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Want to Work in Australia After Graduation? Navigate These 5 485 Visa Hurdles

Johnny Kong

January 27, 2026

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Picture this: you’ve just walked across the stage, taken photos in your gown, and celebrated with friends and family.

A few months later, when you finally sit down to apply for your all‑important Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), you discover there’s a problem.

Not with your grades, but with a requirement you were meant to meet before you graduated — and now it’s too late.

This isn’t a scare story. Every graduation season, plenty of students suddenly realise the 485 is not a “congratulations, here’s your visa” gift that arrives automatically once you finish your course. It’s a ticket you have to proactively qualify for, with strict criteria that need planning before your final semester. If those boxes aren’t ticked early enough, you can end up watching the opportunity slip away right after graduation.

Let’s break down this visa properly, and walk through the “hidden tasks” you need to complete on the way to it.

What is the 485 visa really for — and what does it do for you?

In short, the Temporary Graduate (485) visa is the key bridge between being an international student and becoming a worker in the Australian job market — and, for many people, it’s the foundation for any long‑term migration plan.

With a 485, you can:

Work full‑time legally: Build up local work experience, which is crucial for skilled migration or employer sponsorship.
Test different directions: Use this period to experience the Australian workplace and work out whether skilled migration, state nomination or employer sponsorship suits you best.
Buy yourself planning time: Stay on a relatively stable visa while you map your next steps, instead of rushing big decisions under time pressure.

The key mindset shift is this: the 485 is a ticket you apply for — proactively, on time, and only if you meet all the criteria — not a souvenir automatically handed out at graduation.

Two main 485 streams after July 2024: which one are you in?

From July 2024, the 485 program was simplified into two main streams. Before you plan anything else, you need to know which lane you actually belong in:

1. Post‑Vocational Education Work stream

Who it’s for: Graduates of vocational programs — typically Diploma, Advanced Diploma or trade qualifications.
Key requirements:
- Your occupation must be on the right list: The qualification you completed must clearly map to an occupation that appears on an approved skilled occupation list (for example, MLTSSL or related core skills lists).
- Skills assessment is mandatory: You usually need a positive skills assessment before you lodge your 485 application.
- Age and study: You’re generally required to be under 35 at time of application and to meet the Australian study requirement in full.

2. Post‑Higher Education Work stream

Who it’s for: Graduates of higher education programs — Bachelor, Masters or PhD.
Key points:
- Qualification level is the gatekeeper: You must have successfully completed an AQF 7 (Bachelor) or higher‑level degree.
- Skills assessment not usually required at lodgement: For the 485 itself, a skills assessment is typically not compulsory — but if you plan to apply for skilled migration later, you’ll need it anyway.
- Duration and age: The visa length depends on what you completed (Bachelor / coursework Masters are usually around 2 years; research degrees can be longer). The usual age limit is under 35, with certain research degrees and specific passport holders eligible up to 50.

Five non‑negotiable conditions you must understand before you graduate

These are the five “hard lines” that determine whether you qualify for a 485. It’s worth checking yourself against each one.

1. The real Australian study requirement

It’s much more than “two years of study”.

You must ensure that:

Your course(s) are CRICOS‑registered and add up to at least 92 weeks of registered study (roughly equivalent to two academic years).
You have actually spent at least 16 months studying in Australia onshore.
You keep an eye on anything that can silently reduce your qualifying time — failed units, reduced load, credit exemptions, leave of absence, or switching courses.

2. The English language threshold is higher now

The bar has gone up. For most applicants, the requirement is now the equivalent of IELTS 6.5 overall, with no band lower than 5.5 (or a comparable score in another accepted test).

These results come with an expiry date, so you need to plan your test early enough that your score is still valid when you lodge. The last thing you want is to realise at application time that your English test has already lapsed.

3. A strict six‑month application window

From the date on your Completion Letter (not your graduation ceremony), the clock starts ticking. In most cases, you have only six months to lodge your 485 application.

Miss that window, and your eligibility for that stream effectively disappears.

4. Visa continuity: no “gaps” allowed

You must lodge a complete 485 application before your current student visa expires if you want to:

Remain lawfully in Australia, and
Receive a bridging visa to cover you while the 485 is being processed.

If there’s a gap between visas — even unintentionally — it can cause serious problems for your status, and in some cases, for future applications as well.

5. A once‑in‑a‑lifetime card (for each stream)

For most people, each 485 stream is effectively a one‑time opportunity.

You usually can’t keep re‑applying for the same type of 485 if things don’t go to plan. That means this isn’t a visa to “try and see what happens” — it’s a strategic asset you should use deliberately, in line with your long‑term goals.

Your 485 timeline: the countdown starts now

Before graduation (final semester)

Check your numbers: Confirm all your COEs and calculate whether you genuinely meet the 92‑week and 16‑month study requirements.
Lock in your English score: Book and sit your language test in time to have a valid result when you apply.
Organise your documents: Start gathering basics like identity documents and birth certificates so you’re not scrambling later.

After graduation (the crucial six months)

Lock in the right “start date”: Use your course completion date — not the graduation ceremony — as the reference point for your six‑month window.
Lodge on time: Make sure your 485 is submitted and paid before your student visa expires.
Be careful with travel: If you’re on a bridging visa and plan to travel, you may need a specific type of bridging visa with travel rights. Leaving without that can cause your bridging visa to end.

Why getting proper planning matters so much

Because you realistically only get one good shot at playing your 485 card.

Using it to “just work somewhere and see how it goes” versus using it to deliberately position yourself for employer sponsorship, state nomination or skilled migration can lead to completely different outcomes.

If any of the following sound like you, a tailored professional assessment is strongly recommended:

Your study path is complex (for example, language course + Diploma + Bachelor, or multiple packaged programs).
You’ve had course changes, failed subjects or leave of absence and aren’t sure whether you still meet the study requirement.
You’re approaching the 35‑year age limit.
You want to use your 485 work period to maximise points or strengthen your case for a specific migration pathway.

In a policy environment that’s constantly shifting, planning ahead is no longer optional — it’s essential.

A clear, personalised roadmap can keep you calm in the chaos of graduation season, and help you turn your precious 485 time into a genuine advantage on the road to permanent residency.