The Australia Graduate Temporary (Subclass 485) Visa is a temporary permit for students who have held a student visa in the last 6 months. Unlike other migration visas to Australia, the Graduate Work Visa has a simpler process to quickly assess applicants since most of them have already spent significant time in Australia. Y-Axis can help you take advantage of your Australian education by assisting you with your Graduate Work Visa application. Our teams are well-versed in all aspects of this visa and can help you create an application package with the highest chances of success.
A key outcome of the Australian Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit in September 2022 was the announcement of a two-year extension of post-study work rights for international graduates with select degrees in areas of verified skill shortage.
Post-study work rights for international graduates will be increased from: (Note this is applicable only for eligible qualifications related to the list of occupations and qualifications considered- includes IT/Engineering/Nursing/Medical/Teaching related, refer to the list in the below link, Ph.D. do not have any restrictions).
• Two years to four years for select Bachelor’s Degrees.
• Three years to five years for select Master’s Degrees.
• Four years to six years for all Doctoral Degrees.
This extension will be added to the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) for eligible graduates or enable a new visa application for those select students who already hold a TGV and will be seeking an additional two years.
The Government has considered the working group’s advice and has announced more details about the measure, including the indicative list of occupations and eligible qualifications. The measure will commence on 1 July 2023.
Regional: This will not affect eligibility to apply for the Post-Study Work Stream for graduates who have studied, worked, and lived in a regional area. They will still get 1 -2 years of extension in addition to the above extended period.
The Graduate Temporary Visa is a temporary visa awarded to students that allows successful applicants to live and work in Australia for up 18 months to 4 years. Temporarily increased to 24 months for visas granted from 1 December 2021. There are two major types of visas issued under this program:
-choose the one most appropriate for them. These subclasses are:
Under both these visa types you can live and work anywhere in Australia with your family, study in Australia, and travel in and out of Australia as long as your visa is valid. The visa duration typically lasts between 18 months to 4 years. Temporarily increased to 24 months for visas granted from 1 December 2021
The Australia Graduate Temporary (Subclass 485) Visa is focused on assessing the educational credentials of students. It is designed to retain talent in Australia and is a great route to settle permanently in Australia. The key eligibility criteria are:
Eligible qualifications:
The list of eligible qualifications was developed by mapping in-demand occupations on the Skills Priority List to relevant qualifications.
The lists of occupations and qualifications will be monitored and reviewed on an annual basis to respond to any changes in the labor market and address any risks that emerge.
It is intended that future changes to the qualifications list will not adversely impact students who have started an eligible course of study, which has subsequently been removed from this list.
Students who graduate with a qualification that was eligible either when they started studying or when they finished studying, or both, will be eligible for the extension.
Re-alignment of the Temporary Graduate visa streams to levels of study-
The Graduate Work stream will be renamed to the Post-Vocational Education Work stream.
The Post-Study Work stream will be renamed to the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
The qualification you use to meet the Australian study requirement determines the stream you can apply for. Other qualifications you hold won't be considered in determining if you are eligible.
If you hold an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification, you should apply for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream.
The qualification you use must be closely related to your nominated occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
If your qualification is degree level or higher, you should apply for the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
Post-Vocational Education Work stream (former Graduate Work stream)-
The maximum eligible age for Post-Vocational Education Work stream applicants will reduce to 35 years of age or under at the time of application. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders will still be eligible if they are under 50 years of age. Applicants no longer eligible for the Post-Vocational Education Work stream due to the age reduction.
Applicants may continue to stay for up to 18 months.
Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport holders may be able to stay for up to 5 years.
Post-Higher Education Work stream (former Post-Study Work stream)-
The maximum eligible age for Post-Higher Education Work stream applicants will reduce to 35 years of age or under at the time of application. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders will still be eligible if they are under 50 years of age. Applicants no longer eligible for the Post-Higher Education Work stream due to the age reduction.
The ‘select degree’ 2 year extension will cease.
Stay periods will change to the following:
Stay periods for Indian nationals, as agreed in the Australia India – Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA), remain as:
Bachelor degree (including honours) – up to 2 years
Bachelor degree (with first class honours in STEM, including ICT) – up to 3 years
Masters (coursework, extended and research) – up to 3 years
Doctoral degrees (PhD) – up to 4 years.
Second Post-Higher Education Work stream (former Second Post-Study Work stream)-
The Second Post-Study Work stream will be renamed the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream. There are no other changes to this stream.
Replacement stream which was allowed during Covid period and for those who were offshore and could not stay in AUstralia during the period were allowed additional 485 visa under replacement stream which will cease this July 2024.
List of eligible occupations
ANZSCO code | Occupation title |
233212 | Geotechnical Engineer |
233611 | Mining Engineer (excluding Petroleum) |
233612 | Petroleum Engineer |
234912 | Metallurgist |
241111 | Early Childhood (Pre-primary School) Teacher |
254111 | Midwife |
254411 | Nurse Practitioner |
254412 | Registered Nurse (Aged Care) |
254413 | Registered Nurse (Child and Family Health) |
254414 | Registered Nurse (Community Health) |
254415 | Registered Nurse (Critical Care and Emergency) |
254416 | Registered Nurse (Developmental Disability) |
254417 | Registered Nurse (Disability and Rehabilitation) |
254418 | Registered Nurse (Medical) |
254421 | Registered Nurse (Medical Practice) |
254422 | Registered Nurse (Mental Health) |
254423 | Registered Nurse (Perioperative) |
254424 | Registered Nurse (Surgical) |
254425 | Registered Nurse (Paediatrics) |
254499 | Registered Nurses nec |
261112 | Systems Analyst |
261211 | Multimedia Specialist |
261212 | Web Developer |
261311 | Analyst Programmer |
261312 | Developer Programmer |
261313 | Software Engineer |
261314 | Software Tester |
261317 | Penetration Tester |
261399 | Software and Applications Programmers nec |
262111 | Database Administrator |
262114 | Cyber Governance Risk and Compliance Specialist |
262115 | Cyber Security Advice and Assessment Specialist |
262116 | Cyber Security Analyst |
262117 | Cyber Security Architect |
262118 | Cyber Security Operations Coordinator |
263111 | Computer Network and Systems Engineer |
263112 | Network Administrator |
263113 | Network Analyst |
263211 | ICT Quality Assurance Engineer |
263213 | ICT Systems Test Engineer |
121311 | Apiarist |
133111 | Construction Project Manager |
133112 | Project Builder |
133211 | Engineering Manager |
225411 | Sales Representative (Industrial Products) |
233111 | Chemical Engineer |
233112 | Materials Engineer |
233211 | Civil Engineer |
233213 | Quantity Surveyor |
233214 | Structural Engineer |
233215 | Transport Engineer |
233311 | Electrical Engineer |
233915 | Environmental Engineer |
233999 | Engineering Professionals nec |
234111 | Agricultural Consultant |
234114 | Agricultural Research Scientist |
234115 | Agronomist |
234212 | Food Technologist |
234711 | Veterinarian |
241213 | Primary School Teacher |
241411 | Secondary School Teacher |
241511 | Special Needs Teacher |
241512 | Teacher of the Hearing Impaired |
241513 | Teacher of the Sight Impaired |
241599 | Special Education Teachers nec |
242211 | Vocational Education Teacher / Polytechnic Teacher |
251211 | Medical Diagnostic Radiographer |
251212 | Medical Radiation Therapist |
251214 | Sonographer |
251411 | Optometrist |
251511 | Hospital Pharmacist |
251513 | Retail Pharmacist |
251912 | Orthotist or Prosthetist |
251999 | Health Diagnostic and Promotion Professionals nec |
252312 | Dentist |
252411 | Occupational Therapist |
252511 | Physiotherapist |
252611 | Podiatrist |
252712 | Speech Pathologist / Speech Language Therapist |
253111 | General Practitioner |
253112 | Resident Medical Officer |
253311 | Specialist Physician (General Medicine) |
253312 | Cardiologist |
253313 | Clinical Haematologist |
253314 | Medical Oncologist |
253315 | Endocrinologist |
253316 | Gastroenterologist |
253317 | Intensive Care Specialist |
253318 | Neurologist |
253321 | Paediatrician |
253322 | Renal Medicine Specialist |
253323 | Rheumatologist |
253324 | Thoracic Medicine Specialist |
253399 | Specialist Physicians nec |
253411 | Psychiatrist |
253511 | Surgeon (General) |
253512 | Cardiothoracic Surgeon |
253513 | Neurosurgeon |
253514 | Orthopaedic Surgeon |
253515 | Otorhinolaryngologist |
253516 | Pediatric Surgeon |
253517 | Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon |
253518 | Urologist |
253521 | Vascular Surgeon |
253911 | Dermatologist |
253912 | Emergency Medicine Specialist |
253913 | Obstetrician and Gynaecologist |
253914 | Ophthalmologist |
253915 | Pathologist |
253917 | Diagnostic and Interventional Radiologist |
253999 | Medical Practitioners nec |
254212 | Nurse Researcher |
261111 | ICT Business Analyst |
261315 | Cyber Security Engineer |
261316 | Devops Engineer |
272311 | Clinical Psychologist |
272312 | Educational Psychologist |
272313 | Organizational Psychologist |
272399 | Psychologists nec |
411211 | Dental Hygienist |
411214 | Dental Therapist |
Category | Fee Effective from 1st July 24 |
Subclass 189 |
Main Applicant -- AUD 4765 |
Applicant above 18 yrs -- AUD 2385 | |
Applicant below 18 yrs -- AUD 1195 | |
Subclass 190 |
Main Applicant -- AUD 4770 |
Applicant above 18 yrs -- AUD 2385 | |
Applicant below 18 yrs -- AUD 1190 | |
Subclass 491 |
Main Applicant -- AUD 4770 |
Applicant above 18 yrs -- AUD 2385 | |
Applicant below 18 yrs -- AUD 1190 |
Y-Axis has filed thousands of applications for Australian immigration and has one of the world’s best Australia immigration departments. We can offer end-to-end assistance with:
Reach out to us and discover how we can help you work in Australia after graduation.
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