What Is the 485 Visa Graduate Work Stream?
Update — 1 March 2026: The base application charge for the subclass 485 visa has increased to $4,600 for the main applicant, $2,300 for additional applicants aged 18 and over, and $1,160 for applicants under 18.
The 485 visa graduate work stream — officially renamed the Post-Vocational Education Work stream — is an 18-month temporary work visa for international graduates who have completed a diploma, associate degree or trade qualification in Australia. Unlike the Post-Higher Education Work stream, this stream requires your qualification to align with a specific occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), and you must lodge a skills assessment before applying.
The 485 Post-Vocational Education Work stream suits graduates who studied at diploma or trade level and want to stay in Australia to gain skilled work experience, build their skilled migration points and work toward permanent residency. It grants full unrestricted work rights with no employer sponsorship required.
To apply, you must be 35 years of age or under, be in Australia at lodgment, and have held a Student visa (subclass 500) within the previous 6 months.
The Post-Vocational Education Work stream grants an 18-month visa from the date of grant. It carries full unrestricted work rights and full travel rights — you can travel freely in and out of Australia for the entire duration of the visa. Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders may stay for up to 5 years under this stream.
Important: To apply for the 485 Post-Vocational Education Work stream, your qualification must relate to an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL). You must nominate your occupation when you apply and hold a valid skills assessment in that occupation. Check whether your occupation appears on the skilled occupation list before you invest time and money in a skills assessment.
Current 485 visa processing time for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream sees roughly half of all applications decided within 46 days, and 90% within approximately 4 months. Applications with all documents attached at lodgment process significantly faster than incomplete ones — do not lodge and wait for the Department to request documents.
Latest changes to the 485 visa graduate work stream:
- Stream officially renamed from Graduate Work Stream to Post-Vocational Education Work stream (from 23 March 2024)
- Maximum age reduced to 35 years or under at lodgment for most applicants (exception: under 50 for Masters by Research, PhD graduates and Hong Kong/BNO passport holders)
- English requirement raised to IELTS 6.5 overall, minimum 5.5 in each band; in-centre test only, taken within 12 months of lodgment
- Skills assessment application must be lodged prior to applying for the visa
- Application charge increased to $4,600 from 1 March 2026
- 485 holders cannot apply for a Student visa while remaining onshore in Australia
- Extra 1–2 years available for graduates of institutions in designated regional areas through the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream
| Australian Study Requirements for the 485 Graduate Work Stream | To meet the 485 visa requirements for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, you must satisfy the Australian Study Requirement (ASR) in the six months before you apply. You meet the ASR when your institution awards you at least one degree, diploma or trade qualification that satisfies all of the following conditions:
You can combine multiple courses to reach the 92-week requirement, provided each course meets the CRICOS registration and English instruction conditions. For the Post-Vocational Education Work stream specifically, your qualification must be a diploma, associate degree or trade qualification — not a bachelor degree or above (those qualifications belong in the Post-Higher Education Work stream). Example: A student who completes two consecutive Diploma-level courses satisfies the Australian study requirement for this stream, provided both courses meet all other ASR conditions. |
| Skills Assessment — 485 Visa Graduate Work Stream | The Post-Vocational Education Work stream requires a skills assessment — this is the key difference from the Post-Higher Education Work stream. Your assessing authority evaluates your qualifications, English language ability and any relevant registration requirements for your nominated MLTSSL occupation. Many assessing authorities apply lower requirements for 485 applicants than for points-tested skilled visa applicants. Authorities that assess 485 Post-Vocational applicants include the accounting bodies, VETASSESS, Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) and the Australian Computer Society (ACS). You must lodge the skills assessment application before you lodge the 485 visa application — the Department will refuse your visa if you have not done so. Confirm that you meet your assessing authority’s specific requirements before you apply, as a failed skills assessment wastes both time and the 485 visa cost you will spend on the application. Speak to a VisaAid migration consultant to identify the right assessing authority for your occupation and qualification. |
| English Language Requirements — 485 Graduate Work Stream | You must demonstrate English language ability when you lodge your 485 visa post study work stream application. You satisfy this requirement in one of the following ways:
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| Health Insurance Requirements | Every 485 visa applicant must hold Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) — not Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) — for the full duration of the visa. Your student visa OSHC policy does not carry over automatically to the 485 visa period. Arrange OVHC before you lodge your application and include evidence of cover at lodgment. Every family member you include in the application must also hold OVHC for the full visa period. Failure to maintain OVHC throughout the visa period is a condition breach — the Department of Home Affairs can cancel your 485 visa if you let your health cover lapse. |
| Health Check | Most 485 visa applicants must complete a health examination conducted by an approved panel physician. The Department of Home Affairs determines the specific health checks required based on your country of birth, nationality and the intended length of your stay. You arrange health examinations through ImmiAccount, and the panel physician sends results directly to the Department. If you completed a health examination for a recent student visa application, you may be able to re-use those results — provided they fall within the validity window the Department accepts. A VisaAid migration consultant can confirm whether your existing medicals remain valid for your 485 application. |
| Police Check — Character Requirements | Every 485 visa applicant aged 16 years or over must meet Australian character requirements. You must apply for an Australian Federal Police (AFP) check before you lodge your 485 application — you do not need the result in hand at lodgment, but the application must already be submitted. Include your AFP application receipt in your visa application documents. If you have lived outside Australia for 12 months or more in the past 10 years (since turning 16), you must also obtain a police clearance certificate from each country you lived in during that period. Submit all character documents at lodgment — waiting for the Department to request them significantly delays processing of your subclass 485 visa. |
| Time Limits — When You Must Apply | The 485 visa graduate work stream requires you to lodge your application within 6 months of completing your qualifying Australian study. The Department calculates this window from your official course completion date — not your graduation ceremony or the date your institution issues your transcript. Missing this deadline ends your 485 eligibility permanently in almost all cases. At lodgment you must satisfy one of the following conditions:
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| Bridging Visa While You Wait | When you lodge your 485 application while holding a Student visa, the Department automatically issues you a Bridging Visa A (BVA). The BVA keeps you lawfully in Australia during processing and carries full work rights, which activate the moment your student visa expires — so you face no gap in your ability to work. If you need to travel outside Australia while your 485 application is pending, apply for a Bridging Visa B (BVB) before you depart. Leaving Australia on a BVA without first obtaining a BVB causes your bridging visa to cease — you will lose your lawful status and may be unable to return while your application is being processed. Book all international travel only after you confirm your BVB is in place. |
25 November 2023 update and 485 visas
Note: Online study completed during the COVID concession period (1 February 2020 to 25 November 2023) continues to count toward the Australian Study Requirement. The Department requires all study outside this concession period to have taken place in person and in Australia.
The Department grants the subclass 485 visa regardless of the applicant’s location at the time of grant — you do not need to be in Australia when the visa is issued, only when you lodge the application.
NOTE: The information provided is general in nature and should not be considered migration advice. As every individual’s circumstances are different, we recommend contacting VisaAid for personalised advice.