Australia's Temporary Graduate 485 Visa: Subclasses and Eligibility for ASEAN Graduates

What the 485 visa is

The subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa lets you live and work in Australia after finishing an eligible course on a student visa. You do not need an employer sponsor to hold it, and you work in any job while it is valid. It exists to give international graduates time to gain Australian work experience or build a case for a skilled migration pathway later.

Streams and how long you stay

Since the 2023 Migration Strategy reforms took effect on 1 July 2024, the main pathway for degree graduates is the Post-Higher Education Work stream. Duration depends on your qualification level.

These durations replaced longer terms that applied before July 2024, when master's by research and PhD graduates received up to 4 years. Your course must be CRICOS-registered and at least two academic years long to qualify.

Who is eligible

You must apply within 6 months of your course finishing, hold or have recently held a subclass 500 student visa, and meet English language requirements. You cannot have already held a 485 visa before, with limited exceptions for the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream aimed at regional graduates.

Age limit and the Genuine Student requirement

The age limit for most 485 applicants dropped from 50 to 35 as part of the 2024 reforms. Master's by research graduates, PhD graduates, and Hong Kong BNO passport holders are exempt and still apply up to age 50. Since 23 March 2024, Australia also assesses student and graduate visa applicants against a Genuine Student requirement, which replaced the older Genuine Temporary Entrant test. It looks at your study history, your ties to your home country, and whether your course choice fits your study and career plans, rather than assuming you must intend to leave permanently.

Cost and how to apply

The 485 application fee rose twice in 2026: to AUD 4,600 on 1 March 2026, then to AUD 5,750 from 1 July 2026, a rise of about 150 percent since the start of the year. Dependant fees rose alongside it, to AUD 2,300 for a partner or dependant aged 18 or over and AUD 1,160 for a child under 18. The government has said the fee increases are meant to reduce reliance on the 485 as a default pathway and fund stronger Genuine Student assessments, in line with the 2025-26 Migration Program's target to cut net overseas migration. Apply online through ImmiAccount with your CRICOS course completion evidence, passport, and English test results.

What this means for ASEAN applicants

Budget the higher 2026 fee into your total cost of studying in Australia, since it now sits close to a full semester of tuition at some institutions. If you are over 35 and considering a master's, a master's by research or PhD keeps the 485 pathway open at the higher age limit, which a coursework master's does not.

Work rights while you hold the 485

Once granted, the 485 places no cap on your work hours and no restriction on employer or sector, unlike your student visa which typically limited paid work during term time. Work full-time from the day your 485 is granted, change jobs freely, and study further short courses without needing a new visa, as long as you stay within the visa's conditions.

Common mistakes ASEAN applicants make

The most common error is missing the 6-month application deadline after course completion, since Australia does not offer exceptions for late applications caused by personal circumstances. Another is assuming a shorter vocational or non-degree qualification qualifies for the full Post-Higher Education Work stream, when only CRICOS-registered courses of at least two academic years at degree level qualify for these durations. Applicants close to the age 35 cutoff should also check their exact age on the day they intend to lodge the application, not their age when they finish their course, since a delay of even a few months pushes you over the limit if you do not qualify for the higher age exemption.

Planning around the fee increase

Because the AUD 5,750 fee applies per applicant, a graduate applying with a partner and a child should budget close to AUD 9,000 in visa fees alone before accounting for health cover and other costs. Compare this against your expected earnings during the 2 to 3 year visa period when deciding whether the 485 pathway still makes financial sense for your situation, particularly if you are weighing Australia against the UK or Canada where equivalent fees remain lower.

Health cover and other conditions

You need Overseas Visitor Health Cover for the length of your 485 visa, since it does not carry the same access to Medicare that permanent residents have. Keep your cover active for the full visa period, since a gap affects future visa applications that ask about your compliance history in Australia. The 485 also lets your partner and dependent children apply as secondary applicants, and partners generally get the same work rights as the primary applicant, which matters if you are budgeting household income during the visa period.