Latest Changes Implied On Temporary Graduate Visa 485 – Everything You Need To Know

Have you completed your studies in Australia? Now, what’s next? As of now, you must have fallen in love with the country because of its excellent environment of study and dynamic working atmosphere, where you can have a flurry of opportunities. You seem to be planning to stay forever. For that, you will need a permanent residency visa. And a temporary graduate visa 485 can act as a bridge to reach your goal. But, with current situations, visa requirements and conditions also change. So, we recommend keeping a consistent check on the visa website. In the upcoming sections, we will discuss the latest changes that are made on visa 485.
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What Is Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485?

According to published reports and research, most international students have developed such likeness for the country that they eye on living permanently in Australia after their graduate studies. They want to pursue higher education, which leads them to apply for a skilled migration visa. But in reality, it turns out to be pretty tough for most of the students to bear the costs of further study or application for a skilled migration visa immediately after graduation ends.

Do you belong to any of the categories mentioned above? If so, then you must go for this graduate visa 485. The visa is temporary and will provide you with enough breathing space and time, during which you can get to learn specific occupational skills or find a suitable job. You can temporarily live, continue your study and do any job with this visa. Learning occupational skills will make you eligible to apply for a skilled migration visa, and getting a job will make you self-sustainable.

Streams That Graduate Visa 485 Have

There are two available streams of temporary graduate visa 485. All the streams have specific requirements, which you must meet to be eligible.

1. Graduate work stream: Did you complete at least 2 years of diploma or an advanced diploma course relevant to any occupation on the Skilled Occupation List of the Australian government? If so, then you are eligible to apply for this stream. You can stay back for 18 months in Australia with this stream. There are some specific requirements to meet for this stream, and those include skills assessment for the nominated occupation, English test result and application within a specified timeframe.
2. Post-study work stream: If you’re an international student and have completed a degree course like Bachelor or Masters or PhD, for 2 years here too, then you are eligible for this stream. Keep in mind that the course you have taken must have been registered in the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. A Post-study visa will let you stay back in Australia for a period of 2 to 4 years (24 to 48 months). You will not require to sit in the skills assessment for the nominated occupation, but you have to submit an English test result and apply for the stream within a limited timeframe.

Here we present some crucial factors that you should note down. You can apply for both streams only when you are inside Australia with a valid visa. But now, due to the fear of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Australian authority had implied some exceptions. Did you previously hold visa 485 in the graduate work stream? If yes, then you cannot be granted again.
Must Read: What Is The English Requirement For Visa 485

The same applies if you once had a second visa subclass 485 or visa 476 as a primary holder. The good thing about this visa is that you can include your family members in the application. They can join you on the same date from when your visa will get valid or a later date. Last but not least, if you’re a passport holder from Hong Kong, you can live for a maximum period of 5 years in Australia, as per the current rules by the government. This rule applies to both streams.

Latest Changes Implied On Temporary Graduate Visa 485

The Department of Home Affairs has made some recent modifications on 485 visa to provide a sense of relief to foreign students affected due to COVID -19 pandemic. The key points are mentioned below:

• Now, the ministry has more power to specify the geographical locations in two divisions. One is, major regional centre or designated city, and another is the regional centre or other regional area. This will give students more advantages to work, study, and live in big and major cities and in regional areas.

• Suppose you have studied in the category 2 geographical region, i.e. in any regional centre or other regional area, with a first 485 temporary graduate work visa in the post-study stream. In that case, you can now access the second 485 temporary graduate visa for a validity of 2 years. Suppose you have lived in any regional area or centres for a minimum period of 2 years with the first 485 graduate visa. In that case, you can also get access to the second 485 temporary graduate visa. This amendment will allow the applicant living in a regional centre or other regional area to get the second 485 visa and allow his or her family members, too.

• Did you study with a first 485 temporary graduate visa in a designated regional area? Then you can be granted the second visa, in this case, for 1 year. But remember, this will only apply if you have studied in a city other than Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, the three high ranked cities. You can also get the visa if you have lived in areas outside these three cities for at least 2 years before applying for the second visa. And just like the second amendment, not only you but your family members can also get the same permission.

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You should look at a very crucial point here. You can move within other regional areas or designated regional areas while you have the first post-study 485 visa. But, when you will get the second post-study visa, you will not be allowed to move anymore. Furthermore, your movement on the first visa can create an impact on the eligibility required for the 2-year post-study visa. You can apply for a maximum of two post-study work visa 485’s at a time.

Choose Registered Migration Agent To Know Better

You may get confused with the requirements and the amendments. For that, you may consult migration agent at ISA Migrations & Education consultants. The person will be a registered and skilled professional, enough to guide you properly.