News for recent graduates – what you need to know

The subclass 485 Temporary Graduate Visa is for students who are completing their studies in Australia.

Once upon a time the SC485 had only one stream.

Any student completing two years of studies (92 weeks) that will award a degree, diploma or trade qualification within the last six months was eligible for an eighteen month visa. The visa applicant had to nominate an occupation on the relevant occupation list and then obtain a positive skills assessment for the SC485 visa purpose.

In 2013 March, the government introduced a two stream SC 485 visa which comprises of:

1. Graduate Work Stream; and
2. Post-Study Work Stream

GRADUATE WORK STREAM

This stream is parallel with the initially introduced SC485 visa.

POST-STUDY WORK STREAM

The important differences in this stream is that the applicant:

1. Is required to have applied for their first student visa after 5 November, 2011;
2. Does not have to nominate an occupation;
3. Does not have to obtain a skills assessment from an assessment body; and
4. Leads to the grant of a SC485 visa that will either have two years (for bachelor or Master by course work qualification), three years (Master qualification in research) or four years (Doctoral qualification) depending on the studies completed in Australia;
5. In addition to satisfying the two year Australian study requirement, the applicant needs to have completed one of the following qualifications:
   1. Bachelor Degree;
   2. Bachelor (Honors) Degree;
   3. Masters by Coursework Degree;
   4. Masters (Extended) Degree and/or;
   5. Doctoral Degree.

It is important that the applicant’s qualification must have been completed as a result of undertaking study at Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) level 7 or above.

Before you apply: Talk to AR LAW Services.

So if you or anyone you know is an international student either a recent graduate or finishing soon and is thinking of applying or currently has an 485 visa pending or a 485 visa refused talk to us

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Call 03 9614 0218 or email info@arlaw.com.au to make an initial 30 Minute consultation at our Melbourne office. (conditions apply)

For more go to www.arlaw.com.au

Note: this update, or any previous updates on this page, do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Please call our office to seek professional advice before acting or relying on any of the content on this page