Pathway

Australia Temporary Graduate Visa

Australia Residency

Updated October 8, 2026

Pathway overview

At a glance

Subclass 485 gives recent graduates of eligible Australian courses temporary permission to live, work, and study. The correct option depends on the qualification, age, study history, and application timing. Most applicants must be 35 or younger and apply within the relevant six-month windows; specified exceptions have different age limits.

Usual age limit: 35 or younger; limited under-50 exceptions apply
Recent study: An eligible Australian qualification and the required recent Student visa history
Timing: Check both the six-month completion and Student-visa windows

Summary

Recent graduates of eligible Australian courses may use Subclass 485 for a period of work and further study after graduation. The Post-Vocational Education Work stream covers certain associate degrees, diplomas and trade qualifications linked to a listed occupation. The Post-Higher Education Work stream covers eligible degrees and connected graduate-diploma qualifications.

The qualification, completion date and recent Student visa history determine which stream may fit. Graduates who studied and then lived in designated regional Australia may qualify for a second Post-Higher Education Work visa lasting one or two additional years. Employment and a later permanent visa are separate outcomes, not guaranteed by a graduate visa.

Eligibility

Most main applicants must be 35 or younger when applying, be in Australia, hold or recently have held an eligible Student visa, complete the relevant qualification within 6 months before applying, satisfy the Australian study requirement, and provide required English, health-insurance and Australian Federal Police-check evidence when applying.

Age exceptions differ by stream:

a Post-Higher Education applicant using a master's by research or doctoral degree can be under 50;
Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders can generally be under 50 and may receive longer stays; and
the ordinary Post-Vocational applicant does not receive the research-degree exception.

Post-Vocational applicants need an occupation chosen from the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and evidence that they have applied for, or obtained, the relevant skills assessment. The qualification must be closely related to that occupation.

Post-Higher Education applicants do not need an occupation or skills assessment. Current standard stays are 2 years for a bachelor's degree (including honors), master's coursework or master's extended; 3 years for master's research and doctoral degrees. Specific longer periods continue for qualifying Indian nationals under the Australia–India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA). The former general "select degree" extra 2-year extension has ended.

Applying to work after Australian study

Match the qualification to the correct visa option Check age, course eligibility, recent visa history, and the six-month deadlines.
Prepare the evidence before applying Include English, insurance, police-check evidence, and any skills-assessment application.
Apply in Australia before the deadline Check the period granted and assess later visa options separately.

The visa option cannot be changed after applying, and graduation ceremony dates do not set the completion deadline.

What This Route Allows

Subclass 485 provides open work and study rights during the temporary stay and permits eligible family members. Post-Vocational stay is up to 18 months; Post-Higher Education is generally 2 or 3 years; the second regional stream is 1 or 2 years. The grant letter and Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) show the exact period.

The visa can provide time to gain experience and pursue employer-sponsored, points-tested or regional pathways, but each later visa must be qualified for separately.

What This Route Is Not

The 485 is not permanent residence and does not guarantee skilled migration. The applicant must find their own employment, and work outside the nominated field does not by itself create points or a later sponsorship route.

It is highly time-sensitive. A late application, wrong stream, missing English result, missing AFP application evidence or missed 6-month qualification/Student-visa window can lead to refusal or make you ineligible. Home Affairs says the stream cannot be changed after application.

Australian study outside the correct qualification and CRICOS rules does not qualify merely because a provider issued a graduation document.

Next Steps

Identify the stream from the qualification actually used to meet the Australian study requirement.
Calculate the 6-month course-completion and Student-visa windows using official completion evidence, not the ceremony date.
Check the applicable 35-or-under rule or narrow under-50 exception.
Obtain the required English result within its current validity period.
Apply for the AFP check and, for Post-Vocational, the skills assessment before applying; attach the required evidence with the application.
Arrange adequate health insurance and apply from inside Australia before the deadline.
If considering the second regional stream, retain proof of the institution's location and 2 years of eligible regional residence.