You finished the course.Now the visa that lets youwork while thenext one is built.
The subclass 485 gives recent graduates of Australian courses full work rights for a period set by the qualification and where you studied. It is a one-shot visa with hard deadlines: apply within six months of completing, be under 35 unless an exception applies, and hold a recent English result. Get the stream right and it is the bridge to the 482, 186 or a points visa.
Government charges, subclass 485
- Visa application charge, main applicantPost-Higher Education and Post-Vocational Education Work streams$5,750
- Each adult dependant$2,875
- Each child under 18$1,450
- Second Post-Higher Education Work streamregional graduates applying for a second 485$2,265
As at 1 July 2026. Health insurance, the Australian Federal Police check and the English test are paid separately. Our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing.
Full work rights after study, for a period set by your qualification.
The subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa lets international students who have recently completed an eligible Australian qualification stay and work without restriction for a period that depends on the qualification and where they studied. Applicants must be under 35 unless an exception applies, meet the Australian study requirement and English, and apply within six months of completing; the main applicant charge is $5,750.
Verified as at 1 July 2026 against the Department of Home Affairs subclass 485 page and Schedule 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994.
Do I qualify? A 30-second check
Answer the questions to see where you stand.
A guide only, not legal advice. The consultation is where the real answer comes from.
Two main streams, one second chance for regional graduates.
The streams were renamed and reset on 1 July 2024. The stream sets the stay period, the evidence and whether a skills assessment is needed.
How our fees and process work
- 01
Post-Higher Education Work stream
Bachelor, masters and doctoral graduates of Australian institutions. The stay period depends on the qualification, with research degrees generally longer than coursework degrees. No occupation list and no skills assessment.
- 02
Post-Vocational Education Work stream
Diploma, advanced diploma and trade qualification graduates. The qualification must be linked to an occupation on the list specified for the stream and a skills assessment for that occupation is required.
- 03
Second Post-Higher Education Work stream
A second 485 for graduates who held the first stream and lived, worked and studied in a regional area. The extra period depends on the category of regional area, and the charge is $2,265.
- 04
Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders
A longer stay period and an age limit of 50 rather than 35 apply to Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders in the main streams.
Six things the Department will not bend on.
The 485 is refused on technicalities more than on merit. Each of these is a date or a document, and each is checked.
- 01
Age
Under 35 when you apply. The exceptions are Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders, and masters by research and doctoral graduates in the Post-Higher Education Work stream, who can apply up to 50.
- 02
Australian study requirement
At least two academic years of study in Australia in courses registered on CRICOS, taught in English, completed while holding a student visa, over at least sixteen calendar months.
- 03
Timing
Apply within six months of the course completion date shown on your completion letter. You must hold a student visa or have held one within the last six months.
- 04
English
An accepted test at the required level taken within the twelve months before you apply, generally IELTS 6.5 overall with no band below 6 or the equivalent, unless you hold an exempt passport.
- 05
Health insurance and police check
Adequate health insurance for the whole stay and an Australian Federal Police check applied for before lodgement. Overseas police clearances may also be requested.
- 06
Apply from inside Australia
You must be in Australia when you apply and when the visa is decided, and you are granted a bridging visa with work rights while you wait.
Match the qualification to the stream.
The qualification you completed decides the stream. The stream decides the stay period, so we confirm both before lodging.
| Qualification | Stream | Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor, masters by coursework or research, or doctorate | Post-Higher Education Work | $5,750 |
| Diploma, advanced diploma or trade qualification linked to a listed occupation | Post-Vocational Education Work | $5,750 |
| First 485 held and lived, worked and studied regionally | Second Post-Higher Education Work | $2,265 |
| Partner added to any stream | Each adult dependant | $2,875 |
| Child under 18 added to any stream | Each child | $1,450 |
Charges as at 1 July 2026. Stay periods depend on the qualification, where you studied and your passport; the Department publishes the current periods and we confirm yours before you lodge.
Start before the course ends. The six-month window is the whole game.
Most delays come from documents that could have been ordered months earlier. This is the sequence we run.
Before completion
Book the English test and apply for the Australian Federal Police check. Both take time and both must be current at lodgement.
Completion letter
Get the official completion letter and transcript from the institution as soon as results are released. The completion date on that letter starts the six-month clock.
Skills assessment if vocational
Post-Vocational Education Work stream applicants apply to the assessing authority for the occupation linked to their qualification. Lodge the assessment early; the visa can be lodged while it is pending in some cases, so ask.
Lodge onshore
Apply online from inside Australia with health insurance in place. A bridging visa A holds you lawfully with the same work rights once your student visa ends.
Grant and the next step
Work in any job, for any employer, full time. Use the period to build skilled experience, a skills assessment and points, or to find an employer for the 482 and then the 186.
What a 485 costs the applicant.
Government charges only. English test, police check, health insurance and our fixed professional fee are additional.
As at 1 July 2026. The Second Post-Higher Education Work stream is $2,265 for the main applicant instead of the first-stream charge.
Subclass 485, answered plainly.
How long can I stay on a 485 visa?
It depends on the stream, the qualification, where you studied and your passport. Research degrees generally earn longer periods than coursework degrees, vocational qualifications shorter ones, and Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders longer again. The Department publishes the current periods and we confirm yours before you lodge.
Can I apply for a 485 if I am over 35?
Only under an exception. Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders can apply up to 50, and so can masters by research and doctoral graduates in the Post-Higher Education Work stream. Everyone else must be under 35 on the day of application.
Can I apply for the 485 from outside Australia?
No. You must be in Australia when you apply and when the visa is decided. Leaving Australia after lodging is possible on a bridging visa B, but the grant still requires you to be onshore.
Can I work in any job on a 485?
Yes. The 485 has no work restriction, no occupation requirement and no employer tie. Partners included in the visa also have full work rights.
Can I get a second 485 visa?
Generally you get one first 485. The only second is the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream for graduates who lived, worked and studied in a regional area on their first visa, and it costs $2,265.
What is the Australian study requirement?
At least two academic years of study in Australia in CRICOS-registered courses taught in English, completed while holding a student visa, over at least sixteen calendar months. Online study from outside Australia generally does not count.
Which visa comes after the 485?
The common paths are the 482 Skills in Demand visa with an employer, leading to the 186, or a points visa such as the 189, 190 or 491 once you have a skills assessment and enough points. Planning that from the start of the 485 is the whole point of the visa.
Where this visa connects.
- 500Open
Student visa
The visa the 485 follows, and the timing that matters.
- 482Open
Skills in Demand visa
Employer sponsorship once you have found the job.
- 189Open
Skilled Independent visa
The points path once experience and English are in place.
- 491Open
Skilled Work Regional visa
Fifteen points for regional nomination, often the most reachable route for graduates.
Articles on this visa
Course finishing soon?
One consultation confirms your stream and stay period, orders the documents in the right sequence and plans the visa after this one. Fixed fee quoted in writing.