Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa 2026: Work Rights by Degree Level

1. What Is the Subclass 485 Visa?

The Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa is a temporary work visa that allows international students who have recently graduated from an Australian educational institution to live and work in Australia after their studies. It is specifically designed for international graduates — it is not available to Australian or New Zealand citizens, or to permanent residents.

The 485 is not a pathway to permanent residence in itself. Its primary purpose is to give graduates a period of time in Australia to gain work experience, complete skills assessments, accumulate points for skilled migration, or secure employer sponsorship. For most graduates, the 485 is the first step in a longer migration journey rather than an end destination.

The visa operates under two distinct streams, which have different eligibility criteria and visa durations:

• Post-Study Work stream — for holders of a bachelor's, honours, master's, or doctoral degree. Duration varies from 2 to 6 years depending on degree level and whether the applicant studied in a regional area.
• Graduate Work stream — for graduates with a trade or vocational qualification in an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list. Duration is fixed at 18 months.

The two streams cannot be combined — an applicant applies under one stream only, based on their qualification. Most university-educated graduates apply under the Post-Study Work stream; vocational training graduates who have completed a Certificate III or above in a trade qualification typically apply under the Graduate Work stream.

2. Post-Study Work Stream: Duration by Degree Level

The Post-Study Work stream is the most commonly used stream of the 485 visa. It is open to applicants who hold a bachelor's, bachelor's honours, master's, or doctoral degree from an Australian educational institution. The duration of the visa under this stream is determined by two factors: the level of the degree, and whether the applicant completed a qualifying period of study in a regional area of Australia.

Standard Durations (Non-Regional Study)

The regional study bonus adds a flat 2 years to the standard duration for any degree level, provided the applicant completed at least 2 academic years of study in a regional area. The regional bonus is assessed at the time of the 485 application — it is not applied retrospectively or on renewal.

If an applicant holds multiple degrees — for example, a bachelor's plus a master's — the visa duration is based on the highest qualifying degree. A graduate who completed a bachelor's and then a master's at the same institution receives 3 years (or 5 years with the regional bonus), not a combined total.

What Counts as a Qualifying Degree?

The course must be a registered higher education qualification awarded by an Australian registered provider (CRICOS-registered institution). The degree must have been completed within the period immediately before the 485 application — course completions more than 6 months before the application date make the applicant ineligible. The qualification must be a degree in the formal academic sense — graduate certificates and graduate diplomas do not qualify for the Post-Study Work stream, though they may qualify for the Graduate Work stream.

3. Graduate Work Stream: Trades and Vocational Graduates

The Graduate Work stream is designed for graduates who hold a trade or vocational qualification related to an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list. It is typically used by TAFE graduates and VET sector students who have completed a Certificate III or above in a trade qualification.

The Graduate Work stream is a shorter, more restrictive pathway than the Post-Study Work stream:

• Duration: Fixed at 18 months — not extendable and not affected by regional study
• Occupation requirement: The qualification must be closely related to an occupation on the relevant skilled occupation list (the same lists used for skilled migration: MLTSSL, STSOL)
• Skills assessment required: A positive skills assessment from the designated assessing authority must be obtained before lodging the 485 application — unlike the Post-Study Work stream, where a skills assessment is not required to lodge the 485
• Australian study requirement: At least 16 months of study in Australia (compared to 2 academic years for the Post-Study Work stream)

Common occupations under the Graduate Work stream include: electricians, plumbers, carpenters, chefs and cooks, mechanics, and other trade qualifications where the ANZSCO occupation appears on a shortage list. The skills assessment requirement means the Graduate Work stream involves more preparation time before lodging than the Post-Study Work stream.

Graduate Work vs. Post-Study Work — Key Differences

4. Who Is Eligible — Core Requirements

The following requirements apply to both streams of the 485 visa unless otherwise specified. All requirements must be met at the time of application.

The 6-Month Application Window: What the Clock Starts From

The 6-month application deadline is a common point of confusion. The clock starts from the date of written notification of course completion — which is typically the official letter or email from the institution confirming results, or the academic transcript issue date, not the last day of class. In practice, this means the 6-month window often starts later than students expect. However, the institution's formal notification date is what the Department relies on, and students who receive informal notification or rely on published results dates risk a miscalculation. Request the formal completion letter from your institution as soon as your results are finalised.

5. Regional Study Bonus: Extra Years for Regional Graduates

Students who completed at least 2 academic years of study in a designated regional area of Australia are entitled to an additional 2 years on top of their standard Post-Study Work stream duration. This is one of the more valuable, and frequently overlooked, features of the 485 visa.

What Counts as a Regional Area for the Study Bonus?

For the 485 regional study bonus, the definition of "regional" is the same as for other regional visa purposes: any area of Australia that is not Sydney (Greater Sydney), Melbourne (Greater Melbourne), Brisbane (including Logan, Moreton Bay, Redlands, and Ipswich), the Gold Coast, and Perth. This means students who studied in cities such as Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Darwin, Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Townsville, Cairns, and many others all qualify for the regional bonus — provided they completed at least 2 academic years there.

Impact of the Regional Bonus by Degree Level

The practical significance is substantial. A PhD graduate who studied at the University of Adelaide (a regional institution for these purposes) is entitled to 6 years of full work rights in Australia — enough time to gain a detailed skills assessment, accumulate 15 points for Australian work experience in the points test, secure employer sponsorship, and lodge a permanent residence application with significantly more preparation time than a 2-year bachelor's graduate.

Students who split their study between a regional institution and a metropolitan one need to demonstrate that at least 2 academic years were completed in the regional area. Study periods at the regional campus of a metropolitan university count as regional study provided the student was physically located at the regional campus during those periods.

6. How to Apply and What to Include

The 485 application is lodged online through the Department of Home Affairs ImmiAccount portal. There is no paper-based application option. The application must be lodged before the 6-month deadline from written course completion notification.

Required Documents

The document list varies slightly between streams, but the core requirements are:

• Identity documents: Valid passport (all pages), birth certificate
• Academic transcripts and qualifications: Official transcripts and the degree certificate. For the Graduate Work stream, also the skills assessment outcome letter from the relevant assessing authority
• Course completion notification: The official written notification from your institution confirming course completion — this establishes the start of the 6-month application window
• Enrolment history: Academic records showing the study periods in Australia — critical for establishing the 2-academic-year requirement and the regional study bonus
• English language test results: IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET, or Cambridge C1 Advanced results no more than 3 years old at time of application (some exceptions apply for passport holders of certain countries)
• Health examination: HAP ID from ImmiAccount; medical completed by a panel physician before or after lodgement (an outstanding medical does not prevent lodgement but must be completed before grant)
• Character documents: Police clearance certificates from all relevant countries
• Secondary applicant documents: Relationship evidence (marriage certificate, evidence of de facto relationship), identity and health documents for each secondary applicant

Processing Time and Bridging Visa

Standard processing time is 4–8 weeks, though cases requiring health, character, or additional document requests can take 2–4 months. If your current student visa expires while the 485 application is being processed, a Bridging Visa A (BVA) is automatically issued — it allows you to remain in Australia lawfully while the 485 is under assessment. The BVA carries the same work rights as your previous student visa (40 hours per fortnight during semester, full rights during scheduled breaks) until the 485 is decided.

Lodging the 485 as early as possible in the 6-month window is advisable. A later lodgement compresses the available processing time and increases the risk of your student visa expiring before the 485 is granted — requiring reliance on the BVA.

7. What You Can Do on a 485 Visa

The Subclass 485 grants full unrestricted work rights. There is no restriction on:

• Hours worked per week (unlike the student visa's 40 hours per fortnight limit)
• The occupation or industry in which you work
• Where in Australia you live and work (the 485 has no regional restriction — this distinguishes it from the 491, which requires regional residence)
• Whether you work for multiple employers simultaneously
• Whether you work as an employee, contractor, or self-employed (ABN)

You can also study on a 485 visa without the need for a separate student visa, travel in and out of Australia (the 485 is a multiple-entry visa), and access Medicare (Australia's public health system) if your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia — including the UK, New Zealand, Italy, Belgium, Finland, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden.

The 485 as a Pathway Strategy

Most 485 holders use the visa period strategically as preparation for a permanent visa. Common strategies include:

• Skilled migration pathway: Working in the nominated occupation to accumulate points (5 points per year of skilled employment, up to 15 points) and to satisfy the skills assessment requirements of the relevant authority, then lodging an EOI in SkillSelect for a 189, 190, or 491
• Employer sponsorship pathway: Securing a sponsoring employer willing to nominate for a Subclass 482 Skills in Demand or Subclass 186 Direct Entry nomination — the 485 gives time to demonstrate capability to Australian employers before sponsorship is needed
• Regional bonus strategy: PhD graduates or those with a regional study bonus have 4–6 years to pursue permanent residence through the points test, giving significantly more time than a 2-year bachelor's holder

8. Common Mistakes That Cause Refusals

The 485 has a relatively high grant rate, but applications are refused for predictable reasons. The following are the most common failure points: