Have you recently finished your graduation from an Australian institute and now do not want to return to another country with your Australian qualification? It is a natural incident that happens with most international students who come to study in Australia, achieve effective Australian scholarships, enjoy their university lives to the fullest at the beautiful campuses, and get wholly involved in exciting assignments and projects. So, you are no exception here and thus can easily fulfil your dreams to stay in Australia for a few more years and maybe, forever. Only, you need to know the exact procedure and how you should progress.

Have you heard about the Temporary Graduate Visa 485? To be precise, this visa is the stepping stone for the fulfilment of your dreams. This write-up will give you the necessary guidance about the mandatory documents and the eligibility requirements you will need for the application.

The Very First Step To Check Your Eligibility

As this is a second-stage visa, you must have an eligible visa at the time of your application. That is the first condition you must satisfy to apply for this Temporary Graduate Visa Subclass 485. So, within six months after completing your graduation on a valid Australian student visa (most likely, the Student Visa Subclass 500), you should apply for the Temporary Visa. The application is also allowed if you are on any relevant Bridging Visa (Bridging Visa A, B, or C).

However, regarding your current visa, you have to keep in mind two crucial factors.

● There should be no NFS or ‘No Further Stay’ condition attached to your visa. Such a condition will make you ineligible to apply for any other visa from inside Australia. In that case, you will need to leave Australia and then make the application.

● You should be present in Australia at the time of your application for the 485 Visa. For this specific visa, the offshore application is not valid.

What Are The Other Eligibility Requirements For This Visa?

The other 485 Visa requirements will include the following.
● Age Requirement
If you want to make your Temporary Visa 485 application successful, your age should not cross 50 years.
● Study Requirements

The specific study requirements for the 485 Visa are as follows.

1. The completed course should be registered on the CRICOS. CRICOS stands for the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students. It includes a list of courses and institutions granted permission by territorial and state governments to provide education to international students.
2. The course should have been taught in English.
3. The course should have covered at least 92 weeks or 16 months. In short, you must have attended a 2-year academic course.
   ● Character requirement: the visa applicants should undertake an Australian Federal Police check. The certificate issued by the AFP will act as the character requirement document. The certificate remains valid for just one year, and thus, you should apply for the visa within that period.
   ● Health Requirements
   Both the applicant and the dependents (if included) should go through compulsory health examinations and should meet the essential health standards.
   ● Health Insurance Requirements
   Having a health insurance cover is mandatory for any visa application. Both the primary and secondary applicants should have adequate health cover while applying. This health insurance will cover all the medical expenses during your stay in this country. The health insurance provider may be based in Australia or your home country. And when you apply for the visa, you should make sure your health insurance is active.

Several important points you should never forget regarding the health insurance cover are as follows.

1. Overseas Student Health Cover or OSHC will be accepted if your Australian Student Visa is still valid.
2. But, if you are on a Visitor Visa or the Immigration Department has granted you a Bridging Visa, you will be required to have a valid Overseas Visitor Health Cover or OVHC for the application.
3. Generally, what happens is that you can apply with your OSHC if you still have your Student Visa active. And as the visa application procedure progresses, you will need to have OVHC as your student visa will likely expire by then.
   ● Debt-Free Status
   As a visa applicant, you need to be free of any debts. It means neither you nor the dependents should have any outstanding debts to the Government of Australia.
   ● English Language Requirements
   As English is the primary working language in Australia, you will be required to prove that you possess at least a minimum English language level, including skills in listening, reading, writing, and speaking. You can take any English test that is internationally recognized, as these tests are based on these four skills. Results are accepted for IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, CAE, and OET. Note that these tests usually vary from 2 to 3 years from the date of publication of results.

However, if you are from any English-speaking country like Canada, the USA, UK, New Zealand, or Ireland, you will be exempted from this requirement.
What Are The Mandatory Documents You Will Need For The Application?
Here we provide a detailed and updated 485 Visa checklist of the documents you will need for your application. You must keep this paperwork ready before beginning the process.

● A valid passport
● Passport size photographs
● Documents on relationship and family
● Duly signed health insurance
● Clearance certificate issued by the AFP
● Final results of your graduation
● Properly attested course transcript copies
● Result of English language proficiency test
● Skills Assessment documents

The last-mentioned document is particularly required if you apply in the Graduate Work Stream. Your document should mention that your skills have been assessed by the concerned authority and found eligible for the occupation you have been nominated for.
Why Should You Need A Temporary Graduate Visa?
This visa will let you live and work in Australia for 18 months to 4 years, depending on the visa stream you apply in. There are two streams under this visa that we discuss here. You can select your visa stream according to your obtained qualification.

● Graduate Work Stream
You can live and do a job in Australia for 18 months on this visa. You should have completed two academic years in a full-time course at an Australian institute to be eligible for this visa. Also, you should nominate a skilled occupation that is listed on the relevant list of skilled occupations.

● Post-Study Work Stream
The staying and working period under this visa will be 2 to 4 years, based on the degree of qualification. Thus, you should have obtained a Bachelors, Masters, or Doctorate from an Australian university.

The 485 Visa processing time is pretty the same for both streams. It generally takes 9 to 10 months.

Who Can Help You?

For a better outcome and smoother application process, you may hire a registered migration agent perth. They have been handling numerous such cases from the start of their career and can easily understand what you require. An experienced immigration agent from Perth can also contact the Department on your behalf to know the progress.