Changes in the requirements of the Australian Temporary Graduate (485 visa)

The Australian Government has removed the requirement to provide a Skills assessment and the need to nominate an occupation that features on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List when applying for the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa in the Graduate Work Stream.

This is a result of the pandemic situation and the huge skills shortages faced by the Australian industry, the Australian Government has implemented a plan to ease some requirements and make the Temporary Graduate Visa more accessible to international students in Australia.

At the same time, these changes positively impact thousands of students who are currently studying at a Vocational Education and Training (VET) level.

What is a Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)?

Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) is a temporary visa that allows international students to live, study and work after they have finished their studies. This visa is a highly sought-after visa by international students studying and working in Australia.

There are two streams of Temporary Graduate Visa, which are :

Graduate Work Stream

This visa is for international students who have recently graduated with skills and qualifications that are relevant to specific occupations in Australia.

Post–Study Work Stream

This visa is for international students who have recently graduated with a degree from an Australian institution.

Presently, applicants for the Graduate Work stream need to:

– nominate an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List;

– have a degree, diploma or trade qualification closely related to that occupation; and

– be assessed by a relevant assessing authority as having skills suitable for that occupation.

What has happened?

On the 24th of June 2022, the Government amended legislation to temporarily remove the requirements for applicants for a Subclass 485 (Temporary Graduate) visa in the Graduate Work stream to nominate an eligible skilled occupation and to obtain an assessment of the applicant’s skills in relation to the occupation.

International students are now eligible to apply for the ‘Temporary Graduate’ visa with any 2-year vocational  course which includes AQF Certificate III, IV, Diploma and Advanced Diploma.

The combination of course(s) no longer needs to be  “closely related” to an occupation on the Medium-term list. Moreover, to be eligible for the Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485), international students will no longer need to present a skills assessment and nominate an occupation from the Medium-term list.

What does it mean?

Any International student who meets the Australian Study Requirement through their vocational study now has access to a 2-year Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa in the Graduate Work Stream.

International students can apply from 1 July 2022 up until 30 June 2023.

Let’s take a close look at the key requirements of the Temporary Graduate subclass 485 visa in the Graduate Work Stream and the ‘Australian Study

Requirements: 

• The course (or combination of courses) must total duration of at least 92 weeks
• the course or courses must have been conducted entirely in English
• the course or courses must have been completed and a completion letter must be obtained for each course.
• the last course of study must not have been completed more than 6 months in the past (look at the current date on the COE).
• The course or courses must have been completed whilst being a holder of a Student Visa (Subclass 500).
• English language courses do not count (ELICOS).
• These changes have been implemented for the new financial year of 2022-2023 and will come into effect on the 1st of July 2022.

In addition, the stay period on the Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa Graduate Work stream will increase from 18 to 24 months.

These changes are welcome by the VET graduates who are not eligible for a skilled occupation and can now benefit the Australian economy with the 24-month Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa Graduate Work stream.

Key Takeaway

The relaxation of requirements encourages more international VET graduates to stay and work in Australia for a longer period. It will also open up the visa stream to a broader range of graduates with diplomas and trade qualifications that are not closely related to occupations on the skilled occupation list. If the time on a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa is utilized correctly, It presents a golden opportunity to help international students improve their chances of eligibility to apply for a permanent resident visa in Australia.

BOOK A CONSULTATION

If you want to make a good decision and take great advantage of this massive opportunity.

We’re offering a $50 private consultation.

With the help of our Registered Migration Agent, you can get more information, assess your eligibility and plan the next steps of your future visa.

Bill Mitroulas

Head of Migration at Questra Immigration. Managing and overseeing the growth and performance of Questra’s team of migration agents, while maintaining a client-centric and quality-driven approach. A registered migration agent since 2015 and a member of the Migration Institute of Australia, with over 15 years’ experience in international education and 11 years in Australian Migration law.