If you are an international student who is about to graduate or have recently graduated from an Australian institution, you may be eligible to apply for a Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485).
Please note that some of the requirements will be changing from 1 July 2023.
If you apply for a subclass 485 visa in the Graduate Work stream from 1 July 2023, you will need to:
We list a few common questions below that may help you understand the 1st of July changes.
How do I nominate a correct occupation for the Graduate Work stream?
The correct occupation must be nominated at the time of application, or the Department of Home Affairs will not be able to process your application. You will not be able to change your occupation after your application is lodged.
Your qualification must be closely related to your nominated occupation.
For example, acceptable combinations of qualifications and nominated occupations include:
Not acceptable combinations of study of qualification and nominated occupation include, for example:
An applicant’s nominated occupation is Accountant, but they satisfied the ‘Australian study requirement’ based on having completed a Bachelor of Science.
Do I need to have a Skills assessment done for the Graduate Work stream (Subclass 485) visa?
You must have your skills assessed by an assessing authority responsible for assessments of your occupation. The outcome must state that your qualification is suitable for the nominated occupation.
Can I lodge my Temporary Graduate Visa application without a Skills assessment?
The skills assessment requirement is not in force for applications lodged between 1 July 2022 and 30 June 2023 however from 1 July 2023 this requirement will be in force.
Technically, you will be able to lodge your application without a Skills assessment outcome letter however you must have evidence that you have applied for a Skills assessment at the time you are lodging your application.
It is an applicant’s responsibility to apply for the skills assessment. Contact the relevant assessing authority and make sure you understand the requirements well before you apply for this visa as each assessing authority has its own assessment rules, timelines, and charges.
Some assessing authorities apply validity periods to their skills assessment outcomes. You must be sure that your Skills assessment is valid at the time you lodge your visa application.
Migration agents at Heenan & Browne Visa Migration Services are well equipped with up-to-date knowledge and experience to assist you with your Skills assessment and Temporary Graduate Visa process. Book a consultation today to secure your desired migration outcome.