Graduates in Australia can continue their journey through the Post Graduate Visa (Subclass 485). This visa allows international students who have recently completed their studies in Australia to live, work and gain professional experience after graduation. With options across different streams, the 485 visa is a valuable pathway to extend your stay and build your career in Australia. Whether you’re looking for skilled employment opportunities, preparing for permanent residency, or simply want more time to work and travel, the Post Graduate Visa offers flexibility and clear benefits.
Temporary Graduate visa – Subclass 485
Post-Vocational Education Work Stream
This stream is aimed at international graduates who have completed a vocational qualification such as a certificate, diploma, associate degree, or trade qualification that is relevant to an occupation in demand on Australia’s Medium and Long Term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) and meet the Australian Study Requirement (ASR).
Main Features
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Stay period: Usually up to 18 months (longer for certain passport holders).
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Work rights: Full work rights with no restrictions on hours.
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Study link: Your qualification must be closely related to an occupation in demand.
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Requirements: A valid skills assessment in the nominated occupation, English language proficiency, health and character checks.
You must be 35 years old or younger to apply for this visa (you must not have turned 36).
Post-Higher Education Work Stream
This stream is for international graduates who have completed an Australian degree-level qualification (Bachelor, Master, or Doctorate) who meet the Australian Study Requirement (ASR), regardless of their field of study.
Main Features:
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Stay period:
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Bachelor or Master’s (coursework/extended): up to 2 years
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Master’s (research) and PhD: up to 3 years
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Longer stay available for certain passport holders
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Work rights: Full work rights for the duration of the visa.
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Study link: Any field of study is eligible — no occupation list requirement.
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Requirements: The qualification must be from a CRICOS-registered course and completed on a student visa*.
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Applicants must meet English, health, and character requirements.
You must be 35 years old or younger to apply for this visa (you must not have turned 36) unless you have completed a Master (research) or Doctoral Degree (PhD) or hold a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport.
Second Post-Higher Education Work Stream
This stream is available to those who have already held a Post-Higher Education Work Stream visa and studied and lived in a designated regional area in Australia.
Main Features:
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Stay period: An additional 1 to 2 years, depending on the regional location of your study and residence.
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Work rights: Full work rights. Eligible family members can be included (see the new family member rules from 13 November 2026).
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Requirements: You must have lived in a regional area during your first 485 visa and completed your qualification at a regional campus. Health and character requirements continue to apply.
485 Visa Family Members: New Rules from 13 November 2026
Updated 13 November 2026.
The Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 limit who can be included in a 485 visa as a secondary applicant. For applications made on or after 13 November 2026:
- Families already in Australia can stay together: a partner or child who holds, or recently held, a Student visa or 485 visa as your dependant can be included.
- New family members generally cannot be included: unless you hold a Pacific, Timor-Leste or ASEAN passport, completed a PhD, or held a foreign government scholarship. A child born after your last visa was granted can always be included.
- No adding family later: family members must apply at the same time as you. Subsequent entrant applications are no longer possible.
- An ineligible family member makes the application invalid, with no merits review.
See our full guide: 485 visa family members – new rules from 13 November 2026.
FAQs - frequently asked questions
The Australian Study Requirement is the heart of a 485 visa application. It ensures that applicants have genuinely studied in Australia before seeking post-study work rights.
The ASR has two main components:
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Registered course duration – You must complete a course (or combination of courses) that is registered on CRICOS and has a total registered duration of at least 92 weeks of study (equivalent to two academic years).
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Actual study period – The time you spend studying in Australia must be no less than 16 calendar months, counted from the commencement of your course(s) to completion.
Meeting the ASR is fundamental, as it demonstrates that you have undertaken a significant and recognised program of study in Australia, which is a cornerstone for eligibility to apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485).
CRICOS stands for Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.
It is an official register that lists all Australian education providers and the courses they are approved to offer to international students on a student visa.
For the 485 visa, the CRICOS register is important because:
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Your qualification must come from a course that is CRICOS-registered.
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The CRICOS duration (measured in weeks) is what counts towards meeting the Australian Study Requirement (at least 92 weeks and 16 months in duration).
In simple terms: CRICOS confirms that the course you studied is recognised and valid for visa purposes.
To meet the English requirement, you generally need to demonstrate:
- IELTS: Overall score of 6.5, with no individual band score below 5.5; or
- Equivalent test results such as:
- PTE Academic: Overall score of 55
- Listening: 40
- Reading: 42
- Writing: 41
- Speaking: 39
- PTE Academic: Overall score of 55
Yes. While most applicants must be 35 or under, there are exceptions:
- Master (research) and PhD graduates can apply up to the age of 50.
- Certain passport holders (e.g. Hong Kong and British National Overseas) may also qualify for extended age and stay concessions.
Unfortunately, you will lose eligibility for the 485 visa if you complete your studies after turning 36. The age requirement (under 36 at the time of application) is strict, and the date of course completion is what matters for eligibility.
There are only a few exceptions to this rule. You may still be eligible if you are:
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A Master by Research or PhD graduate, or
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A Hong Kong national, or
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A British National (Overseas).
No. The main applicant must be in Australia at the time of lodgement. Secondary applicants (family members) can be in or outside Australia, but from 13 November 2026 they must be eligible and included in the same application, made at the same time as yours. Family members who are in Australia must hold a substantive visa or a Bridging A or B visa when you apply.
Only in specific cases. For applications made from 13 November 2026, you can include your partner or dependent child only if:
- they hold, or held in the last 6 months (or on 2 October 2026), a Student visa as your dependant;
- they hold, or held in the last 6 months, a 485 visa as your dependant;
- the child was born after your most recent Student visa or 485 visa was granted; or
- you are exempt: you hold a Pacific, Timor-Leste or ASEAN passport, completed a PhD on your last Student visa, or your studies were fully funded by a foreign government.
Family members must apply together with you. They cannot be added after your 485 visa is granted. Eligible family members receive the same visa duration and conditions as you, with the right to live, work and study in Australia. Read more in our guide to the 485 visa family member rules.
No. Family members included in your 485 visa application are not required to meet the English language requirement. Only the primary applicant must demonstrate English proficiency through an approved test (unless exempt by nationality).