, provided their qualification is relevant. It has the benefit over skilled temporary working visas, like the 482 TSS visa, as no nomination from an employer is required.

The post-study stream is designed for international graduates of an Australian university. It entitles you to two to four years of residency, depending on the type of degree achieved. Unlike the first stream, you don’t need to work in any specific field. If you’ve achieved a bachelor’s degree or higher from an Australian university, this stream will likely suit you best. This is because the costs and processing times are exactly the same, despite receiving greater benefits with this stream.

How do I qualify for the Graduate Work Stream?

Requirements for this visa include:

• Nominating a Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (View the ‘Employer Sponsored’ tab to find this list.

• You must pass the character and health Adequate health insurance is also required.
• You must obey all Australian laws during your residency.
• You and your parents must have paid back any debt owing to the Australian government, if any.
• You must be under 50 years of age.
• You must have not had a visa previously cancelled.
• You cannot have previously held a 485 or 476 visa.
• Pass English requirements (usually a 6+ overall and 5+ in each area of the IELTS test). Holding a passport from Ireland, the UK, the US, Canada or New Zealand exempts you from this requirement.
• You must currently hold a student visa or have previously held a student visa in the past six months and are currently on a bridging visa.

How do I qualify for the Post-work study stream?

Main requirements for the PSWV or Post Study Work Stream are:

• You must pass the character and health requirements, plus adequate health insurance.
• You must obey all Australian laws during your residency.
• You must be under 50 years of age.
• You and your parents must have paid back any debt owing to the Australian government, if any.
• You must have not had a visa previously cancelled.
• You cannot have previously held a 485 or 476 visa.
• Pass English requirements (usually a 6+ overall and 5+ in each area of the IELTS test). Holding a passport from Ireland, the UK, the US, Canada or New Zealand exempts you from this requirement.
• You must currently hold a student visa or have previously held a student visa in the past six months and are currently on a bridging visa. You must not have held a student visa prior to 5 November, 2011.

• Have completed two years of study in Australia at the bachelor level or higher.
• Have completed a bachelor’s degree, masters or PhD within the last 6 months.

How long are temporary graduate working visas valid?

The maximum stay period for the graduate stream is 18 months. For the post-work stream, our eligible duration of stay will depend on the degree you obtained:

• Any Bachelor’s Degree: Two years
• Coursework Master’s Degree: Two years
• Research Master’s Degree: Three years
• Doctoral Research Degree: Four years

Remember that you can move up to a permanent visa while working with your temporary graduate working visa (subclass 485), but you cannot extend the 485 visa itself.

Eligible qualifications

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 and:

• Your course was a CRICOS-registered course (this covers nearly all public Australian TAFE and university courses)
• You successfully completed all course requirements
• Your study was in English
• You completed your course as a result of at least two academic years (92 weeks) study
• You were physically in Australia for at least 16 calendar months to complete the study
• You held an Australian study visa that allowed you to study

To meet the 2 academic year component of the Australian study requirement, you may combine courses in some circumstances. The post-work study stream requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, while a Cert III / Diploma will suffice for the graduate stream.

Qualifications related to nominated occupation (Graduate stream only)

The qualification(s) completed must be closely related to the student’s nominated skilled occupation. For your qualification to be considered to be closely related to your nominated occupation, the skills underpinning the qualification must be directly transferable to that occupation. This applies to both the subject matter and the level of the qualification. For example, if you nominate ‘physiotherapist’ as your occupation, a degree in physiotherapy would meet this requirement, but a degree in commerce would not.

Example: Acceptable combinations of study and nominated occupations include:

• an applicant who nominates ‘Physiotherapist’ as their skilled occupation and completes a degree in physiotherapy in Australia
• an applicant who nominates ‘Air-conditioning and Mechanical Services Plumber’ as their skilled occupation who has completed a Certificate III in Plumbing and a Diploma of Plumbing and Services in Australia

Example: A combination of study and nominated occupation that would not be acceptable:

• An applicant’s nominated occupation is Registered Nurse but they satisfied the Australian study requirement on the basis of having completed a Bachelor of Commerce.

Skills assessment

We’ve put together a separate page on the specifics of when and how to get a skills assessment for your intended occupation. This is only a requirement if you intend to work in the graduate stream.

Further Questions?

If you have any further questions, or are after specialised information relating to your circumstances, get in touch with AIS Immigration Solutions today. Our skilled team have been helping students just like you obtain temporary and permanent migration for decades and we know the ins and outs of the entire process.