Australian degrees have high values around the world. So, completing graduation from an Australian institute will give you an excellent opportunity to find a suitable employment position in your home country. However, it may happen that you have fallen in love with the country’s culture and lifestyle and decide to stay back. In that case, you will need to obtain a Temporary Graduate Visa 485. This visa allows a graduate to study and work anywhere in Australia, which helps them gain valuable experience. This blog focuses on all the benefits of this visa that you must know before applying.
What benefits can you enjoy while holding the Temporary Visa Subclass 485?
Holding a Temporary Visa Subclass 485 will allow you to do multiple things in Australia.
You can stay for a maximum of 4 years in Australia
This visa is categorised into two streams. While the Graduate Work Stream lets the holder stay for 1 year and 6 months, the Post-Study Work Stream holders can stay for 2 to 4 years. For the holders of the latter stream, the stay period is determined by their academic qualifications.
If you are a Hong Kong passport holder, you can stay for a maximum of 5 years.
You can do higher studies
Doing higher studies is another key benefit offered by the Temporary Graduate Visa. If you want to apply for the Graduate Work Stream, you must hold a trade qualification or a diploma. With this stream, you can stay for up to 18 months and do higher studies related to your occupational skills.
On the other hand, you can stay for 2 to 4 years depending on what university degree you hold. This extended period can be utilised to obtain a higher degree of qualification. For example, holding a bachelor degree will help you stay for 2 years, during which you can complete your masters. Similarly, the 3 years you will get because of holding a master’s degree can be used to start postgraduate research.
You will enjoy full work rights
Holders of the Student Visa Subclass 500 are not allowed to work as full-time employees and can work for up to 20 hours every week after their course begins. They can work full-time only during holidays and semester breaks.
- On the other hand, holding the 485 Visa will allow you to work as a full-time employee. In Australia, full-time work means 35-hour work per week.
- For the Graduate Work Stream, you have to nominate an occupation listed on the skilled occupation list and complete a skills assessment.
Australian work experience will add high value to your CV and improve your chances to acquire permanent residency in Australia.
You can travel freely
The Visa 485 allows the holders to travel to another country and return to Australia as many times as they want, provided their visa stays valid.
This visa acts as a pathway to permanent residency
If you have plans to become a permanent resident of Australia, you can use your Visa Subclass 485 for that. You can explore the following visa options.
Temporary Skill Shortage Visa Subclass 482
This visa is commonly known as TSS Visa 482, and to be eligible for it, you must have at least 2 years of work experience in a related field. Using the work opportunity provided by the Temporary Graduate Visa, you can easily fulfil this requirement.
Skilled Work Visas (Skilled Independent Visa Subclass 189, State Regional Subclass 489, ad State-Sponsored Subclass 190)
These three visas are points-based permanent residency visas granted to applicants who can achieve the minimum points score. These points are awarded for various skills and qualifications, of which work experience in Australia helps an applicant achieve significant points. So, working for several years with the 485 Visa can come in handy at the time of a PR visa application.
After you graduate from an Australian institute, you can enrol in a Professional Year Program. This program will help you sharpen your professional skills and achieve 5 valuable points in the permanent residency visa application. However, to keep in mind, this program is available only to engineering, accounting, and IT graduates.
Employer-Sponsored Visa Subclass 186
As the name suggests, you must be sponsored by an Australian employer to be eligible for this visa. A 3-year work experience in a particular occupation is required. As you can stay for up to 4 years on a Post-Study Work Stream, you will automatically have the option to meet the work requirement for this visa.
Regional Sponsored Visa Subclass 187
The eligibility requirements and benefits of the 187 Visa is similar to that of the 186 Visa. However, the main difference is that the 187 Visa is granted to someone who wants to live and work in a regional area of Australia.
A Second Post-Study Work Stream Has Recently Been Launched
Recently, the Department of Home Affairs has launched a Second Post-Work Study Stream to allow holders of the first Post-Study Work Stream to stay longer. However, you can only apply for this if you have stayed, studied, and worked in regional Australia. Depending on the regional location of your educational institute and the regional area you have lived while holding the first Post-Study Work Stream, the extended period of stay can be 1 to 2 years.
Satisfying The Eligibility Criteria Is Necessary
Enjoying the mentioned benefits will only be possible when you satisfy the eligibility requirements. Keep in mind that in addition to the common Subclass 485 Visa requirements, you must also fulfil the stream-specific requirements.
The common requirements are as follows.
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- Your age should not be more than 44.
- You should have studied a CRICOS-registered course for a minimum of 2 academic years (which equals to 2 weeks).
- You should have physically attended the classes.
- Within 6 months of course completion, you must apply for the visa. Note that course completion means the date of publication of final results.
- At least a competent level of English language is required.
For the Graduate Work Stream, you must meet the following eligibility criteria.
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- You must hold a diploma or a trade qualification.
- Must have skills in an occupation listed on the skilled occupation list.
- You must undertake a skills assessment conducted by the relevant assessing authority for the nominated occupation.
- The course you have completed should be closely related to your occupation.
If you want to apply for the Post-Study Work Stream, you must fulfil the following requirements.
- Your qualification must be a Bachelor or a Masters or a Doctorate.
- Your first student visa application must have been made before 5 November 2011.
How Long Do The Visa Applications Take To Get Processed?
While the Graduate Work Visa applications take 8 to 11 months, you will have to wait for 6 to 7 months for the Post-Study Work Visa application.
If you haven’t submitted a complete application, the processing time may be longer. For a smooth application, you can hire a migration agent from Adelaide.
Who Can Help You In Finding A Migration Agent?
Numerous migration firms in Australia provide a wide range of migration services to their clients, and thus, they can easily find you a registered immigration agent Adelaide. These professionals are highly experienced and qualified, and thus, can give you the best possible guidance at each step of your application.