Latest Updates on 485 Visa Rules

The following are latest update on 485 visa related to Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 visa for international students in Australia. The information is applicable to existing visa holders and/or eligible applicants who are going to apply.

Latest Update on 485 Visa

Extended post study work rights

The Australian government has announced extended post-study work rights for international students who graduate with select qualifications from an Australian higher education provider. The additional two years of work rights applies to an extensive list of occupations and eligible qualifications in areas of skills shortage including health, teaching, engineering, and agriculture. This is especially good news for students who have studied or plan to study in regional areas as the existing additional year of post study work rights has been retained.

Effective from 1 July 2023, eligible students will have post study work rights increased to:

• Four years for select Bachelor degrees (+ one additional year in regional areas)
• Five years for select Masters degrees (+ one additional year in regional areas)
• Six years for all Doctoral degrees (+ one additional year in regional areas)

Eligible Occupations and Qualifications

All doctoral studies are considered eligible for the measure, regardless of field of study and so are not listed individually. The qualifications listed in this document are a summary of the eligible qualifications. A comprehensive list mapped to CRICOS course codes will be released by the Department of Education before implementation on 1 July 2023. Students will need to refer to the comprehensive list, when published, to confirm the eligibility of their particular course at their provider.

Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485) changes for Higher Education International Students​

The Australian Government will increase the duration of Subclass 485 Post Study Work rights of international students in Australia to strengthen the pipeline of skilled labour in Australia. Subclass 485 Post Study Work visa rights for select degrees in areas of verified skills shortages in Australia will be increased from:

• Two years to four years for select Bachelor’s degrees.
• Three years to five years for select Masters degrees.
• Four years to six years for select PhDs.

Temporary Graduate (Subclass 485) visa holders who have been unable to travel to Australia as a result of COVID-19 international border restrictions will be able to apply for a replacement visa. In normal circumstances, applicants are limited to just one initial subclass 485 visa in a lifetime and a further visa is only available on the basis of regional work and study.

There are about 30,000 Temporary Graduate visa holders who lost time in Australia due to travel restrictions, who will now have the opportunity to apply for another subclass 485 visa. Fully vaccinated Temporary Graduate visa holders outside Australia will be able to travel to Australia.

Those graduates whose visas have expired will be able to apply for a replacement visa. There will also be other changes to Temporary Graduate visa settings to ensure Australia remains a competitive and attractive destination for international students.

Removal of occupation nomination and skills assessment requirements for Temporary Graduate visa Graduate Work stream applicants

The requirement to nominate an occupation from the skilled occupation list and obtain a skills assessment has been removed for Temporary Graduate visa Graduate Work stream applications lodged between 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023.

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Disclaimer: ‘Atlantis International Pty Ltd’ and its associates are independent consulting entities which are not associated in anyway with the Australian ‘Department of Home Affairs’ (DOHA). Information on this website does not constitute personal migration advice. For a customized migration advice based on your personal circumstances, please call and talk to one of our Immigration Consultants or register your interest with our Associates.