The short answer: the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) lets recent international graduates live and work in Australia after their studies. It comes in three streams with different durations depending on your qualification level, and you generally need to be 35 or under when you apply.

The three streams

Per Study Australia's official guidance, the 485 visa has three streams:

  • Post-Vocational Education Work: for associate degrees, diplomas, and trade qualifications. Grants up to 18 months (5 years for eligible Hong Kong and British National Overseas passport holders).
  • Post-Higher Education Work: for degree-level qualifications and higher (bachelor's, master's, PhD). Usually 2 to 3 years, depending on your qualification (5 years for eligible HK/BNO passport holders).
  • Second Post-Higher Education Work: for eligible regional graduates applying for a further period. Between 1 and 2 years, depending on the institution's location and where you're applying from.

Eligibility, in plain terms

To apply, you generally need to:

  • Be 35 years or under at the time of application (exceptions apply in some circumstances)
  • Hold an eligible visa
  • Have held a student visa within the last 6 months
  • Hold a recent CRICOS-registered qualification (i.e., from a course registered on Australia's official register for courses for overseas students)

The practical takeaway: this isn't something to leave until years after you finish, the recency requirements mean your window to apply opens and closes close to your course completion.

This is general information, not immigration advice. Which stream applies to you, and exactly how long your visa will run, depends on your specific qualification and institution. Confirm directly with your institution's international office or a registered migration agent before you plan around a specific duration.

Study Australia (Australian Government): Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485)

Turning the visa into an actual job

A 485 visa gives you the right to work, it doesn't hand you an offer. If you're a graduate in Sydney or Melbourne working against a 2-3 year window, the clock on converting that visa into a real career runs the same way OPT does for US-bound candidates: the earlier you get serious about the job search, the more of that window you get to actually use.