Visa Description

Skilled Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)

The temporary Skilled Graduate Visa (Provisional) (Class VC) (Subclass 485) allows for the entry of recent international graduates to Australia for the purpose of living, studying or working in Australia on a temporary basis.

Highlights

  • You must be in Australia to lodge a valid visa application unless a concession applies.
  • or you are making an application under the replacement stream.
  • This visa allows you to work, study and live in Australia.
  • There are 3 different visa streams: Graduate Work, Post-study Work and Replacement.
  • This is a Temporary visa and allows you to stay in Australia temporarily. The different visa streams determine the length of your visa. 
  • Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may be granted a longer stay.
  • You may qualify for a second or third visa in the Post-study stream if you satisfy the residency-based requirement.


Key Eligibility requirements

COMMON CRITERIA FOR ALL STREAMS
  • You must hold or have held an eligible student visa in the last 6 months unless a concession applies.
  • You must demonstrate your English proficiency by achieving an overall score of at least 6 with a minimum score of 5 for each of the 4 components on the IELTS test. (Alternative tests can be used including OET, TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, CAE). Holders of specified types of passports are exempt from this requirement.
  • You must have adequate arrangements for health insurance.
  • You must satisfy specific Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria.
  • You must meet health and character requirements, including applying for an Australian Federal Police check in the last 12 months.
  • You must satisfy specific criteria for the visa stream you are applying for.
GRADUATE WORK STREAM
  • You must have a skilled occupation on the relevant Medium and Long Term Strategic Skilled List (MLTSSL).
  • You must satisfy the Australian Study requirement within the last 6 months unless a concession applies.
  • Your qualifications must be closely related to your nominated occupation.
  • You must have a positive skills assessment from the relevant skills assessment authority concerning your nominated occupation.
POST-STUDY WORK STREAM
  • You must hold or have held a relevant student visa which application was made on or after 5 November 2011. This visa must have been your first student visa.
  • You must hold a Bachelor Degree, Bachelor (Honours) Degree, Masters by Coursework Degree, Masters by Research Degree, Masters (Extended) Degree or a Doctoral Degree.
  • Your qualifications were awarded by an institution registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students.
  • You must satisfy the Australian Study requirement within the last 6 months unless a concession applies.
REPLACEMENT STREAM
  • You must hold or have held a first Subclass 485 visa as the primary applicant. This visa must have been granted before 15 December 2021 and in effect on or after 1 February 2020.
  • If you were offshore when your first Subclass 485 visa was granted, you must have entered and subsequently departed Australia on that visa before 15 December 2021.
  • If you were onshore when your first Subclass 485 visa was granted, you must have been offshore at any time between 1 February 2020 and 15 December 2021 while holding that visa.