The Graduate (Subclass 485) (Graduate) visa allows eligible international students who have completed an Australian education to stay in Australia and gain work experience. This visa does not restrict the type or hours of work that may be undertaken. There are two streams in this visa:
- Post‑Vocational Education Work stream; and
- Post‑Higher Education Work stream.
What are the eligibility requirements for a Graduate visa?
Very broadly, the common requirements for the Graduate visa are that the primary applicant:
- is in Australia (except in limited circumstances);
- has evidence at the time of application that they meet English requirements;
- has evidence that they have applied for an APF clearance during the 12 months before the visa application is made;
- holds a qualifying visa (generally a Student visa);
- is under the age of 35 at time of application (noting that if the applicant holds a Hong Kong passport or a British National (Overseas) passport, or has completed a masters degree (research) or a doctoral degree they can be less than 50 years old);
- has adequate health insurance; and
- passes relevant health criteria.
Additional criteria apply for the two streams:
Additional criteria for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream
The Post-Vocational Education Work stream is available to graduates who nominate a skilled occupation that is specified by the Minister in an instrument in writing.
When the Graduate visa application is made, it must be been accompanied by evidence that the primary applicant has applied to a relevant assessing authority for an assessment of their skills in their nominated skilled occupation.
In the period of 6 months immediately before the day the application was made, the primary applicant must have completed one or more associate degrees, diplomas or trade qualifications for award by an Australian educational institution as a result of a course or courses that are registered, were completed in 16 calendar months, were at least 2 academic years of study, which were in English, and were in Australia whilst the applicant held a Student visa.
Additional criteria for the Post-Higher Education Work stream
This stream is available only to persons who applied for, and had been granted, their first Student visa on or after 5 November 2011.
In the period of 6 months immediately before the day the application was made, the primary applicant completed one or more degrees (see here) for award by an Australian educational institution as a result of a course or courses that are registered, were completed in 16 calendar months, were at least 2 academic years of study, were in English, and were in Australia whilst the applicant held a Student visa.
What documents are required for a 485 visa application?
The documents required for both streams are as follows:
Common documents for the Graduate visa |
Primary applicant |
Secondary applicants |
|
Passport |
✔ | ✔ |
|
Passport sized photo |
✔ | ✔ |
|
Change of name documents (if relevant) |
✔ | ✔ |
|
Proof of dependency to the primary applicant, which can include:
|
✖ | ✔ |
|
Evidence of English language proficiency at the time of application (see here) |
✔ | ✖ |
|
Either an AFP clearance certificate (or evidence of an application for an AFP clearance certificate) made in the 12 months immediately before an application is made |
✔ | ✔ |
|
An overseas police certificate from every country, including your home country, where you spent a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since you turned 16 |
✔ | ✔ |
|
Health assessments (if required) |
✔ | ✔ |
|
Evidence of adequate health insurance in Australia which can include:
|
✔ | ✔ |
Additional documents for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream |
Primary applicant |
Secondary applicants |
|
Evidence of your application for a skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority as suitable for the nominated occupation |
✔ | ✖ |
|
Evidence of your educational qualifications (certificates and academic transcript) |
✔ | ✖ |
|
Evidence of your course completion date (generally a letter from your education provider) |
✔ | ✖ |
Additional documents for the Post-Higher Education Work stream |
Primary applicant |
Secondary applicants |
|
Evidence of your educational qualifications (certificate and academic transcript) |
✔ | ✖ |
|
Evidence of your course completion date (generally a letter from your education provider) |
✔ | ✖ |
Bear in mind that some documents for the Graduate visa are “time of application” requirements, which means omitting them can result in a visa refusal.
Do you require further assistance?
If you require assistance with your Graduate visa application, or have any other immigration related queries, get in touch with our experienced team. Contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at +61 3 9016 0484.
