With graduation season approaching and recent changes to the 485 Temporary Graduate Visa, many students have been reaching out to us with questions about the 485 visa.
As a professional agency, AAS has helped over 400 graduates with their visa applications in the past year alone. In recent years, we’ve assisted over 2,000 applicants in getting their visas granted. In this article, we’ll share some of our experiences and the latest visa requirements to help your application process go smoothly.
1. 35 Years Old Age Limit
The maximum eligible age for 485 visa applicants will be reduced to 35 years or younger at the time of application. However, graduates with a Master’s (research) or doctoral degree (PhD), as well as holders of Hong Kong and British National Overseas passports, will remain eligible if they are under 50 years old.
2. New English Requirement
Starting from March 23rd, 2024, the validity period for English test scores required for the 485 visa application has been shortened from three years to one year. Students graduating mid-year will be the first to be affected by this change.
Most mid-year graduates will need to submit their visa applications between mid-July and the end of August. If your last English test was taken before mid-2023, remember to retake the IELTS or PTE in the coming months.
The score requirements have also been raised: you now need an overall score of 6.5 on the English test, with no individual band score lower than 5.5.
If you have questions about the English requirements for the visa application, you can WhatsApp AAS.
3. Meets the Australia Study Requirement (ASR)
The Australian Study Requirement (ASR) is a rather complex regulation, and we recommend referring to the government website for detailed information. Simply put, factors such as a course’s CRICOS registration, duration of study, length of stay in Australia, and whether credits have been transferred can all potentially affect the ASR. Applications that do not meet the ASR will be rejected.
It’s important to note that the content on the Immigration Department’s website serves as an outline of visa application requirements, not specific legal provisions. If you have doubts about whether your enrolled course meets the ASR, it is necessary to compare it with specific legal articles for a proper assessment. In recent years, the government has made some minor adjustments to the ASR requirements. Each application needs to be carefully compared and verified for eligibility.
4. Different Visa Streams
The 485 visa has two main streams: the Post-Study Work Stream and the Graduate Work Stream, which will be renamed to the Post-Higher Education Work Stream and Post-Vocational Education Work Stream from 1st July 2024. The Post-Study Work Stream currently offers extensions for selected degrees, but this extension policy will be cancelled in 2024. Additionally, there are two other streams: the Replacement Stream and the Second PSW Stream.
These different streams cater to applicants in various situations, and applying for the wrong 485 stream can result in refusal. We’ve encountered individuals who applied for a visa on their own and only realised later that they chose the wrong stream. By the time they noticed, they had already missed the 6-month application deadline and couldn’t submit another application with their completed qualification (they would need to study again to be eligible to reapply).
5. Timing and Location
The visa application requirements stipulate that you must submit your application within 6 months of the official course completion date. Even being a day early or late is not compliant. We’ve seen applicants submit their applications too early, before graduation, resulting in refusal and wasted application fees.
Additionally, you must be in Australia when submitting your application. We’ve encountered cases where applicants submitted their 485 visa applications from overseas or right before boarding a flight, leading to invalidation of their applications. This mistake can result in a visa overstay record.
Currently, the 485 visa application processing time is approximately 1-4 months, with GWS applications taking even longer. If you plan to leave Australia for a family visit or vacation, be mindful of the timing of your application submission and understand the rights of different bridging visa categories regarding entry and exit from Australia. We’ll share more details about bridging visas soon.
6. Document Required
Apart from the application requirements, the 485 visa application itself requires lots of different documents (according to the Visa Application Document Checklist provided by AAS), and some documents may have specific requirements. Among them, Australian Federal Police (AFP) check is the most prone to errors, as there are about 30 different categories on the AFP website, but only one of them satisfies the 485 visa application conditions.
Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) is another document that is prone to errors. Previously, there have been cases where applicants were refused due to insufficient and/or incorrect coverage periods of OVHC insurance. Some applicants have also unfortunately been deceived into purchasing fake OVHC, which affected their visa application. Some applications may receive requests for additional documents from the Immigration Department in the form of a s56 email, and it’s important to respond within 28 days.
Applying for a 485 visa may appear straightforward, but there are numerous potential pitfalls to navigate. It’s crucial for everyone to proceed with caution. We hope the above information is helpful for those of you who are planning to apply for the visa. If you need further assistance with visa application process, please don’t hesitate to contact us on WhatsApp.
Our 485 Visa Service Fee includes:
- Check the eligibility for applicant (and subsequent if needed);
- Collect documents and ensure they are submitted with the right format;
- Apply for the police check and guide for other countries’ police check (if requested);
- Arrange for the OVHC;
- Verify, fill out the information and submit the visa;
- Follow-up on the visa medical examinations and any further requirements from the Immigration Department until the visa is granted.
Feel free to contact us if you are seeking professional assistance.