🎓 Everything You Need to Know About the Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) Visa – 2024/2025 Guide

Are you an international student who recently graduated in Australia? The Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa is your golden opportunity to stay, gain work experience, and possibly prepare for permanent residency. But with different streams, eligibility rules, and recent changes, understanding this visa can be overwhelming.

Let’s break it down.

🧾 What is the 485 Visa?

The Subclass 485 visa is a temporary visa for international students who have completed eligible qualifications in Australia. It allows you to live, work, and study in Australia temporarily, with the length and type of visa depending on your qualification and study location.

🛤️ Streams of the 485 Visa

There are two main active streams in 2024/2025:

1️) Post-Higher Education Work Stream

For graduates who have completed Bachelor, Masters, or Doctoral degrees in Australia.

Eligibility includes:

• Holding a Student visa (Subclass 500) or having held one in the 6 months prior to application

• Be 35 years old or under at the time of application. (It is still 50 for Master (Research) and Doctorate (PhD) level studies, Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport)

• Completing at least 2 academic years (92 weeks) of study over a minimum of 16 calendar months

• Holding an eligible higher education degree

• English language test results (IELTS 6.5 overall, min 5.5 in each band or equivalent)

⏳ Visa duration: 2 to 3 years depending on qualification (exemptions apply for certain passport holders)

2) Post-Vocational Education Work Stream (NEW in 2024)

This stream replaces the old Graduate Work stream.

For those who have:

• Completed a Diploma, Trade Qualification, or Associate Degree

• Be 35 years old or under at the time of application. (It is still 50 for Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport)

• Nominated a skilled occupation from the MLTSSL list (https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2019L00278/2019-11-16/text)

• Obtained a provisional skills assessment

• Met the Australian Study Requirement

• Achieved valid English test results (IELTS 6.5 overall, min 5.5 in each band or equivalent)

⏳ Visa duration: 18 months (exemptions apply for certain passport holders)🧑‍🔧 Perfect for trades like carpentry, plumbing, automotive, and more...

📍 Bonus: You may be eligible for a second 485 visa if you studied and lived in a regional area

🗺️ Regional Bonuses – Second 485 Visa

If you lived, studied, and worked in a designated regional area while on your first 485 visa, you may be eligible for a second 485 visa.

✅ Must prove:

• 2 years of continuous residence and activity (work/study) in the regional area

• Currently living in that same area at time of application and decision

• Specific postcodes apply, defined under LIN 22/022. (https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/working-in-australia/regional-migration/eligible-regional-areas)

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Subclass 485 Dependent Summary

A dependent can be a spouse, de facto partner, or child of the 485 visa holder. They must:

• Be a family unit member

• Have valid health insurance

• Meet character and health checks

• Can apply with the main applicant or later (subsequent entrant)

• Can be onshore or offshore

🆕 What’s Changed in 2024?

• Graduate Work Stream renamed to Post-Vocational Education Work Stream.

• Only one Post-Study Work visa allowed per person.

• Maximum of four 485 visas can be held in total.

• Replacement Stream closed on 1 July 2024.

• Higher test scores required: Increased from IELTS 6.0 to IELTS 6.5 overall (min 5.5 each band) or equivalent.

• The English test validity period also changed from 3 years to 1 year.

• Applicants must be under 35 years of age at the time of application.

  
  

🎯 Why the 2024 Changes Were Made

The changes aim to:

• Improve visa integrity by tightening eligibility.

• Ensure graduates have strong English skills for work and study.

• Prevent long-term stay via repeat 485 visas.

• Refocus the program on skilled migration and genuine pathways to employment or permanent residency.

📌 Key Requirements Checklist

✅ Completed eligible qualification in Australia

✅ Valid English test result (IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, OET, CAE – within 12 months)

✅ Applied for Australian Federal Police (AFP) check

✅ Have valid health insurance at time of application and throughout visa duration

✅ Under 35 years old (unless exempt e.g., HK passport, master by research and PhD holders – can be under 50)

✅ Not previously held more than allowed number of 485 visas

⏰ When to Apply

🗓️ Within 6 months of completing your course🧍‍♂️ Must be in Australia when applying (unless a subsequent entrant)

❗Common Mistakes to Avoid

🚫 Submitting English course completion certificates instead of valid test results

🚫 Not meeting the Australian Study Requirement

🚫 Applying after the six-month window post-graduation

🚫 Not living/studying consistently in regional areas if claiming second 485 benefits 🚫 Applying for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) check on the same day as lodging the visa — ❗you must show evidence that the AFP check was applied for before the 485 visa application was submitted.

💡 Did you know?

You might still be eligible for a Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa under the Post-Vocational Education Work stream — even if your occupation is not directly on the MLTSSL list!

👶 For example:Childcare workers and other similar roles are not on the MLTSSL, but if your qualification aligns with an eligible MLTSSL-listed occupation (like Early Childhood Teacher) and you can obtain a skills assessment for that occupation, you may still qualify!

💬 Frequently asked question (FAQ)

❓Can I Apply for the 485 Visa (Post-Vocational Stream) if I Studied a Diploma of Business or Project Management?

✅ strongly discouraged.

⚠️ Even in the past, such applications were rarely approved. These cases are now highly scrutinised and frequently refused, because:

• The nominated occupation must be closely related to the qualification

• The Department is rejecting applications that stretch the connection too far (e.g., generic business courses linked to specialised roles like Actuary or Engineer)

❓ “My friend got a 485 visa after studying a Diploma of Project Management — why can’t I?”

This is one of the most common (and understandable) questions we hear.

🔁 The short answer:Your friend’s case may not apply to you anymore. Visa policies have changed.

🚨 Important Reminder:

Your eligibility is not the same as someone else’s — even if you studied the same course. The rules and the Department's interpretation of "closely related occupations" are much stricter now.

🦠 Why did it work before?

During the COVID-19 period, the Department introduced temporary concessions to help fill skill shortages. These concessions:

• Allowed greater flexibility in course-to-occupation mapping

• Gave more leeway to applicants with generic qualifications like Business or Project Management

• Were designed to support economic recovery and essential industries

🗓️ These concessions were phased out by mid-2023, and the Department has since tightened its assessment criteria significantly.

❓My course didn’t include practical training or licensing. Will that affect my 485 visa?

✅ Yes. Some occupations (e.g., chef, childcare worker, motor mechanic) require that your qualification includes practical training that matches the job requirements. This impacts both your skills assessment and visa eligibility.

📌 Tip:

🎓 Eligibility isn’t based on the course title alone — it depends on whether your qualification and skills assessment align with a closely related occupation on the MLTSSL. In some cases, your course could be eligible, but only if it clearly leads to a recognised skilled occupation.

💬 Unsure where you stand? Come and talk to us — we’ll assess your unique situation and guide you through your best options.

🧭 Need Help?

Navigating visa requirements can be tricky, especially with the ongoing legislative updates and strict documentation rules. If you're unsure which stream fits your situation—or if you've already made a mistake in a past application—we can guide you.

💬 Contact us at Empathy Migration for a professional review of your eligibility or to lodge your 485 visa with confidence.

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