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485 Post-Higher Education Work Stream Visa
The Post Study Work stream of the 485 subclass visa or PSWV is now called the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) Post-Higher Education Work stream and is a work visa lasting between 2 and 3 years. Students need to complete studies at the Graduate certificate and Graduate diploma, Bachelor, Masters or Doctorate level which take at least 2 academic years.
It is a great option for students who would like to extend their stay in Australia after their studies. It also helps those who are seeking to stay in Australia permanently – either through General Skilled Migration or employer sponsorship.
- There is NO occupations list for the Post Study Work Visa – the area of specialisation is not relevant providing your studies are at the right level.
- Skills assessment is NOT required for the post study work visa.
The visa has full work rights, and also full study rights. It allows you to travel freely to and from Australia during the validity of the visa.
485 visas are currently taking 2-6 months to process for a complete application.
See the latest 485 visa changes and updates:
- Extra 1 or 2-year visa for international graduates from regional institutions
- 35 Years or Under Age Limit for 485 Visa
- 485 Visa – Secondary applicants not excluded
- 485 visa changes- Students and Skilled Migrants
- 485 Visa Processing Time
- 485 visa
- 485 Graduate Work stream
- 485 Post-Study Work stream
- 485 Second Post-Study Work stream (extension)
- 485 visa replacement stream
End of the two-year extension of post-study work rights
The Department of Education have noted that the extended post-study work rights which provided international graduates with select degrees an additional two years on their Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) will no longer be available from mid-2024.
The Department has confirmed that there is currently no set date for when the two year extension will cease but they will update their website when further information becomes available.
Validity Period
485 is a temporary visa. The length of your stay in Australia will depend on the level of your Australian study qualification.
| Qualification | Visa Duration |
|---|---|
| Bachelor degree (including honours) | 2 years |
| Masters (coursework and extended) | 2 years |
| Masters (research) | 3 years |
| Doctoral degree | 4 years |
DoHA will determine the stay period for graduate certificates or graduate diplomas by the course they were packaged with.
Indian Nationals (AI-ECTA Agreement)
The length of stay for Indian nationals, as agreed in the Australia India – Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), is as follows:
| Qualification | Visa Duration |
|---|---|
| Bachelor degree (including honours) | 2 years |
| Bachelor degree (with first class honours in STEM, including ICT) | 3 years |
| Masters (coursework, extended and research) | 3 years |
| Doctoral degrees (PhD) | 4 years |
Hong Kong and BNO Passport Holders
Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders may stay up to 5 years.
The visa starts on the date we grant the visa.
You can travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid.
- To see the latest regional visa changes and how they affect this visa see: Extra 1 year visa for international graduates from regional institutions
- You may be eligible to apply for a Second Post-Higher Education Work stream visa.
First Student Visa Requirement
You can only qualify for a Post Study Work Visa if you have applied for and been granted your first student visa on or after 5 November 2011.
If you have held a student visa which you applied for prior to 5 November 2011, then you are not eligible. This would include situations where you have studied and returned to your home country, have held a visa to study non-award courses or English courses, or even if you held a student visa as a dependent.
Even if you hold a student visa which you did apply for on or after 5 November 2011, you will still be ineligible if you have held a student visa which you applied for prior to this date.
Note that it is the date you applied for the visa which is critical, not the date of grant.
If you made a student visa application prior to 5 November 2011 but it was not approved (eg due to refusal or because you withdrew your application), then you may still be eligible.
Australian Study Requirements
You must complete a course or series of courses in Australia which take at least 2 academic years. There are a number of requirements:
- Only studies at the Bachelor, Masters or Doctorate level count towards the 2 years requirement
- The studies must be registered on CRICOS, and the total registered study period according to CRICOS must be at least 92 weeks
- If you have exemptions due to overseas studies, these may count against you when calculating the 92 week requirement
- You can count more than one course, providing each course meets the above requirements and results in 2 academic years of study
- You can have a break in between studies
English Language Requirements
You will need to establish your English language ability when you lodge your 485 visa application.
You can show this in one of the following ways:
| Method | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Passport | Hold a passport from the UK, Ireland, USA, Canada or New Zealand |
| IELTS (Academic or General Training) | overall average of 6 and at least 5 in each band |
| Occupational English Test (OET) | B Pass in each band |
| Pearson (PTE Academic) | overall average of 50 with at least 36 in each band |
| TOEFL iBT | total score of 64, with at least 4 in Listening and Reading, and at least 14 in Writing and Speaking |
| Cambridge (CAE) | 169 overall average with at least 154 in each band |
Health Insurance Requirements
You will need to show that you have adequate arrangements for health insurance when your 485 visa is granted. Whilst it is OK to have OSHC (Overseas Student Health Cover) at the time of application, you will need Working Visa cover for approval of your 485 visa.
You also need to maintain your Working Visa cover whilst you hold your 485 visa. If you do not maintain this level of cover, your 485 visa might be cancelled.
Health Check
You would generally need to do medicals for grant of a 485 visa. If you’ve recently applied for a student visa extension, you may be able to re-use these medicals.
Police Checks
You will need an Australian Federal Police (AFP) Check for yourself and any members of your family aged 16 or over. You must apply for the AFP checks prior to lodgement of your 485 visa.
Time Limits
You must apply for your 485 visa within 6 months of completion of your Australian studies. You must either hold a student visa when you apply, or to have held a student visa within the last 6 months. You must also make sure that you apply prior to expiry of your student visa, or at least have applied for another visa and are on a bridging A or B visa when the 485 application is lodged.
Bridging Visa
When you apply for your 485 visa, you would in general receive a Bridging A visa allowing you to remain in Australia during processing of your 485 visa application.
The Bridging A visa has full work rights. If you held a substantive visa (eg student visa) when you apply for your 485, the work rights on the bridging visa will come into effect when the substantive visa expires.
The Bridging A visa may cease if you depart Australia. If you wish to travel whilst waiting for a decision on your 485 visa, you may wish to apply for a Bridging Visa B to facilitate your travel.
Migration Amendment (Graduate Visas No. 2) Regulations 2024
This instrument includes an express definition of ‘degree’, specifically for the purposes of the Sc 485 visa and ensures that the Sc 485 visa criteria operate as intended following the 1 July 2024 changes to the Sc 485 Post Higher Education Work (PHEW) stream.
New subclause 485.231(1A) of Schedule 2 to the Migration Regulations requires an applicant for an initial Subclass 485 visa in the PHEW stream, in the period six (6) months immediately before the application for that visa was made, to have completed one or more degrees for award by an Australian educational institutions as a result of a course or courses:
- that are registered courses (see paragraph 485.231(1B)(a) of Schedule 2); and
- that were completed in a total of at least 16 calendar months (see paragraph 485.231(1B)(b) of Schedule 2); and
- that were completed as a result of a total of at least two (2) academic years study (see paragraph 485.231(1B)(c) of Schedule 2); and
- for which all instruction was conducted in English (see paragraph 485.231(1B)(d) of Schedule 2); and
- that the applicant undertook while in Australia as the holder of a visa authorising the applicant to study (see paragraph 485.231(1B)(e) of Schedule 2)
This instrument commences on 14 December 2024.
Note
From 25 November 2023, online study requirements reverted to pre-COVID settings. However, online study undertaken during the COVID concession period (1 February 2020 to 25 November 2023) will continue to count towards the Australian Study Requirement (ASR).
As all students were required to return to in-person study in July 2023 by TEQSA, the tertiary education regulator, we anticipate that this position should not disadvantage any students, but also provide a clear end date to the announcement of the previous government made in November 2021.
From 25 November 2023, the subclass 485 can now be granted no matter the location of the applicant at the time of grant.
