Graduate Visa Australia 2026: 485 Streams and Stay Periods

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) lets international students who recently finished an Australian qualification live, study and work in Australia for a set period. Home Affairs lists streams for degree graduates, for vocational graduates and for a second stay in a regional area. Standard stay periods run from 18 months to 3 years, depending on the stream and qualification.

Rules checked against Home Affairs on 6 November 2026; family member rules updated 14 November 2026.

What is the 485 Temporary Graduate visa?

It is a temporary visa for international students who have finished their studies. Home Affairs says holders can live, study and work in Australia, and must find their own employment (Post-Higher Education Work stream).

It is not a permanent visa, and Home Affairs says it cannot be extended. How it connects to skilled migration is covered further down. The Settledin 485 visa page has the short version.

Which 485 streams exist today?

Home Affairs lists three streams:

Stream	Who it is for, per Home Affairs	Stay
Post-Higher Education Work	Students who recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution	2 to 3 years, depending on the qualification
Post-Vocational Education Work	Students who recently graduated with an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification relevant to an occupation Australia needs	Up to 18 months
Second Post-Higher Education Work	Temporary Graduates whose degree is from an institution in a regional area	Between 1 and 2 years

Home Affairs says it is not possible to change streams after applying. Home Affairs also lists a Replacement stream, which the Second stream page mentions, but this post covers the three above.

Who can apply?

Each stream has its own list. These are the common points Home Affairs lists for the first two streams.

Age. 35 or under when applying. Home Affairs lists exceptions: under 50 for Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders, and for degree holders using a Masters (research) or Doctoral degree.
Location. In Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when applying. From 13 November 2026, family members can no longer apply later as subsequent entrants. They apply at the same time as you and can be in or outside Australia, and only family who were on your previous Student visa or first 485 can be included, unless you are a Pacific or ASEAN national, completed a PhD on a Student visa, or completed a course fully funded by a foreign government (Home Affairs' family member rules). Applications made before 13 November 2026 are assessed under the old rules.
Visa held. An eligible Student visa, or a Student visa held within the past 6 months, followed by a Bridging visa A or B or another substantive visa.
Study. A qualification awarded in the 6 months before the application, from a CRICOS-registered provider, that meets the Temporary Graduate study requirement. Home Affairs does not assess the study requirement before lodgement.
Health insurance, health and character. Adequate health insurance for all applicants, plus health and character requirements. Applicants show they have applied for an Australian Federal Police check.
Past 485 or 476 visas. A primary applicant who previously held a 485 or 476 cannot be granted the visa as a primary applicant again.

The English rules for the Post-Higher Education Work stream are their own: a test taken in the 12 months before applying, or a passport from the UK, the US, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland. For tests from 7 August 2025, the scores include IELTS 6.5 overall with 5.5 in each skill, or PTE Academic 55 overall with 40, 42, 41 and 39. Cambridge C1 Advanced is not accepted. Full tables are in English tests for Australian visas.

What is different in the Post-Vocational stream?

Home Affairs lists three extra requirements:

A nominated occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List.
A qualification closely related to that occupation.
A skills assessment from the relevant assessing authority, or evidence of having applied for one.

The nominated occupation cannot change after lodgement. Skills assessments are valid for a maximum of 3 years unless a shorter date is on the assessment. How assessments work is in Skills assessment in Australia and on the skills assessment page.

What is different in the Second stream?

Home Affairs lists these conditions:

Holding a first Temporary Graduate visa in the Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work or Replacement stream.
A degree from a provider whose campus was in a designated regional area.
Having lived only in a designated regional area for at least 2 years immediately before applying.

The stay depends on the area category. Home Affairs says living only in a Category 2 area generally leads to an additional 1 year, with exceptions for Category 2 areas in Tasmania, which can lead to 2 years. You can browse regions on the Settledin locations page.

How long can you stay on a 485?

For the Post-Higher Education Work stream, Home Affairs lists stays by qualification:

Qualification	Stay
Bachelor degree, including honours	2 years
Masters (coursework and extended)	2 years
Masters (research)	3 years
Doctoral degree	3 years

The default for a Graduate Diploma is 2 years, and may be longer where previous study would have attracted a longer stay. Home Affairs lists separate periods for Indian nationals under the Australia India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement: for example 3 years for a bachelor degree with first class honours in STEM, and 4 years for a doctoral degree. Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders may stay up to 5 years.

The visa starts on the grant date, and time outside Australia does not extend it. To see an exact end date, Home Affairs points to VEVO. On work, it says holders must find their own employment, and points to VEVO or the grant letter for conditions.

For costs, Home Affairs points to its Visa Pricing Estimator. For timing, it publishes a processing time guide on each visa page.

How does the 485 connect to skilled PR?

The 485 does not lead to permanent residence by itself. Home Affairs says the Post-Higher Education Work visa cannot be extended and adds that holders "might be eligible for other skilled work visas". Those are separate visas with their own rules. The main ones are compared in 485 to PR: the visa pathways.

The three points-tested skilled visas are:

For the 189, Home Affairs' points-tested stream page lists these steps and requirements:

An invitation, after submitting an expression of interest (EOI) in SkillSelect.
A suitable skills assessment for the nominated occupation, obtained in the 3 years before the invitation unless it was for a shorter period.
An occupation on the relevant list of skilled occupations.
Age under 45 at invitation.
A points score of at least 65 from the points table, with at least Competent English at invitation.

If a skills assessment relied on an Australian qualification gained on a student visa, Home Affairs says the course must be CRICOS-registered. The 190 and 491 add other pieces, including nomination by a state or territory in many cases. The state nomination tracker summarises each state's published pages.

How the points work is in the Australian PR points test, explained. The wider picture, from visa types to timing, is in How to get PR in Australia. You can also see which occupations sit on the skilled lists on the occupations page and the CSOL page.

What are common mix-ups with the 485?

These are points Home Affairs spells out on its pages:

Study timing. The qualification must be awarded in the 6 months before the application, and the course must be completed within 6 months of applying.
Streams are fixed. Streams cannot be changed after applying.
Occupation is fixed. In the Post-Vocational stream, the nominated occupation cannot change after lodgement.
English test age. The test result must be from the 12 months before the application, which differs from the 3-year windows on some other visas.
Skills assessment dates. Assessments are valid for a maximum of 3 years, or a shorter period if the assessment says so.
Who can help. Home Affairs says only registered migration agents, legal practitioners and exempt persons can give immigration assistance. It points to Who can help with your visa application for details.

Frequently asked questions

Can I work full time on a 485?
Home Affairs says the visa lets holders live, study and work in Australia, and that holders find their own employment. It points to VEVO or the visa grant letter for the exact work conditions.

Do I need a skills assessment for the 485?
For the Post-Higher Education Work stream, Home Affairs does not list one. For the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, it lists a skills assessment, or evidence of having applied for one, as part of the requirements.

Can I switch to a 482 or 491 from a 485?
Home Affairs says holders "might be eligible for other skilled work visas". Each visa has its own rules, such as the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482). Home Affairs' visa finder lists options.

Can I apply from outside Australia?
Home Affairs says the main applicant must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when applying. Subsequent entrants can apply from in or outside Australia, and all applicants can be in or outside Australia at the time of decision.

Where do I check current requirements?
On the Home Affairs pages for each stream, linked above. Each shows a last updated date at the bottom. Student visa rules that lead into the 485 are covered in Australian student visa changes.

Settledin adds up an indicative points total from the official points table, so you can see how the categories fit together.

Work out your indicative points

This article describes published Department of Home Affairs rules, checked on 6 November 2026. It is general information, not migration advice. For advice on your situation, speak to a registered migration agent. Check the register.

The 485 Temporary Graduate visa, explained