Post-Study Work
Temp Graduate Visa (485)
Graduated in Australia? Apply for the 485 Temporary Graduate Visa for 2–6 years of post-study work rights. Expert help with Graduate Work and Post-Study Work streams. Free consultation — call today.
What Is the 485 Visa?
The Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) allows recent graduates of Australian educational institutions to live, work, and study in Australia temporarily after finishing their studies. The visa provides unrestricted work rights — you can work in any occupation, for any employer, for any number of hours. This is the key difference from the Student visa’s 48-hour work limit.
The 485 is available in two streams — the Graduate Work stream (for graduates whose qualification is closely related to an occupation on the skilled occupation list) and the Post-Study Work stream (for graduates of Bachelor degrees or higher). Recent policy changes in 2023 and 2024 significantly extended the visa duration for graduates from the Indian subcontinent, Vietnam, and other key source countries under the new Strengthening the Student Visa Framework measures.
Two Streams — Comparison Table
| Feature | Graduate Work Stream | Post-Study Work Stream |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification required | Any CRICOS qualification closely related to a skilled occupation on the relevant occupation list | Bachelor, Masters, or PhD from an Australian institution |
| Skills assessment required | Yes — from the relevant assessing authority for the occupation | No skills assessment required |
| Duration | 18 months | 2–6 years depending on qualification level and study location |
| Work rights | Unrestricted | Unrestricted |
| Most commonly used stream | Less common | Most common |
| Genuine Temporary Entrant requirement | Yes | Yes |
Post-Study Work Stream — Duration by Qualification
| Qualification | Studied in Metro | Studied in Regional Area |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor degree | 2 years | 3 years (additional 1 yr for regional) |
| Bachelor (Honours) / Graduate Diploma / Graduate Certificate | 2 years | 3 years |
| Masters by coursework | 3 years | 4 years |
| Masters by research | 3 years | 4 years |
| Doctoral (PhD) | 4 years | 5 years |
| Indian nationals — Bachelor or higher (2023 policy) | Up to 5 years (depending on degree) | Up to 6 years |
| Chinese nationals — Bachelor or higher (2024 policy, confirm current) | Verify with Amity — subject to change | Verify with Amity |
Eligibility Requirements — 485 Visa
- Completed at least one CRICOS-registered qualification in Australia of at least 92 weeks’ duration (or a combination of qualifications meeting this threshold)
- Applied within 6 months of being notified of course completion (date of PRISMS notification)
- Held a student visa (subclass 500) for the period of the qualifying study (cannot have been on any other visa during the study period, with limited exceptions)
- Satisfy the Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) requirement
- Satisfy health requirements (health examination if required)
- Satisfy character requirements (penal clearances from each country lived in for 12+ months)
- Satisfy English language requirement: Competent English — IELTS overall 6.0 (no band below 5.0), or equivalent
- Have not previously held a 485 visa (with limited exceptions for substream transitions)
Genuine Temporary Entrant (GTE) Assessment for 485
The GTE requirement for the 485 is assessed differently from the Genuine Student requirement for the 500 visa. For the 485, the Department asks whether you genuinely intend to stay in Australia temporarily — even though the 485 is explicitly designed as a pathway toward permanent residence for many graduates. This creates an inherent tension that applicants must navigate carefully.
The GTE assessment considers ties to home country, immigration history, circumstances in Australia, and the overall plausibility of the temporary nature of the stay. Applicants who have directly expressed an intention to seek permanent residence in their 485 application may face closer scrutiny. We advise on how to present your 485 application in a way that satisfies the GTE requirement without compromising the integrity of your application.
For the Graduate Work stream, you must have a positive skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority for your nominated occupation before you can lodge the 485. Common assessing bodies include Engineers Australia (engineering), VETASSESS (many professional occupations), ACS (IT), CPA/CAANZ (accounting), AHPRA (health professionals), and many others.
Skills assessments take time — typically 2–8 months depending on the assessing body and complexity. If you are pursuing the Graduate Work stream, you must begin your skills assessment well in advance of your course completion date to ensure you have a positive assessment before the 6-month application window expires.
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