Temporary Graduate visa, subclass 485
You have six months from the day your course is completed. Miss that window and there is no second chance at it.
Three streams, and only one is yours
The Temporary Graduate visa is not one visa. Your qualification decides the stream, and the stream decides how long you stay.
Post-Higher Education Work
BACHELOR, MASTERS, DOCTORATE- Two years for a bachelor or coursework masters
- Three years for a masters by research or PhD
- No skills assessment, no job offer needed
Post-Vocational Education Work
DIPLOMA AND TRADE- Eighteen months of full work rights
- Occupation must sit on the skilled list
- A positive skills assessment is required
Second Post-Higher Education Work
REGIONAL GRADUATES- One or two more years after your first 485
- You must have studied and lived regionally
- Charge is around AUD 2,265, not 5,750
Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane are category 1 cities, so a graduate who lived there through their studies cannot claim the regional extension. Where you lived matters as much as where you enrolled.
Four gates every application must pass
Almost every subclass 485 refusal we see comes back to one of these four, and all four can be checked in an afternoon.
Under 35
Aged 35 or under on the day you apply. Masters by research and PhD graduates, and Hong Kong and BNO passport holders, have until 50.
English, and recent
IELTS 6.5 overall with no band under 5.5, or PTE 55 overall. Results must be from one sitting in the last twelve months.
Australian study
At least 92 weeks of CRICOS registered study taken over a minimum of 16 months, completed within the last six months.
Visa, cover, character
A student visa held in the relevant period, health insurance in force at lodgement, and an AFP police check under way.
The English rule is the quiet one. A score that was fine for your student visa three years ago is worthless here, and a retest plus a result takes weeks you may not have.
What it costs in 2026
The Temporary Graduate visa charge more than doubled this year, in two steps. Budget from the current figure, not the one your seniors paid.
The charge
AUD 5,750 for the main applicant from 1 July 2026. It was 2,235 until March, then 4,600. A partner adds half again, a child a quarter.
Around it
Health cover for the whole visa period, an English test if yours has expired, an AFP check, and a panel medical if one is requested.
What it buys
Two to three years of unrestricted work, no employer tie, no hours cap, and the Australian experience that skilled nomination is scored on.
There is no refund if the application is refused. On a charge this size, the twenty minutes spent checking eligibility first is the cheapest part of the process.
How we run it
Four stages, usually finished inside a fortnight from the day you bring us your completion letter.
The timing check
We fix your completion date, count the six months from it, and confirm your age, English validity and 92 weeks of CRICOS study before anything is paid.
Documents assembled
Completion letter, transcripts, English result, health cover, AFP check and identity documents, cross-checked so names and dates match across every one of them.
Lodged, bridging visa granted
We lodge before your student visa expires so a Bridging visa A takes over automatically and you stay lawful and working while it is decided.
Decision, then the next move
Most Post-Higher Education Work applications are decided in weeks. We then plan the skilled or employer route the 485 years are meant to buy you.
Common questions
How long do I have to apply after I finish my course?
Can I apply for a Temporary Graduate visa from outside Australia?
What happens to my visa while the 485 is being decided?
Does the 485 lead to permanent residency?
I am already over 35. What are my options?
Free subclass 485 eligibility check
- We count your six month window from the real completion date
- We confirm which stream your qualification falls into
- We check whether your English result is still valid
- We tell you the full cost before you commit to anything
No obligation, and confidential.
Send us your details
We reply within one working day.
The six months are already running
Bring us your completion letter and your English result. We will tell you in one sitting whether you are inside the window.
Charges are indexed each July and stream settings change with the migration program. Figures checked 4 September 2026.