Temporary graduate visa (subclass 485) in Australia

After finishing an eligible course in Australia, many international graduates use the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) to stay on and enter the workforce. Because the visa has different streams, factors such as your qualification, age, course completion date, and where you studied can change what you can apply for, what evidence you must provide, and how long you can remain. This guide covers streams, eligibility, documents, fees, the application steps, and what happens after you apply.

This guide is for general information only, not legal or migration advice, and is based on official Australian government sources. Because the Department of Home Affairs can change rules, fees, and processing settings, check the live official pages before you act; below, we cover streams, eligibility, documents, costs, application steps, and what usually happens after lodgement.

Key takeaways

• The current first-application streams are the Post-Higher Education Work stream and Post-Vocational Education Work stream.
• The Second Post-Higher Education Work stream is a later regional follow-on option, not the usual first 485 application.
• Most applicants must be 35 or under on the day they apply, although some exceptions apply.
• You normally need to have held a Student visa (subclass 500) in the last 6 months and apply within 6 months of course completion.
• You must show adequate health insurance for all applicants, and many graduates need to plan the move from student cover to a post-study arrangement.
• The 485 is a temporary visa, not permanent residence, and it cannot simply be extended at the end.
• Fees and 485 visa processing time can change, so verify live details with the Home Affairs pricing and processing tools before you pay.

Wise for your post-study move to Australia

While you prepare your subclass 485 application and start working, you may need to pay fees, cover rent and move money between Australia and home. A Wise account lets eligible customers hold and convert AUD and other currencies, get local account details, and send international transfers with low, transparent fees—handy for life after graduation.

Open a Wise account

If you have just completed, or are about to complete, study in Australia, this guide explains how the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) works in practice; for the wider system picture, Expatica’s Visas and immigration in Australia guide shows where the 485 sits in the broader visa system.

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What is the Temporary Graduate visa in Australia?

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) hub is the official starting point if you want the current rules in one place. In plain English, the 485 is a temporary post-study visa that lets eligible graduates stay in Australia after study, but your stream depends on the qualification and study route you use to qualify.

It is designed to give recent graduates time to work, settle, and plan the next step. One thing worth knowing is that stream choice is not just a label: it affects eligibility, documents, and how long you may be able to stay.

What the subclass 485 visa lets you do

A subclass 485 visa Australia grant can let you stay in Australia temporarily, work, study, and travel while the visa is valid. You may also be able to include family members, but everyone included still needs to meet the relevant health and character rules.

A common misunderstanding is that “can work” means “job guaranteed.” It does not. The visa can give you work rights, but you still need to find your own employment, and the visa itself is temporary rather than permanent.

Which 485 visa stream fits your qualification?

Home Affairs now uses current stream names that are more precise than many older guides. You may still see the former Post-Study Work stream and Graduate Work stream labels online, so always match your case to the current official stream page before applying.

Stream names, eligibility details, and stay periods can change. Recheck the relevant Department of Home Affairs stream page before you apply.

Post-Higher Education Work stream

This is the main route for many university graduates. It usually applies to eligible bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral qualifications from an Australian institution, and Home Affairs says stay length depends on the qualification used and current rules.

Older pages may still call this the Post-Study Work stream. Verify the current Post-Higher Education Work stream page before you lodge, especially if your degree level or age exception is not straightforward.

Post-Vocational Education Work stream

This stream is usually for eligible vocational study, such as an associate degree, diploma, or trade qualification that is closely related to an occupation Australia needs. It is different from the degree-level stream, and many applicants also need a skills assessment, or proof they applied for one, before or at lodgement.

That is why not every Australian qualification leads to the same 485 route. Check the Post-Vocational Education Work stream page and the skilled occupation list together.

Second Post-Higher Education Work stream

This is not the standard first 485 application. It is a later regional pathway for some graduates who already hold an eligible first Temporary Graduate visa and who studied, and then lived, in designated regional Australia for the required period.

The practical question is whether your study location and later residence both line up with the rule. Home Affairs looks closely at the campus that led to your first 485 and whether you lived in a designated regional area for at least 2 years before applying for the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream.

Who can apply for a Temporary Graduate visa?

Think of the 485 visa requirements Australia uses as a self-check, not a promise of approval. The fastest way to avoid wasted time is to separate the broad structure of the rules from the live detail you must verify on Home Affairs.

Age, recent study, and eligible visa rules

• Age: Most applicants must be 35 or under on the day they apply. Some exceptions apply, including some higher research degrees and some passport-based cases.
• Recent completion: You normally need to apply within 6 months of your course completion date, which is when you first met the academic requirements, not the date of your graduation ceremony.
• Eligible visa: You usually need to be in Australia and hold an eligible visa, or have held a Student visa in the last 6 months and now hold a substantive visa or relevant bridging visa.
• Study requirement: Your course must meet the Temporary Graduate visa study requirement, including eligible study in Australia through a CRICOS-registered course.

One thing worth knowing is that timing mistakes often happen when students confuse course completion with conferral. If your dates are close, do not rely on blog summaries; check the stream page and study requirement page together.

English, health insurance, and character checks

• English: The 485 has specific English rules, and accepted tests changed on 7 August 2025. Use the English language visa requirements page and your exact stream page to confirm the current tests, score level, and validity window.
• Health insurance: You must show adequate health insurance when you apply and keep it during your stay. Many graduates move from Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) to Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) or another acceptable arrangement, so line up the handover before you cancel anything.
• Character: Home Affairs asks for evidence that you applied for an Australian Federal Police check within the required window. On the main first 485 streams, applying for the AFP check on the same day as the visa application can cause problems.
• Medicare or RHCA: Some nationalities may have limited support through a reciprocal healthcare agreement, but that is not the same as full cover. Check Services Australia before assuming public cover replaces private insurance.

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What documents do you need for a 485 visa application?

Once you are broadly eligible, start gathering evidence before you open ImmiAccount, the Home Affairs online application portal. Some documents are quick, but others, especially police, insurance, and translation items, often take longer than students expect.

Your essential document checklist

• Passport biodata page, plus any name-change documents
• Course completion letter and transcript, showing dates, campus location, study mode, and language of instruction
• English evidence, unless you qualify for a passport-based exemption
• Health insurance evidence, or Medicare proof if that is the arrangement you will rely on
• Australian Federal Police check evidence and any other character documents requested
• Relationship and identity documents for family members you include
• English translations for non-English documents, plus clear colour scans ready for upload

If you are using more than one course to meet the Australian study requirement, make sure your evidence shows how the pieces fit together. A simple rule is one document set, one clear file name, because that makes later uploads and follow-up requests easier.

Common document mistakes to avoid

Common problems include using a graduation date instead of the course completion date, leaving the AFP step until the day of lodgement, assuming old Student visa papers are still enough, and uploading files with missing pages. Before you submit, compare your checklist against the “Evidence to attach” guidance on Home Affairs, because a complete-looking file can still miss a required detail.

How to apply for the 485 visa step by step

The 485 process is online, but the order still matters. A common question is whether you can fix a wrong stream choice later, and Home Affairs says you cannot change streams after you apply.

Before you lodge your application

If any of those points are unclear, stop and verify before you pay. The expensive mistakes usually happen before lodgement, not after.

Submitting through ImmiAccount

Apply through ImmiAccount and attach your evidence as clearly as possible. Home Affairs receives applications in AEST or AEDT, and a valid application needs the right stream, the visa charge, and the key documents attached at submission.

In practice, the flow is simple: sign in, complete the form, add family members if you are applying together, upload files, and pay. If your case is not straightforward, the official Home Affairs wording is to use only registered migration agents, legal practitioners, or exempt persons for individual help.

What to do if your student visa is ending or you need to travel

If your Student visa is close to expiring, the key issue is staying lawful in Australia, not just filing quickly. A valid onshore 485 application may trigger a bridging arrangement, but travel rights are separate, so check VEVO, Visa Entitlement Verification Online, and the live bridging guidance before you leave Australia.

If you are not sure whether your bridging visa after a 485 application gives you the travel rights you need, do not guess from forums or social media. Verify your live conditions first, or get individual help.

How much does the 485 visa cost and how long does it take?

Cost and timing are some of the biggest click drivers on this topic, but they are also the quickest details to date badly. The safest approach is to use date-stamped figures only as a starting point, then recheck the live official tool before you submit.

How to budget for the full application cost

As checked on Department of Home Affairs stream pages on 11 August 2026, the main application charge starts from AUD 5,750 for the first Post-Higher Education Work and Post-Vocational Education Work streams, while the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream starts from AUD 2,265. Use the Visa Pricing Estimator before you pay, because family-member charges, concessions, health checks, police certificates, biometrics, and translations can all change the full total.

How to check live processing times safely

Do not rely on a fixed commercial estimate for 485 visa processing time. The global visa processing times tool shows recently decided applications only, not a guarantee for your case, and Home Affairs says completeness, extra information requests, and verification checks can all change the timeline.

What happens after you apply for the 485 visa?

This is often the point where stress rises, because there may be a long gap between lodgement and decision. In most cases, the right next step is not to panic; it is to keep your records organised and check the right systems.

Bridging visas, work rights, and staying lawful

Silence after lodgement does not automatically mean something is wrong. If your current visa ends before a decision, a bridging visa may let you stay lawfully in Australia, but your work rights and travel rights depend on the conditions attached to your own case, so confirm them in VEVO rather than assuming they match someone else’s.

One thing worth knowing is that lawful stay and re-entry are different questions. That is why checking live conditions matters more than relying on someone else’s experience.

If Home Affairs asks for more information

Processing can take longer when evidence is incomplete or Home Affairs needs additional information, so respond in ImmiAccount by the deadline and keep copies of everything you upload.

Students also sometimes cancel their health cover too early. If you are switching from student cover to a new arrangement, line up the handover before you end anything, so you do not create a gap while proving adequate health insurance.

How to plan your next move after graduation

The 485 is not only an application exercise; it is also the start of a new stage of life in Australia. Once the visa plan is moving, think about healthcare, work rights, relocation admin, and everyday money setup together, not as separate problems.

If you want to stay longer, common next steps include employer-sponsored and points-tested routes covered in Expatica’s Work visa in Australia: types, eligibility, costs & how to apply (2026 guide) and Skilled worker visa Australia: 2026 guide.

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Health cover, banking, and settling in

Once you have lodged, review how you will cover healthcare and your first months of spending. Expatica’s Best health insurance for 485 visa in Australia and Medical Insurance in Australia for International Students can help if you are moving from student cover to a post-study setup.

For day-to-day banking, compare what major local banks such as Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, and ANZ ask for, and plan for early living costs while your paperwork catches up. Expatica’s Moving to Australia, the ultimate checklist and How to open a bank account in Australia in 2026 are useful starting points. If you still need to receive money from home or hold AUD before opening a local account, a Wise account can be helpful for cross-border money management, but it is not part of the visa process and may not replace every local banking need.

Managing your money in Australia with a Wise account

International graduates often need to juggle rent, family transfers, and spending in more than one currency at the same time. Eligible customers can use a Wise account to receive money from abroad and hold AUD alongside other supported currencies while managing costs after graduation.

Use it as a practical money tool, not as a visa solution. Check current features, pricing, and availability for Australia before you decide whether it fits alongside, or instead of, a local account for your short-term needs.

Conclusion

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) can give eligible graduates time to live, work, study, and plan their next step in Australia, but the correct stream and timing depend on your qualification and circumstances. Check the current Home Affairs stream page before you lodge, especially for age, recent-study, health insurance, English, character, and document requirements. Build your application around course completion dates, complete evidence, and live visa conditions rather than old summaries or forum advice. After lodgement, keep your ImmiAccount, VEVO conditions, health cover, and next-step planning up to date while you wait for a decision.