Australia Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485)

Min investment

On request

Time to status

Usually 2–3 years depending on qualification. Hong Kong and BN(O) passport holders may stay 5 years.

Path to citizenship

Partly, and in the opposite direction to most: 485 is temporary and gets you no closer to PR on its own — that still needs a skilled or employer-sponsored visa. But Home Affairs counts time on ANY valid visa toward the four-year general residence requirement for CITIZENSHIP, with only the final 12 months needing to be as a permanent resident. So the 485 years advance the citizenship clock while the PR clock waits.

Residency requirement

Must be in Australia when applying, have held a Student visa in the last 6 months, and hold health insurance.

Visa-free destinations

Not specified

Dual citizenship allowed

Not specified

Notes

The Post-Higher Education Work stream is for recent graduates of a CRICOS-registered Australian degree. You must be 35 or under when you apply (limited exceptions), be in Australia, have held a Student visa within the last 6 months, and provide health insurance, an AFP character check and English evidence. Cost starts at AUD 5,750 — the most expensive post-study permit on this list by a wide margin. Two details matter: the age ceiling rules out many career-changers, and Hong Kong and BN(O) passport holders get 5 years rather than 2–3, which is a materially different runway to a skilled visa.

About Australia

Healthcare

★★★★★

Safety

★★★★★

Cost of living

High

Climate

Temperate