Australia 485 Visa for Indian Students: 2026 Rules, English & Stay Periods

What is Australia’s Temporary Graduate visa subclass 485?

The Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) lets eligible international graduates live, study and work in Australia temporarily after completing Australian study. It is a temporary visa rather than a guaranteed route to permanent residence, and applicants must choose the stream that matches the qualification used to satisfy the visa requirements.

For Indian graduates, the course level matters twice: it determines the correct 485 stream and can affect the possible stay period under the Australia-India Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (AI-ECTA). Checking the visa pathway before enrolling is therefore more useful than treating the 485 as an automatic benefit after graduation.

Choose the correct 485 stream

The Post-Higher Education Work stream is for graduates using an eligible Australian bachelor degree, bachelor honours degree, master’s degree or doctoral degree. A related graduate diploma can qualify only in the limited circumstances described by Home Affairs: it must follow an eligible degree in the same or next academic year and relate to that degree.

The Post-Vocational Education Work stream is for an associate degree, diploma or trade qualification. The qualification must be closely related to a nominated occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, and the applicant needs a suitable skills assessment or evidence of having applied for one. Home Affairs warns that the stream cannot be changed after lodgement, so do not select it by course name alone.

• Bachelor, bachelor honours, master’s or doctorate: usually the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
• Associate degree, diploma or trade qualification: usually the Post-Vocational Education Work stream.
• Post-Higher Education applicants do not need the stream-specific skills assessment required for Post-Vocational applicants.
• The former Replacement stream has closed; the second regional stream remains a separate pathway for some graduates.

Age limit and the research-degree exception

Most primary applicants must be 35 years of age or under when they apply. For the Post-Higher Education Work stream, an applicant using a master’s by research or doctoral degree to meet the study requirement can be under 50. Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders also have a separate under-50 exception.

The higher age exception does not apply merely because an applicant also holds a research qualification; that qualification must be the one used for the Temporary Graduate visa study requirement. Indian coursework master’s and bachelor’s graduates should normally plan around the 35-or-under rule.

Stay periods for Indian graduates under AI-ECTA

Home Affairs states that the AI-ECTA stay settings for Indian nationals remain in place. The published periods are up to two years for a bachelor degree, up to three years for a bachelor degree with first-class honours in STEM including ICT, up to three years for a master’s by coursework, extended or research, and up to four years for a doctoral degree.

The Post-Vocational Education Work stream normally allows a stay of up to 18 months. A listed period is a maximum rather than a promise of a particular migration outcome. The visa begins on the grant date, time spent outside Australia does not extend it, and eligibility still depends on meeting every applicable criterion.

• Bachelor degree, including honours: up to 2 years.
• Bachelor degree with first-class honours in STEM, including ICT: up to 3 years.
• Master’s by coursework, extended or research: up to 3 years.
• Doctoral degree: up to 4 years.
• Eligible diploma, trade or other Post-Vocational qualification: usually up to 18 months.

The Australian study requirement: 92 weeks and 16 months

The study requirement is not simply “two calendar years at university.” Home Affairs defines two academic years as 92 weeks of registered study contributing to one or more acceptable qualifications. The study must result in an eligible qualification, be completed in Australia in no less than 16 calendar months, be taught in English, be registered on CRICOS and be undertaken while the student held a visa authorising study.

Course credits and recognised prior learning can reduce the counted study. A student can combine qualifications in some cases, but cannot count overlapping periods twice. English-language proficiency courses and enabling programmes do not satisfy the requirement. Completion is measured when the institution first confirms in writing that the academic requirements have been met—not the later graduation-ceremony date.

Apply within six months of course completion

The qualification used for the 485 application must have been completed in the six months immediately before the application. The primary applicant must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance, when applying. They must generally hold an eligible Student visa or have held one in the previous six months while now holding an eligible bridging or substantive visa.

Do not count six months from the graduation ceremony. Use the written course-completion date provided by the institution and prepare the application early. Home Affairs says late applications cannot be accepted, and applications are received according to Australian Eastern time, including daylight-saving time when applicable.

English scores for tests taken from 7 August 2025

Unless an exemption applies, the required English evidence must come from a qualifying test taken in the 12 months immediately before the application. For tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, the current IELTS Academic or General Training benchmark is an overall 6.5 with at least 5.5 in listening, reading, writing and speaking. The current PTE Academic benchmark is 55 overall, with at least 40 in listening, 42 in reading, 41 in writing and 39 in speaking.

Home Affairs also publishes scores for CELPIP General, LANGUAGECERT Academic, MET, OET and TOEFL iBT. For TOEFL, applicants taking a current test must select the Australian visa pathway when registering. Completely online or at-home tests are not accepted for Australian visa purposes. Older tests taken on or before 6 August 2025 have a separate score table and transitional validity rules, so match the official table to the actual test date.

Documents that must be ready at lodgement

A strong application starts before final results are released because several items have timing rules. Home Affairs instructs applicants to attach evidence of successful course completion, the required English evidence, adequate health insurance for every applicant and evidence that applicants aged 16 or over have applied for an Australian Federal Police check.

For the AFP requirement, the accepted check is the complete disclosure National Police Certificate for Immigration/Citizenship—Australia Name Check Only. The application for that check must fall within the 12 months ending the day before the visa application; applying for it on the same day is not sufficient. Post-Vocational applicants must also attach the relevant skills-assessment evidence.

• Current passport identity pages and any name-change evidence.
• Provider completion letter showing course dates, completion date, campus, study load, teaching language and any distance learning.
• Certified academic transcripts and clear evidence for any credits being relied on.
• Qualifying English result from within the applicable 12-month window.
• Evidence of adequate health insurance for every applicant.
• AFP check application evidence for each applicant aged 16 or over, using the correct purpose and timing.
• Skills-assessment evidence and nominated occupation for the Post-Vocational stream.
• Partner, child, identity, relationship and character documents when family members apply.

Application fee and online process in 2026

On the review date, Home Affairs lists the Post-Higher Education Work stream cost from AUD 5,750, with limited concessions for specified applicants. Additional applicants, medicals, police certificates, English tests, skills assessments and payment surcharges can increase the total. Visa charges can change, so use the official pricing estimator immediately before paying rather than relying on an old screenshot or quotation.

The application is normally lodged online through ImmiAccount. Choose the stream carefully, upload the evidence required at submission and pay the correct charge. Home Affairs can decide the application on the information provided, and a missing time-of-application document can be more serious than an ordinary request for further information.

Can a regional graduate get a second 485 visa?

A graduate may be eligible for the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream after studying at an Australian institution in a designated regional area and then living only in a designated regional area for at least two years immediately before applying. Any work or study undertaken while holding the first qualifying graduate visa must also have been in the designated regional area. The second visa can allow one or two additional years depending on the locations and the rules met.

This is not an automatic extension. The applicant must satisfy the separate stream requirements, including the applicable age rule and regional residence history. Check the current designated-area classifications and the dedicated Home Affairs page before making location or employment decisions.

Work rights, travel and family members

A granted subclass 485 visa allows the holder to live, study and work in Australia temporarily, but it does not provide a job, professional registration or permanent residence. Check the visa grant letter and VEVO for the conditions attached to the individual visa. Australian workplace law protects visa holders, and employers cannot lawfully cancel a visa.

The visa has multiple-entry travel while valid, but time outside Australia does not pause or extend the stay period. Eligible family members can be included or may apply later as subsequent entrants, subject to their own documents, charges, health, character and insurance requirements.

Common subclass 485 mistakes to avoid

• Assuming every Australian course automatically creates 485 eligibility.
• Choosing the Post-Higher Education stream for a diploma or the Post-Vocational stream for a degree.
• Counting the six-month window from graduation day instead of the written completion date.
• Overlooking the 35-or-under rule until after completing a coursework degree.
• Using an English test that is too old, taken at home or below a required component score.
• Applying for the AFP check on the same day as the visa application or selecting the wrong certificate type.
• Failing to document credits, distance learning, campus location or the full 92-week and 16-month study history.
• Expecting the former two-year select-degree extension, which ended in 2024.
• Treating the maximum stay period as a guarantee of permanent residence or employment.

Your graduation-to-485 planning timeline

Before the final semester, confirm the CRICOS duration, physical study period, correct stream, age position and expected course-completion date. Book the right English test early enough to receive a result and, if using the Post-Vocational stream, start the skills-assessment process with the correct assessing authority.

Once the institution confirms completion, collect the completion letter and final transcript, arrange the correctly timed AFP check, put compliant health insurance in place and assemble the ImmiAccount file. This guide was reviewed on 11 October 2026. Recheck every live Home Affairs page, the fee estimator and your individual visa conditions before lodging.