The Australian government could very well be modifying their subclass 485 visa due to the impact that COVID-19 has had on international students in the country. This is good news for all graduating bachelor’s and master’s students in Australia that want to stay there for work after their time studying is complete!
So, what does it mean for you?
In a nutshell, this: if you are a student that either is already studying in an Australian university or a student that had plans to go to Australia to study, it could end up being easier for you to obtain the 485 visa than it was before.
But let’s talk about exactly what the 485 visa is. We still don’t know exactly how the Australian government is planning to modify the 485 visa, at least at the time of writing this article. But we can take a look at what it is right now and hope that it will only get better in the near future.
This visa is one that allows international students graduating from an Australian university to stay for 2-4 years post-graduation to work if their degree field is one that is in-demand in Australia (probably will include more engineering students than art students).
The length of time someone is allowed to stay varies by which degree classification that they hold, according to the official website:
- Bachelor’s degree (including honors): 2 years
- Master’s degree by coursework: 2 years
- Master’s degree by research: 3 years
- Doctoral degree: 4 years
- Hong Kong passport holders who successfully complete a bachelor, masters or doctoral degree: 5 years
When you apply for this visa, you can also apply to bring “members of the family unit” along with you for your stay there.
You can also use the time that you gain using the visa to find full employment and apply for permanent residency in Australia.
At this point you might be wondering if you are eligible or not. Here are the requirements, according to the official website. You must:
- Hold a student visa that was applied for and accepted on or after 5 November 2011.
- Have met the Australian study requirement.
- Hold (or be about to graduate with) a bachelor’s degree or above.
- Have graduated from an Australian institution registered in CRICOS.
- Prove your proficiency in the English language (unless you hold a passport from a predominantly English-speaking country).
- Have adequate health insurance.
- Meet the health requirement.
- Meet the character requirement.
- Sign the Australian values statement.
- Have no debt with the Australian government.
- Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused.
The cost is AUD 1,650 for the initial applicant, but for each person you apply to bring with you the cost will rise.
But this is just a basic look at what the 485 visa is. If you are serious about it, check out Australia’s official page that is geared specifically towards helping international students get the visa and really use it for all that is offers. You can click any of the hyperlinks above, or just follow this one:
