This visa allows migrant students who have completed at least 2 years of study in Australia to live and work in the country for between 18 months and 4 years.
Visa streams
There are three streams for the Subclass 485 visa:
- Graduate work
For students who have completed at least 2 years of study in Australia, and who nominate an occupation on one of the Australian Skilled Occupation Lists. The study undertaken must be closely related to the nominated occupation.
Length of stay
Subclass 485 visas granted under the Graduate work stream are valid for 18 months
- Post-study work and the Second post-study work
This stream allows international students who have completed a bachelor's degree or higher at an Australian higher education institution to remain in Australia for up to 4 years. Applicants for this stream do not need to nominate an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL).
Length of stay
Subclass 485 visas granted under the Post-study work stream are valid for between 18 months and 4 years, depending on the applicant's qualifications:
Bachelor's degree or taught master's degree - 2 years
Research based master's degree - 3 years
PhD - 4 years
Application conditions
Unlike most General Skilled Migration visas, applications are not by invitation only, and applicants do not need to submit an Expression of Interest for this visa. However, there are some conditions applicants must meet in order to apply. Applicants must:
be older than 18 and less than 50 years of age when they apply
meet general Skilled Migration basic requirements, including English language, health, and character checks
meet the 2 year study requirement (see below)
Have a recent qualification in a CRICOS-registered course
have held a student visa in the last 6 months
Family
Family members can be included with this visa. Your children can be added up until a decision is made on your application. No other family members can be added to your application during this period.
You can include the following family members in your visa application:
your partner
your or your partner's dependent child
your or your partner's dependent relative
Entitlements
This visa allows you and your dependants to:
temporarily live and work in Australia
study in Australia
travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid
2 year study requirement
In order to meet the requirements for this visa applicants have studied for, and been awarded, a qualification in Australia over the course of 2 years or more. The full requirements are as follows:
Applicants must have received a recognised diploma, trade qualification or degree (such as a bachelor's, master's, or PhD) from an Australian educational institution.
The course studied must be registered with the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students (CRICOS)
The qualification must have been received within the 6 months leading up to the application
The course must have taken at least 92 weeks of of study time, and must have taken place over at least 16 months
The course must have been taught in English
The student must have had a valid Australian student visa for the duration of their studies
Further Information, help, and advice
Workpermit.com has over twenty years of experience helping people immigrate to countries all over the World. If you feel that you can pass the points test and wish to immigrate to Australia, fill out our free assessment form and one of our representatives will contact you shortly.
For more information and advice on Australian immigration law and Australian visa applications please contact us on 0344 991 9222 or at london@workpermit.com
