485 Visa Australia (Temporary Graduate): Streams, Duration and Requirements

What Is the 485 Visa? Current Streams (Post 1 July 2024)

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) is a temporary visa that lets international students who have recently finished studying in Australia stay on to live, study, and work. Since a reform package that commenced 1 July 2024 (the Migration Amendment (Graduate Visas) Regulations 2024), Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations 1994 sets out three streams:

Post-Vocational Education Work stream — for applicants who used an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification to meet the study requirement, where that qualification is closely related to their nominated skilled occupation. This is the renamed former "Graduate Work stream."

Post-Higher Education Work stream — for applicants who used a degree (bachelor, masters or doctoral) to meet the study requirement. This is the renamed former "Post-Study Work stream."

Replacement stream — a narrower stream that carries no additional criteria beyond the common criteria in the Regulations, but which was closed to new general applications from 1 July 2024 (it previously covered COVID-affected 485 holders). If you see "Replacement stream" described as a general second-485 option, that information predates the 2024 changes.

You nominate a stream when you apply, and clause 1229(3)(k)/(la) of Schedule 1 makes clear you cannot change streams after lodging — pick the one your qualification actually supports before you apply. A related Second Post-Higher Education Work stream exists for graduates whose first Post-Higher Education Work 485 was tied to study and residence in a designated regional area — see /blog/485-second-graduate-extension for exactly who that covers.

How Long the 485 Visa Runs

The Regulations don't fix the exact stay length in the clause itself (clause 485.513 leaves it as "a date specified by the Minister") — the period is set by legislative instrument and by stream. Study Australia, the Australian Government's international education body, currently describes the settings as: Post-Vocational Education Work stream — up to 18 months (Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders may get 5 years). Post-Higher Education Work stream — usually between 2 and 3 years depending on your qualification (again, up to 5 years for HK/BNO passport holders); the ordinary pattern applied is a bachelor's degree or a masters by coursework getting 2 years, and a masters by research or a doctoral degree getting 3 years. Second Post-Higher Education Work stream — between 1 and 2 years depending on the regional category of your original study and residence.

Indian nationals may also be entitled to a longer stay under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA) for certain STEM and higher-level qualifications — this runs alongside the standard settings above rather than replacing them, so confirm the specific extension that applies to your qualification with the Department or an agent rather than assuming a figure.

Eligibility Requirements for the 485 Visa

Basic eligibility, current under Compilation No. 288 of the Migration Regulations (in force from 1 July 2026) and Study Australia's own summary: you must be 35 years old or under when you apply — unless you hold a Hong Kong passport or British National (Overseas) passport, or you have completed a masters degree (research) or a doctoral degree, in which case the limit is under 50. You must hold an eligible visa and have held a student visa (subclass 500, or its predecessors) within the last 6 months. You must have a recent qualification from a CRICOS-registered course, and you apply for one eligible stream only — you cannot switch streams after lodging.

For the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, clause 485.221 requires that, in the 6 months immediately before your application, you completed one or more associate degrees, diplomas or trade qualifications from courses that were registered, ran for a total of at least 2 academic years and at least 16 calendar months, were taught entirely in English, and were undertaken in Australia while you held a student visa. Each qualification must be closely related to your nominated occupation, and you need evidence of having applied for a relevant skills assessment.

For the Post-Higher Education Work stream, the equivalent Australian study requirement is a degree (bachelor, masters or doctoral) completed within the same 6-month/16-month/2-academic-year framework. You must hold, or have held, a Student (Temporary) (Class TU) visa.

Every applicant also needs adequate health insurance for the duration of the visa, needs to satisfy public interest criteria (health and character, including police clearances requested within the 12 months before applying), and there is a cap: no applicant can hold more than 3 Subclass 485 visas in the (old) Post-Study Work stream, or more than 2 in the Post-Higher Education Work stream, across their lifetime.

English Language Requirements

The specific test and score are set by legislative instrument (currently the Migration (English Language Requirements for Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) Visas) Instrument 2025, in force from 7 August 2025) rather than the Regulations themselves, so they can change without a full regulation amendment. The current specified scores for the general population are: IELTS (Academic or General Training) — average band score of at least 6.5, with no component below 5.5; PTE Academic — overall band at least 55, with minimum component scores; TOEFL iBT — total score at least 81, with minimum component scores; OET — a minimum grade in each component; CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic and Michigan English Test (MET) are also accepted at specified scores. Whichever test you use, the required score must have been achieved within 1 year before you apply, and (except for OET) in a single sitting — you cannot combine component scores from different test dates.

Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders qualify at a lower specified score (for example, IELTS average band 6.0 with no component below 5.0). Citizens of Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, using a passport from that country, are exempt from the English language requirement altogether.

How Much Does the 485 Visa Cost?

As at 1 July 2026, the base application charge for the primary applicant is $5,750. Additional costs to budget for include a health examination (typically a few hundred dollars, varying by country and provider — see /blog/visa-medical-examination-guide), police clearances (varies by country), an English language test, and migration agent fees if you use one. Charges for adult secondary applicants and dependents sit below the primary applicant charge and, like all visa application charges, are indexed each 1 July — confirm the current figure on the Department's visa pricing estimator before you pay, since this guide's figure reflects settings current at publication.

Common Reasons for 485 Visa Refusal or Delay

The most common reasons 485 applications run into trouble: not meeting the Australian study requirement (the course didn't total 2 academic years, or wasn't completed within 16 calendar months); applying too late (the 6-month window runs from your course completion date, not your graduation ceremony, and clause 485.221/485.231 measure it strictly); an expired or single-sitting-non-compliant English test result; nominating the wrong stream for your qualification (which cannot be corrected after lodgement — you would need to withdraw and relodge, losing time against your 6-month window); and incomplete evidence of the skills assessment application for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream. A migration agent reviewing your application before you lodge is aimed squarely at catching these before they become a refusal.

Do You Need a Migration Agent for a 485 Visa?

The 485 visa is one of the more procedurally straightforward Australian visas, and many graduates apply successfully on their own. You're more likely to benefit from a MARA-registered migration agent if you're unsure whether your qualification and course length genuinely meet the study requirement, you have gaps or changes in your study history, you're close to the 6-month application deadline and need to move fast, you've had a visa refusal or cancellation in the past, you're weighing the Post-Vocational versus Post-Higher Education stream and the choice isn't obvious, or you want help planning the pathway from the 485 into a skilled visa (see /occupations for occupation-specific pathway detail and /agents/skilled-visa to compare agents who handle 189/190/491 cases) or an employer-sponsored 482/186 route. Migratio is Australia's marketplace for finding and comparing MARA-registered migration agents — submit a free case brief and up to 3 agents who handle graduate visas will review your case and compete for it.

What are the current 485 visa streams?

Since 1 July 2024, the two general streams are Post-Vocational Education Work (associate degree, diploma or trade qualification) and Post-Higher Education Work (bachelor, masters or doctoral degree). The Replacement stream still exists in the Regulations but is closed to new general applicants. A narrower Second Post-Higher Education Work stream exists for regional graduates reapplying.

How long does the 485 visa last?

Post-Vocational Education Work is granted for up to 18 months. Post-Higher Education Work usually runs 2 to 3 years depending on your qualification level — commonly 2 years for a bachelor's or masters by coursework, and 3 years for a masters by research or doctorate. Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders can get up to 5 years on either stream.

What's the age limit for the 485 visa?

35 or under at the time of application for most applicants. If you hold a Hong Kong or British National (Overseas) passport, or you completed a masters by research or a doctoral degree, the limit rises to under 50.

What English test score do I need for the 485 visa?

The score is set by legislative instrument, not the Regulations, and can change. Currently that's an IELTS average band of 6.5 with no component below 5.5 (or the equivalent on PTE, TOEFL iBT, OET, CELPIP, LANGUAGECERT or MET), achieved within 1 year of applying and, other than OET, in a single sitting. Citizens of Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK and the USA using their passport are exempt.

How soon after finishing my course do I need to apply for the 485?

Within 6 months of completing the study that satisfies the Australian study requirement. This deadline runs from your course completion date, not your graduation ceremony, and it is measured strictly against clause 485.221 (Post-Vocational) or 485.231 (Post-Higher Education).

Can I work full-time on a 485 visa?

Yes. The 485 grants full work rights with no hourly restrictions, unlike the student visa.

Can I apply for permanent residency while on a 485 visa?

Yes. Many graduates use the 485 as a stepping stone to a points-tested skilled visa (subclass 189, 190 or 491) or an employer-sponsored visa (subclass 482 then 186), once they've built the required skilled work experience.

Is there a limit on how many 485 visas I can hold?

Yes. Under current settings you cannot hold more than 3 Subclass 485 visas in the old Post-Study Work stream, or more than 2 in the Post-Higher Education Work stream, in total.