The Graduate Visa Subclass 485 is a temporary visa that allows certain international students to stay in Australia after they graduate, with full work permission. A lot of people think that this visa is only available for people who finish a Higher Education course, but actually this is not true!
First, it’s important to understand that there are two streams for the Graduate Visa and each one of them has different requirements.
Post-Study Work Rights Stream
The Post-Study Work Rights is indeed exclusive for graduates who have completed a higher education course in Australia. A Higher Education course is a Bachelor Degree, a Master Degree or a PhD. This stream requires the study to have been for at least 2 years. It doesn’t matter what field of study or occupation you are studying in.
Once granted under this stream, the Graduate Visa will be valid for 2 years and it has unrestricted work rights.
Graduate Work Stream
This stream requires students to also complete a minimum 2 years of studies in Australia, but here a Diploma or Trade Certificate would also be acceptable, not only Higher Education courses as in the Post-Study Work Rights Stream.
But, the most important point here is that only graduates who can nominate an occupation in demand can apply for this visa. Occupations in demand are those featured in the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (the MLTSSL). Not only that, but graduates must also be able to obtain a positive Skills Assessment in that occupation.
Some occupations include:
– Management Consultant
– Chef
– Child Care Centre Manager
– Carpenter
– IT Programmer/Developer/Network
– Accountant
– Engineers
– Nurses
– Secondary Teachers
This sometimes mean that we will have to use work experience or qualifications obtained in your home country, in case the ones from Australia might not be enough.
Once granted under this stream, the Graduate Visa will be valid for 18 months and it has unrestricted work rights.
Advantages of studying in Regional Areas
Graduates who complete their courses in Regional Areas (the whole country, except from Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane) may have advantages over graduates from large cities.
If you complete a 2-year Higher-Education course (a Bachelor, a Master or a PhD) in a Regional Area for example, you can get a 4-year visa with full work rights, instead of a 2 -year visa if you studied in the three big cities mentioned above.
Besides that, when studying for at least 2 years and completing a minimum Diploma course, you will be able to claim 5 extra points if you are applying for any of the Points-Tested visas – the Subclass 189, the Subclass 190 and the Subclass 491.
Our favourite regional areas to study at, not only because of advantages such as getting a longer Graduate Visa and extra points, but because these regions may offer pathways for nomination for a skilled permanent or temporary visa are:
- Northern Territory
- South Australia
- Tasmania
- Regional NSW (all the state excluding Sydney)
If you intend to apply for a Graduate Visa in Australia, it is crucial to understand the requirements and design a solid strategy with a Migration Agent even before enrolling for a course.
Here at Bravo we have Educational Consultants that works in conjunction with our experienced Registered Migration Agents to help you in this path. So Please contact us to check if you qualify, we offer a FREE ASSESSMENT to help you understand your possibilities!
