Subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa Australia

The Subclass 485, or Temporary Graduate visa, lets international students live, work, and study in Australia after they finish an eligible degree. It lasts 2 to 4 years and costs AUD 5,750 (INR 3.77 lakh).

• The Subclass 485 is Australia's post-study work visa for graduates of Australian courses.
• It has two main streams and lasts 2 to 4 years depending on your qualification.
• The fee is AUD 5,750 (INR 3.77 lakh), and you must be under 35.
• Indian graduates get extended stays under AI-ECTA: 3 years for a master's, 4 for a PhD.

After finishing a degree in Australia, the Subclass 485 is how international students stay on to gain work experience and build a path to permanent residency. Knowing the streams, duration, eligibility and the six-month deadline helps Indian graduates apply on time and use the visa as a stepping stone to PR.

Currency conversions use AUD 1 = INR 65 as of June 30, 2026, and move with the exchange rate.

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What Is the Subclass 485 Visa

The Subclass 485 is a temporary visa that lets graduates of Australian CRICOS-registered courses stay on to live, work and study after finishing their degree. It is the main post-study work route.

It gives full work rights with no employer sponsor and no points test, making it the natural next step after a student visa. A wider look at Australian study options sits in this guide on top universities abroad for Indian students.

What the Subclass 485 allows and what it does not:

• Allows: full-time work, further study, travel in and out and bringing family members.
• Does not: grant permanent residency, though it is a strong stepping stone toward it.

Note: The Subclass 485 does not lead directly to permanent residency. Its real value is time: it lets you gain skilled work experience, complete skills assessments and build points for a later skilled visa such as the Subclass 189, 190 or 491.

Subclass 485 Streams and Duration

The Subclass 485 has two main streams: the Post-Higher Education Work stream for degree graduates and the Post-Vocational Education Work stream for diploma and trade graduates. Your qualification decides the stream.

The Post-Higher Education Work stream needs no skills assessment, while the vocational stream requires one tied to a skilled occupation. A related Australian guide on study breaks is this one on the study gap accepted in Australia.

A Second Post-Higher Education Work stream gives another 1 to 2 years to graduates who studied and lived in a designated regional area.

For Indian graduates, the AI-ECTA agreement gives extended durations:

Note: Indian graduates get more time than most other nationalities under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement. A master's earns 3 years and a PhD earns 4 years, so your degree level directly shapes how long you can stay and work.

Subclass 485 Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for the Subclass 485, you must be under 35, have held a student visa in the last 6 months, and have completed a CRICOS course of at least 2 academic years. English and health cover are also required.

Each condition is checked closely, and the study requirement in particular is strict. The requirements are below.

What counts toward the study requirement and what does not:

• Counts: a CRICOS-registered course of at least 92 weeks, studied on a student visa.
• Does not count: short courses under 2 academic years or a standalone Graduate Certificate.

How to Apply for Subclass 485

You apply for the Subclass 485 online through ImmiAccount within 6 months of completing your course, after gathering your documents and, for the vocational stream, a skills assessment. The process has seven steps.

Preparation is the key, since a missing document or a lapsed English test can invalidate the application. The overall cost picture for studying in Australia is in this guide on the average cost of studying abroad. The steps are:

1. Complete your CRICOS course and obtain your official completion letter confirming the end date.
2. Gather documents, your passport, completion letter, transcripts, English results and OVHC health cover.
3. Arrange a skills assessment if you are applying under the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, or confirm your degree for the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
4. Create or log in to ImmiAccount at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au and complete the online application form.
5. Upload documents and pay, meet the Genuine Graduate requirement and pay the AUD 4,600 (about INR 3 lakh) fee.
6. Complete biometrics and health checks and provide a police clearance if requested.
7. Receive your visa grant, while a Bridging Visa A keeps you in Australia with the same work rights until a decision is made.

Subclass 485 to PR Pathway

The Subclass 485 is a stepping stone to permanent residency, giving you time to gain skilled work experience and points before applying for a skilled visa. It does not grant PR by itself.

Graduates use the 485 years to build a strong skilled migration profile, especially in high-demand fields on the Core Skills Occupation List. The common PR routes after a 485 are:

1. Subclass 189 (Skilled Independent), a points-tested visa needing no sponsor.
2. Subclass 190 (Skilled Nominated), which requires nomination by an Australian state or territory.
3. Subclass 491 (Skilled Work Regional), a regional visa that adds points and can lead to PR.
4. Employer-sponsored routes, such as the Subclass 186 and the Skills in Demand (Subclass 482) visa.

If you studied in a regional area, then you may get 1 to 2 extra years and more points. That means regional study can directly improve both your stay and your PR chances.

Note: Graduates in fields such as nursing, engineering, ICT and teaching sit on the Core Skills Occupation List and often see smoother PR outcomes. A Professional Year program in accounting, IT or engineering also adds 5 points, provided you have at least 12 months left on your 485.

The Subclass 485 is the bridge between studying in Australia and building a long-term future there. Pick the right stream for your qualification, apply within six months of finishing, then make sure your English test and documents are ready before you lodge. Indian graduates gain extra time under AI-ECTA, with three years for a master's and four for a PhD, and regional study adds even more. Treat the visa not as a finish line but as the launch pad it is designed to be, and use its years to gain experience, sit skills assessments and move steadily toward permanent residency.