Temporary Graduate Visa
A Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) is a visa that allows international students to live and work in Australia after finishing their studies, and to bring their family with them. There are three streams of this visa available, each with different requirements and conditions. This page outlines the three types of Temporary Graduate Visa.
Post-vocational education stream
This stream of the visa is available to a person who has recently graduated with a diploma, associate degree or trade qualification relevant to an occupation that Australia needs.
To qualify for this visa a person must hold a qualification relevant to their nominated occupation on the skilled occupation list.
Post-higher education stream
This stream of visa is available to a person who has recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution.
The person must meet the temporary graduate visa study requirement, which means they must have completed either:
- a single eligible qualification, which requires at least two years of academic study; or
- more than one qualification that results in at least two academic years of study and results in an eligible qualification.
The study must have been completed in Australia, and instruction must have been in English. The person must have continued studying for at least 16 calendar months, under a visa authoring them to study.
The course or courses must be registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students, and English language proficiency courses cannot be claimed towards the two years of study for this stream of visa.
Second post-higher education stream
A second post-higher education stream visa is available to a person who holds a degree from an Australian institution located in a regional area and already holds:
- a post-higher education stream visa; or
- a post-study work visa; or
- a replacement visa
Duration
A post-vocational education stream is valid for up to 18 months. However, fi the holder is from Hong Kong or Great Britain, they may stay for up to five years.
A post-higher education stream visa is valid for between two and three years depending on the visa holder’s qualification.
A second post-higher education stream is valid for between one and two years depending on the regional location of the institution the holder graduated from, and the regional area the holder lives.
Cost
The cost of a Temporary Graduate Visa is $2,300. The cost of a second post-higher education stream visa is $905.
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Fernanda Dahlstrom is a writer, editor and lawyer. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Latrobe University), a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (College of Law), a Bachelor of Arts (The University of Melbourne) and a Master of Arts (Deakin University). Fernanda practised law for eight years, working in criminal law, child protection and domestic violence law in the Northern Territory, and in family law in Queensland.