What Is A 485 Visa

What is next after your degree, if you are an international student, in Australia? You can live and work for up to 4 years after you have finished your degree under the 485 visa.

485 Visa has two streams which you can apply from,

Graduate Work Stream

This stream is for the international students who have finished their diploma and want to work in Australia in their relevant field. This visa is only for international students who have graduated with skills and qualifications which are relevant to the occupations which are on the Skilled occupation list. You will also be required to show the skills assessment under this visa.

With this visa, you can work and stay up to 18 months in Australia. You can bring your family with you while you are here.

Post-study Work Stream

Post-study work stream is for the international students who have finished their bachelors or master’s degree from an Australian University and want to work and live in Australia temporarily. With this visa, you can stay and work from 2 up to 4 years in Australia. You can bring your family with you while you are here on this visa.

The most common one is the Post-study work stream. Let’s see what the important things are you need to know before applying for this visa.

English Requirements

English TestMinimum Overall ScoreListeningReadingSpeakingWriting
IELTS6.05555
PTE5036363636
CAE(Cambridge)169154154154154
TOEFL64441414

One of the requirements is to have the minimum points for the English test as stated above. These English tests are valid for 2 years, so when you finish your studies these tests will be expired as well. Applying for your post study work visa (485), you will be required to give the test again and get these minimum points. IELTS, PTE, CAE, and TOEFL are the only accepted English certificates.

However, if you are a citizen and hold a current passport of the United States, Ireland, UK, New Zealand, and Canada, you don’t need to meet this English requirement.

Australian Degree

You can only apply via the Post-study work stream if you have completed a bachelor’s or a master’s degree form an Australian University. The degree must be CRICOS (Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students) registered. The course duration must have been at least 92 weeks.

Medical Examination

You need a medical clearance from a registered health examiner to prove that you meet the health requirements to live and work in Australia. Bupa Medical Visa Services is the migration medical service provider which takes your health examination for 485 visas.

Health Insurance

You need to maintain your health insurance when applying for this visa. You have to show that the insurance will cover for the time you are in Australia. There are several insurance companies which are very easy to sign up with, NIB, BUPA, HBF and Medicare.

Time

485 Visa should be applied within 6 months of your course completion. The course completion date is the date when you get your final results. The course completion date is not the date of your graduation.

You need to apply after your course completion date but before your student visa expires. If you don’t apply on time, your chances of visa refusal will be very high.

University Documents

You will need to apply with the Confirmation of Enrolment for each course completed in Australia, the completion letter which you can request your University and the transcript for each course completed in Australia.

Police Clearance

You will need to show clearance from Australian Federal Police to be able to apply for this visa. The AFP check should be the National Police Check not the state police check. Your visa might get refused if you submit the wrong police check, so keep in mind that it should be the National police check.

Also, the police check should not be older than 6 months for it to be valid at the time of applying.

Others

Other important things to consider before applying to this visa are:

    • You must be under the age of 50
    • You must have been in Australia, physically, for at least 16 months between when your course started and when it completed.
    • If your documents are not in English, they must be translated to English and submitted with the certified copy of the original.

We can help you on every step to apply for the 485 visa. We are a trusted international student and registered migration agent, so if you have any queries about student visa, visa extension or renewal, or any other visas, feel free to contact us via our social media pages or Book an appointment with our Registered MARA Agent. or

Contact us at: +61-3- 8385 9195 WhatsApp us: +61 426729723
Or better yet Email us at: Info@bluestoneeducation.com.au

You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at Bluestone Education and Migration.

You can walk-in to our Melbourne office as well,
Visit us at: Suite 3 – Level 2, 470 Collins Street,
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia 3000

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