Know The Requirements For A Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485

Requirements For Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485

Have you an international student who just completed a course in an Australian learning institution and you wish to stay longer in the country to study some more? Then, what you need is the Temporary Graduate Visa 485. More known as the Graduate Visa 485, this visa type is designed for international students like you who have completed a college program in the country. With this, you are allowed to study, work and stay in Australia temporarily after you graduate from the course. You can only get the Subclass 485 Australia once and just as the principal applicant.

Essential Facts About The Temporary Graduate Visa 485

The Temporary Graduate Visa 485 has three streams – the Post-Study Work Stream, which will allow you to stay in Australia from 2 to 4 years(depending on your qualification), and the Graduate Work Stream, which lets you stay in the country for 18 months and second post-study work stream, which will allow you to stay between 1 to 2 years. You can apply for this visa type if you are below 50 years of age. Also, you must obtain an eligible visa, and you must have the most recent qualification in a CRICOS-registered program. Eligibility must be related to a job that is listed as Graduate Work stream in a skilled occupation list. You must also have acquired the Post-Study Work stream.

The Visa Subclass 485 is designed to let an individual obtain work experience in his/her area of study. Similarly, the same visa will let you stay in Australia for a particular time in order to study for endless hours, and travel within and outside of Australia several times. As mentioned, under the Graduate Work Stream, with this visa type, you can stay in the said country for 18 months longer. And, for the Post-Study Work Stream, you are allowed to remain in Australia for two to four years more, provided that you have the said visa.

The Visa 485 Requirements To Meet And Get

Aside from those mentioned above, the fees and single visa, you should also consider health condition as another essential requirement to meet as an international student to get the visa. The medical examinations you need to attend depending on your circumstances like your citizenship, length of stay outside Australia for the past five years, and the activities you intend to engage in while in Australia. Typically, the health test results have 12 months validity. If government authority ask you to sign a health undertaking then they are valid for 6 months. This applies to you if you are an international student and a family member included in your application. It is essential to have a 485 Visa checklist to ensure you are meeting all the requirements to be given the visa.

Temporary Graduate Visa subclass 485 English Requirement

To apply for the Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485), applicants must demonstrate English proficiency through an approved language test such as IELTS, PTE Academic, OET, TOEFL iBT, or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE). The test results must be obtained within the last 12 months before applying.

Citizens from the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, or Ireland are exempt from submitting an English test result.

English Language Test Requirements

Test

Overall Score

Minimum Score in Each Component

IELTS (Academic or General)

6.5

5.5

PTE Academic

Minimum of 50 in each component (some sources note: Listening 43, Reading 48, Writing 51, Speaking 42)

OET

N/A

Grade “B” in each component

TOEFL iBT

Listening 7, Reading 8, Writing 18, Speaking 16

Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)

176

162 in each component

PTE Requirement for 485 Visa 2025

For the Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) in 2025, applicants must achieve a minimum PTE Academic overall score of 55, with individual component scores of 40 in Listening, 42 in Reading, 41 in Writing, and 39 in Speaking. These updated English language requirements apply to tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, reflecting slightly reduced minimum scores in some components compared to previous standards.

Updated PTE Academic score requirements (from 7 August 2025):

Skill	Minimum Score

Overall:	55
Listening:	40
Reading:	42
Writing:	41
Speaking:	39

Key notes:

If your PTE test was taken before 7 August 2025, your results may still satisfy the “competent English” requirement for certain visas.
Applicants with passports from Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, the UK, or the US are exempt from submitting English test results.

As for the fees, the Graduate Work Stream and Post-Study Work Stream costs AUD 1,680 and the Second-Post Study Work Stream costs AUD 660. The 485 Visa Processing Time may varies according to the stream you are applying for. For the Graduate Work Stream, the application process takes up to 10 to 12 months. The Post-Study Work Stream may need up to 8 to 11 months to process and for the Second-Post Study Work Stream their is no processing time available. Aside from the processing time, other factors you should consider is the skill assessment to get the visa. Say, you are applying for the Graduate Work Stream, you need to acquire a positive result on your skill assessment. You may choose from the temporary graduate visa 485 skill assessments for various fields in engineers, tradesmen, nurses, IT professionals and teachers, among others. Finally, you’ll know if it is the right time to apply for this visa if you have already been lodged within six months of your course completion and if you are seeking application before your student visa expires. You can contact Migration Agent Adelaide at ISA Migrations and Education Consultants.

FAQ

Can I apply for a 485 visa without PTE?

You cannot lodge a Subclass 485 visa application without providing a valid PTE score or another approved English language test result. To meet the eligibility criteria, you must demonstrate your English proficiency through an accepted test such as PTE Academic, IELTS, TOEFL iBT, or OET. The test result must be current and valid when you submit your application. Failing to include proof of English competency will result in your 485 visa application being refused.