Australia 485 Temporary Graduate Visa: Post-Study Work Rights Explained 2026

Here’s how to make it the former.

The Two Streams

Post-Study Work (PSW) Stream

This is the stream most international graduates use. Eligibility:

• Completed a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree (coursework, research, or extended), or PhD from a CRICOS-registered Australian institution
• Held a Subclass 500 visa within the last 6 months
• Studied in Australia for at least 16 calendar months (for courses longer than 2 academic years)
• Meet English language, health, and character requirements
• Apply within 6 months of course completion

Duration:

No occupation list. No skills assessment. Work in any role, any sector—from barista to software engineer.

Graduate Work Stream

For graduates with qualifications linked to an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). Requires a positive skills assessment. Duration: 18 months.

This stream is less commonly used now that PSW covers most degrees.

Regional Bonus: Extra Years

If you studied and lived in a designated regional area, you get bonus time on your 485:

This bonus stacks with your base duration. A master’s graduate from the University of Newcastle gets 3 years + 1 year = 4 years. A PhD graduate from Charles Darwin University gets 4 years + 2 years = 6 years.

Cost and Processing

• Visa application fee: AUD $1,945
• Processing time: 3–6 months for 90% of applications
• Bridging Visa A: automatically granted while your 485 is processing, with full work rights matching your previous student visa conditions

Using the 485 for PR: A Strategic Timeline

The 485 is time you should spend building points for General Skilled Migration (Subclass 189, 190, or 491). Here’s the timeline that works:

Months 1–3: Land a job in your field. Doesn’t need to be your dream role—just needs to be skilled work in an occupation on the MLTSSL or STSOL. Update your résumé for the Australian market, get your foot in the door.

Months 3–12: Accumulate professional experience. After 12 months of skilled work in Australia, you earn 5 points on the points test. Target roles where you can get a formal skills assessment letter from your employer.

Months 12–18: Sit your English test at the highest level you can manage. Superior English (IELTS 8.0 in all bands) gives you 20 points. Proficient (IELTS 7.0 in all bands) gives you 10.

Many graduates retake IELTS/PTE multiple times until they hit the superior threshold—it’s the cheapest 10 extra points you can buy.

Months 18–24: Lodge an Expression of Interest (EOI) through SkillSelect. Target multiple visa subclasses and multiple states (for 190 state nomination). If you’re in a regional area, also pursue the 491 visa pathway.

Months 24–36/48: If invited, lodge your application. Processing for permanent skilled visas (189/190) takes 6–18 months. Your Bridging Visa A during this period carries the same work rights as your 485.

Occupations That Work Best

Not all degrees lead equally to PR. Here are the occupations that consistently receive invitations at lower point thresholds (65–75 points):

• Registered Nurse (all specialisations)
• Secondary School Teacher
• Early Childhood Teacher
• Social Worker
• Civil Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Software Engineer (higher threshold: 85–95)
• Accountant (higher threshold: 90–100)
• Chef / Cook

If your degree is in one of the lower-demand fields, the 485 still gives you Australian work experience that’s valuable globally. But your PR pathway may need additional strategy—state nomination, regional relocation, or a skilled partner.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Waiting too long to apply. You have exactly 6 months from course completion to lodge. Many students wait for graduation ceremony, transcripts, or the “perfect moment” and miss the window. Apply with your completion letter from the university—it’s sufficient.

Ignoring English test expiry. Your English test (IELTS, PTE, etc.) must be valid at the time of lodgement. If you used a 3-year-old test for your student visa, it may have expired. Book a new test early.

Not collecting employment evidence from day one. Keep payslips, employment contracts, reference letters, and tax documents. You’ll need these for the skills assessment and points claims later.

Assuming the 485 leads automatically to PR. It doesn’t. The 485 buys you time—what you do with that time determines whether you stay. The graduates who succeed treat the first year of their 485 like a full-time job search combined with a points-building campaign.

The Bottom Line

Australia’s 485 is one of the most generous post-study work visas in the world. Four years (or six with regional bonuses) of unrestricted work in a high-wage economy, with a genuine path to permanent residency—that’s a deal few other countries match. But it’s not a free pass.

The clock starts the day your course ends. Use it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: Can I include family members on my 485 visa?

Yes, you can include your partner and dependent children in your application. The additional fee for a partner is AUD $485 and for each dependent child is AUD $120 (2026 rates). You must provide evidence of your relationship (e.g., marriage certificate or de facto proof) and dependency for children. Including family members does not change the visa duration; they receive the same end date. In 2024–25, over 8,000 dependents were granted alongside primary 485 applicants (Home Affairs data).

Q2: Can I travel outside Australia while holding a 485 visa?

Yes, the 485 visa allows unlimited multiple entries during its validity. However, if you travel while the visa is still being processed (i.e., on a Bridging Visa A), you must apply for a Bridging Visa B before departure. Home Affairs data indicates that 95% of 485 applications are processed within 6 months, so plan your travel accordingly to avoid disruption. The Bridging Visa B application fee is AUD $175 and processing takes up to 2 weeks.

Q3: Can I apply for a second 485 visa?

Only one primary 485 is generally granted per person. The exception is the Regional Graduate (2nd) 485 stream: if you have completed a degree in a designated regional area and previously held a 485, you can apply for an additional 1 year (Category 2) or 2 years (Category 3) extension. Since 2021, over 20,000 regional 485 applications have been approved (Home Affairs data). You must apply within 18 months of the first 485 ceasing.

Q4: What if my degree is not on any occupation list?

For the PSW stream, no occupation list is required for the visa itself. You can work in any job. For future PR pathways (e.g., Subclass 189), your occupation must be on the MLTSSL. The points test threshold for invitation in 2026 typically ranges from 65 to 95 points depending on demand. Your 485 time allows you to gain skilled work experience and potentially switch to state nomination (190) or employer sponsorship (482/186), which have different list requirements. For example, Chef is on the STSOL and eligible for 190 state nomination.

Q5: How does the 485 affect my chances of getting a Partner visa?

You can lodge an onshore Partner visa (Subclass 820/801) while holding a 485. The processing time for the provisional 820 is currently 12–24 months (90% processed within 23 months). During this period, you will be on a Bridging Visa A with full work rights. The 485 itself does not directly help a Partner visa application, but it provides legal status and work rights while the partnership assessment is underway. Over 85% of Partner visa applications are approved for genuine relationships (Home Affairs 2025 data).

References

• Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, “Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) – Visa Overview,” 2026.
• Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, “Skilled Visa Points Test and Invitation Rounds,” 2026.
• Australian Bureau of Statistics, “International Student Enrolments and Migration Outcomes,” 2025.
• Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, “Skilled Occupation Lists (MLTSSL, STSOL, ROL),” 2026.
• Department of Education, Skills and Employment, “International Student Data 2025,” 2025.

UNILINK Education helps international students plan their complete Australian study-to-PR pathway. Our MARA-registered migration agent can map your degree choice to occupation lists and points-test strategies before you even apply to university.