Having an Australian degree provides students with a great opportunity to find attractive placement in their home country. Still, after completing their graduation from an Australian institute, many overseas students decide to stay back in the country and continue with further academic endeavors.
For them, the Temporary Graduate Visa 485 can be an alternative to explore opportunities here. Though a temporary visa, this visa can be an excellent option for a student to enrich themselves. This blog discusses all its benefits and other details one should know before making the application.
What benefits does the Temporary Visa 485 offer to a visa holder?
With the Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485, you can do a lot of things in Australia.
Stay in Australia for 4 years
This visa has two streams. The Graduate Work Stream allows the holder to stay for about 18 months in Australia. However, if you want to stay longer, applying for the other stream, i.e. the Post-Study Work Stream, will benefit.
Depending on your academic qualification, you can stay for 2 to 4 years. Passport holders from Hong Kong can stay for 5 years.
Do higher studies
For the Graduate Work Stream, an applicant should have a Diploma or Trade Qualification. Once you get your visa, you can use the 18 months to do a higher course, which can help you explore more employment opportunities.
On the other hand, if you’re applying for the Post-Study Work Stream, you must have a Bachelor or a Masters or a Doctorate. An applicant with a Bachelor’s degree can stay for 2 years, while someone with a Doctorate can stay for 4 years.
Now, if you have graduated with a Bachelor’s degree, you can use these 2 years to do a Masters’s. Similarly, if you have a Masters’s, you can apply for postgraduate research, and so on.
Enjoy full work rights
A Student Visa subclass 500 does not allow the holder to enjoy full work rights, and overseas students can only work for 20 hours a week after their course starts. An international student can work as a full-time employee only during semester breaks and holidays.
Full-time work in Australia usually means work for 35 hours a week. In contrast, with the Visa Subclass 485, you can always work as a full-time employee. If you apply for the Graduate Work Stream, you will need to nominate a skilled occupation and have a skills assessment.
Work experience in the Australian job sector will improve your CV and your chances to obtain permanent residency in Australia.
Travel freely
As long as the Subclass 485 Visa Australia remains valid, you can travel abroad and return to Australia whenever you wish.
Pathway to permanent residency in Australia
Want to become a permanent resident of Australia? If so, using your Subclass 485 Visa can be a practical option. Go through the following options available.
- TSS 482 Visa
The TSS Visa requires an applicant to have worked for a minimum of two years in the nominated occupation or a related field. To fulfil that 2-year work experience requirement, a 485 Visa can be a great option.
- Skilled Visas (Skilled Independent Subclass 189, State Sponsored Subclass 190, and State Regional Subclass 489)
- These three are points-based skilled visas. These points are given for different qualifications of the applicants. Thus, the work experience you gain with your 485 Visa can easily help you get a decent score.
- After you graduate from an Australian institute, you can do a Professional Year Program with your Graduate Visa Australia. Having this qualification will give you an additional 5 points. However, you should never forget that this condition only applies to IT, Engineering, and Accounting graduates.
- Employer-Sponsored Visa Subclass 186
This visa is an Australian PR visa, where an employer must sponsor you. To be eligible, you must have 3 years of work experience in that specific occupation. The Post-Study Work Stream allows a holder to stay for a maximum of 4 years. So, if you hold this visa, you can automatically meet the 186 Visa work requirement.
- Regional Sponsored Visa 187
This visa is similar to the 186 Visa Subclass. The only difference is that the 187 Visa is issued to an applicant willing to stay and work in a regional area.
Applicants can stay longer in a regional area with a Second Post-Study Work Stream
Now, applicants can apply for a newly introduced Second Post-Study Work Stream Visa if they have stayed, studied, and worked in a regional area on their First Post-Study Work Stream. This second stream allows the holders to stay and work for one to two years more.
Meeting the eligibility criteria – a major step to the visa
You can enjoy these benefits of Visa 485 only when you meet the eligibility criteria and complete the application successfully. You should keep in mind that you will also need to satisfy the specific requirements for the stream you are applying for in addition to the general visa requirements. Let us first discuss the general visa requirements.
- Your age must be less than 44.
- The course you have studied should have been a CRICOS-registered course and have covered at least 2 academic years or 92 weeks.
- You should have been physically present in Australia when taking the course.
- You should apply within 6 months of course completion, i.e. publication of final results.
- You should have a competent level of English skills.
- For the Graduate Work Stream, make sure:
- You have a Diploma or Trade Qualification certificate.
- You nominate a skilled occupation and have a relevant skills assessment conducted by the appropriate assessing authority.
- The course you have taken has been in line with your occupation or closely related to it.
- For the Post-Study Work Stream, you have to meet the following requirements.
- You must have a Bachelor or a Masters or a Doctorate.
- You have applied for your first Australian student visa before 20 November 2011.
For how long you will have to wait after applying?
After you apply for the visa by submitting all the necessary documents, the Department will take some time to assess your application. The 485 Visa processing time varies according to the streams.
Graduate Work Stream applications take about 8 to 11 months to process, while Post-Study Work Stream applications get processed in 6 to 7 months.
As every information and document is thoroughly checked, missing a single document can cause a delay in the process. To avoid uncertainty or any risk of refusal, it will be better to consult a registered Adelaide immigration agent.
Concessions for COVID-19
There is some more good news for Graduate Visa 485 applicants. Because of the ongoing pandemic, the Department of Home Affairs had introduced some changes in the eligibility. If someone could not attend an on-campus Australian course due to the pandemic and had to attend an online course, they can apply for a visa. Offshore applications are also possible now. However, one should not forget that these changes are temporary.
Get your visa help
A reputed migration agent Adelaide can offer you the best help. Before you start the application on your own, you can show them all the documents and discuss what tips and suggestions can make your dream come true.
