If you want to stay in Australia to study or work after your Student Visa gets over, Temporary graduate visa subclass 485 is what you need to apply for. Temporary graduate visa 485 is suitable for international students who are aged below 50 and have completed a course registered in CRICOS. This Visa has two streams, Graduate Work stream, and Post-Study work-stream. Let us know about them in detail.
Graduate Work Stream
This stream of the temporary graduate visa 485 will allow international students to live, study and work in Australia if they have graduated from any course pertaining to any occupation in which Australia has a skill shortage.
With this Visa, You can work and stay in Australia for up to 18 months. You can bring your family to Australia as well. You must hold a qualification that is relevant to any occupation listed on the skilled occupation list. The graduate workstream of Visa subclass 485 takes approximately four months to process.
Post-Study Work Stream
This stream of the 485 visa Australia will apply to you if you are a fresh graduate with a degree from any Australian institution. You will be able to live and work for 2 to 4 years in Australia with it. You need to hold a recent degree from any CRICOS-registered course. This Visa too allows you to bring your family to Australia. The post-study work stream of 485 visa processing time is around four months. Your occupation needs to be checked on the Australian Government’s Immigration skilled list.
For both the streams of graduate visa 485, you should apply within six months after your course ends.
Working Full Time With Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485
Any international student has the right to work full time with a Subclass 485 Visa Australia for the visa duration. If the student wants to continue to work and stay in Australia after the expiry of the Visa, they need to apply for a new visa for an applicable subclass.\
Eligibility For Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485
The 485 visa eligibility requirements are as follows:
- The student must hold an eligible visa.
- The student should be under 50 years of age.
- The student must satisfy the English language competency requirements in the form of IELTS, Pearson Tests, or Occupational English Test.
- The student must meet Australian Health requirements.
- They should have a recent degree in a CRICOS-registered course.
- They must meet additional requirements of the relevant stream.
- They Must have completed a degree with an Australian institution.
- They will also need skill assessment if they are applying for the graduate workstream. However, post-study work streams do not have such requirements.
English Competency Requirement For Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485
You would need to provide evidence of your English proficiency for the 485 Graduate Visa. Taking an IELTS (The International English Language Testing System) test will be needed.
Health Insurance Requirements For Visa Subclass 485
As a student visa holder, you must be already covered under an Overseas Student Health Cover policy. The proof of this must be included with your visa application.
At the time of application, if you hold a valid student visa, you’ll already be covered under an Overseas as a condition of your Student visa subclass 500. requirement. You should include evidence of your existing OSHC with your 485 visa application.
However, a 485 visa health insurance will be needed at some point of visa processing to be finalized. The Department of Home Affairs will contact you to get evidence that you are covered under a policy that complies with the 485 requirements before your 485 visa is issued.
You need to change your Student visa (OSHC) insurance to graduate health cover.
As per the Australian government, if you bring any family member on a 485 visa, their basic health insurance must be covered. You will need to produce your while applying for a 485 visa. These must cover the visa processing period and the period that your Visa is valid. Your migration agent in Adelaide will be able to suggest suitable health cover for your 485 graduate visa.
Visa 485 Application Procedure
To get a temporary graduate visa (subclass 485), you can make online applications at the Department of Home Affairs. You should have all the documents per the 485 graduate visa checklist and complete the payments for your application to be valid.
Estimated Processing Time and Fees For Visa 485
If you are applying for a temporary graduate visa (subclass 485), the cost should start from AUD 1500.00. Generally, the processing time of the 485 graduate visas depends on the workstream. Your immigration agent will be able to provide you with the exact amount of time and money needed.
Graduate Visa 485 Document Checklist
You can get a complete checklist of documents you need while you apply for the 485 visa. You can take help from your immigration agent to understand them better. You and all the family members (above the age of 18) you wish to bring need to submit a police verification report.
COVID -19 Visa Concessions For Visa 485
The Department of Home Affairs issued concessions in the requirements for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) for the students who are enrolled with any Australian educational institution.
You will also be eligible for these relaxations if you are a new or existing student visa holder taking online study outside of Australia because of COVID-19.
These concessions include the following :
- Eligible graduates affected by travel restrictions due to covid can apply for Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa outside Australia. Their applications will be approved.
- If the student cannot take the English language test in their home country due to COVID-19, they will get additional time.
- If covid-19 has hampered access to health checks and biometric collection, applicants will be given additional time.
Closing Thoughts
There are multiple specific requirements for the students to be eligible to apply for the 485 visa. It would be wise to speak to an experienced migration agent Adelaide to understand the appropriate Visa and the requirements.