What are the Temporary Graduate - 485 visa requirements?

Amasha
January 12, 2024
4 min read
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The streams available for this visa

The Temporary Graduate Visa SC 485 has 4 streams from which you can apply through. They are:

  1. Post-Vocational Education Work stream

  2. Post-Higher Education Work

  3. Second Post-Higher Education Work

It’s important that you select the correct stream depending on your circumstances for a successful visa outcome.

Requirements for specific streams

In addition to the general eligibility criteria, there are specific requirements to be fulfilled for the respective streams.

  • Post-Vocational Education Work stream

    • Be under 35 years of age or can be under 50 years of age if you hold a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport.

    • Have at least a diploma or a trade qualification

    • Nominate an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL)

    • Have a positive skill assessment

  • Post-Higher Education Work stream 

    • Be under 35 years of age or can be above 50 years if you have a Masters (research) or Doctoral Degree (PhD) or hold a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport.

    • Have a bachelors, masters or doctoral qualification

  • Second Post-Higher Education Work stream 

    • Be under 35 years of age or can be above 50 years if you have a Masters (research) or Doctoral Degree (PhD) for the grant of your first SC 485 visa or hold a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport.

    • Have a bachelors, masters or doctoral qualification

    • Have studied at an education provider that is in a designated regional area.

    • Must have studied, lived and worked in regional area for at least 2 years

What is the Australian Study requirement?

Fulfilling the Australian Study requirement means meeting the criteria set out by the department. You must essentially:

  • Have a degree, diploma or a trade qualification

  • Have a CRICOS-registered course

  • Have successfully completed all course requirements

  • Course be taught in English

  • The course must be for at least two academic years (92) weeks

  • Complete the course in Australia in not less than 16 calendar months

  • Have held an Australian visa that allows to study.

What are the designated regional areas in Australia in relation to the SC 485 visa?

For migration purposes, the majority of Australia's areas outside of the country's three largest cities; Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane are categorized as designated regional areas. There are two categories of regional areas Category 2 and Category 3.

Category 2 have ‘Cities and Major Regional Centres’ of Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Canberra, Newcastle/Lake Macquarie, Wollongong/Illawarra, Geelong and Hobart.

Anyone who belong to the Category 2 will enjoy benefits of priority processing of their visas, access to regional occupation list and get an extra year a on a post-study work visa if you have a degree.

Category 3 have ‘Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas’ with dedicated 11,200 regional places. The post codes can be accessed here.

Individuals who belong to Category 3 will enjoy the benefits same as individuals in Category 2. They will have additional benefits like an extra 2 year on a post-study work visa if you have a degree and have priority in negotiating region-specific Designated Area Migration Agreements (DAMAs).

What are the required documents?

  • Identity documents

  • Academic documents

    • Transcripts

    • Completion letter from the Australian education institution

  • English language proficiency documents

    • IELTS/PTE/TOEFL etc

  • Health insurance documents

    • Overseas Visitor Health Cover

    • Medicare card or proof of your enrolment with Medicare

  • Skill Assessment documents

  • Character documents

    • Police certificates from each country you've resided in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years.

    • Police certificate from AFP

    • Form 80 Personal particulars for character assessment

    • Form 1221 additional personal particulars information

  • Family documents

    • Marriage certificate or de facto registration certificate

    • Passports of your spouse/de factor partner and children

    • Birth certificates of your children

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Thanushi Ranasinghe

Thanushi Ranasinghe

Highly recommend Keith and his team. When we were in a doubtful and stressful situation with our visa, Keith gave us a clear pathway and helped us understand what to do next. Even during uncertain times, he handled everything very professionally and calmly. Thamasha always explains everything in detail and makes sure we understand the process clearly. Also, whenever I call the office, whoever answers the phone is always very friendly and helpful. I can’t thank Keith and his team enough for their support. Special thanks to Keith for being so friendly and for the way he handled our different visa matters. We truly appreciate all the help. Thank you very much❤️

a month ago

Ranil Senavirathna

Ranil Senavirathna

My 485 visa was granted thanks to the amazing team at MJ Legal! Special thanks to Keith James and Thamasha, but the whole staff was fantastic and always kept me updated. Highly recommend their services!

a month ago

Chathurya Herath

Chathurya Herath

I had an excellent experience with MJ Legal Services. They assisted me with my Temporary Graduate (485) visa and other legal matters, and everything was handled professionally, clearly, and on time. Their team was supportive, knowledgeable, and always responsive. I highly recommend MJ Legal Services to anyone needing reliable legal and migration support. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

2 months ago

Chandrasiri Wanigapura

Chandrasiri Wanigapura

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to MJ Legal and its team particularly Keith James and Thamasha for their exceptional assistance in securing my employer-sponsored visa. I was faced with a very tight deadline. Through the remarkable professionalism, expertise, and commitment of Keith James and Thamasha, my visa was granted well ahead of schedule. Throughout the entire process, the MJ Legal team demonstrated an exemplary level of professionalism, efficiency, and responsiveness. Their advice was consistently precise, timely, and pragmatic, and their attention to detail ensured a seamless experience. What could have been a highly stressful and uncertain process was made significantly easier for me by their clear communication and dedication. I would highly recommend MJ Legal to anyone seeking reliable, knowledgeable, and results-driven immigration support. Their service truly sets the standard for excellence in this field.

6 months ago

Uththara Deshamani

Uththara Deshamani

I’m incredibly grateful to team of MJ Legal for their outstanding support in securing our Employer Sponsored (SC 482) visa. We were under a very limited timeframe, and at one point, we genuinely thought it would be impossible to get everything done in time. But thanks to the dedication and expertise of Mr. Jayantha, Keith, and Thamasha, our visa was granted successfully — well before the deadline! The team was highly professional, responsive, and supportive throughout the entire process. They guided us clearly through each step, ensuring everything was completed accurately and efficiently. Their attention to detail and commitment made a stressful situation so much more manageable. I highly recommend MJ Legal to anyone needing trustworthy and experienced immigration assistance. Thank you once again for your excellent service — we truly appreciate your help and look forward to working with you again in the future

6 months ago

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