Second Post-Higher Education Work stream

• stay in Australia for between 1 to 2 years after you have finished your studies, depending on where you studied, lived and your degree
• travel, work or study in Australia during your stay.

You must find your own employment while on this visa.

This is a temporary visa. The length of your stay in Australia will depend on:

• where you studied and graduated from
• what degree you completed as the holder of a Student visa
• where you live as the holder of your Temporary Graduate visa in the Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work, or Replacement stream.

If you:

• studied and live in Category 2 area (1 year) (exceptions apply for Tasmania – see Eligibility)
• studied and live in Category 3 area (2 years)

See Designated regional areas.

Current and future Temporary Graduate visa holders from Hong Kong may have a pathway to permanent residency after 5 years.

You might be eligible for other skilled work visas. Use our visa finder to find out options for work.

You can include members of your family unit in your application when you apply, if they are in Australia. You can add your children to the application until we decide on your application. You cannot add any other member of the family unit to your application during that period.

If you want to add your family member to your visa after we have granted it, they can apply as a subsequent entrant. They can apply from in or outside Australia. Family members who apply for this visa must meet our health and character requirements.

For more details, see when you have this visa.

The visa costs from AUD2,265.00 for the main applicant (concessions apply in limited circumstances).

There is also a charge for each family member who applies for the visa with you.

Subsequent entrants, including children born offshore, must pay the full Visa Application Charge.

You might also have to pay other costs for:

• health checks
• police certificates
• biometrics

To work out what your visa will cost use the Visa Pricing Estimator. The estimator does not take into account the other costs.

The Temporary Graduate visa is exempt from the Subsequent Temporary Application Charge.

Cost concession

A lower visa cost applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens who lodge a valid Temporary Graduate visa application.

We will charge eligible applicants the lower visa application cost during the application process in ImmiAccount. We will recognise eligible applicants by the valid passport from the specified countries used in the application when they apply.

Family members are also eligible for the lower visa cost. We base this on the passport of the primary applicant (or visa holder who satisfies the primary visa criteria).

Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens primary applicants must hold a valid passport issued by one of the following countries:

• Federated States of Micronesia
• Fiji
• Kiribati
• Nauru
• Palau
• Papua New Guinea
• Republic of the Marshall Islands
• Samoa
• Solomon Islands
• Timor-Leste
• Tonga
• Tuvalu
• Vanuatu

You can be in Australia (but not in immigration clearance) when you apply for this visa.

Subsequent entrants can be in or outside Australia when they apply.

All applicants can be in or outside Australia at the time of decision.

For an indication of processing times for your visa, use the visa processing time guide tool. This will show the processing times for recently decided applications. It is a guide only and not specific to your application.

Your application can take longer to process if:

• you do not fill it in correctly
• we need more information from you
• it takes us time to verify your information.

We cannot process your application if you do not pay the correct Visa Application Charge. We will notify you if this is the case and, if necessary, return your application.

You and your family must meet all visa conditions and follow Australian laws.

Learn more about conditions for this visa.

You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while your visa is valid.

The time you spend outside Australia does not extend your visa.

We will digitally link your visa to your passport. You will not get a label in your passport.

You must be 35 years of age or under when you apply.

You can be under 50 years of age when you apply if you:

• used a Masters (research) or Doctoral Degree (PhD) to meet the requirements for the grant of your Post-Higher Education Work or Post-Study Work stream visa, or
• hold a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport.

This stream is only available if you:

• were granted your first Temporary Graduate visa in the Post-Higher Education or Post-Study Work stream
• were granted a Temporary Graduate visa in the Replacement stream based on holding your first Temporary Graduate visa in the Post-Study Work stream.

You must continue to hold a valid first Temporary Graduate visa in the Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work, or Replacement stream when you apply for a Second Post-Higher Education Work stream visa.

You must be in Australia (but not in immigration clearance) when you apply for this visa.

Subsequent entrants can be in or outside Australia when they apply.

You will not be eligible for this visa if you have been the primary holder of a Temporary Graduate visa in the:

• Post-Vocational Education Work stream (previously the Graduate Work stream)
• Second Post-Higher Education Work stream (previously the Second Post-Study Work stream), or a
• Skilled - Recognised Graduate (subclass 476) visa.

Existing provisions which enable a secondary holder of a Temporary Graduate visa to apply as a primary applicant remain.

You must have obtained your qualification that led to the grant of your first Temporary Graduate visa in the Post-Higher Education Work or Post-Study Work stream from an Australian education provider who is registered on CRICOS and offers degree-level programs. The campus that you studied at must have been based in a designated regional area.

As the holder of a Temporary Graduate visa in the Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work, or Replacement stream, you must have lived only in a designated regional area for at least 2 years immediately before applying for the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream visa. To do this, show us evidence that in the last 2 years, you resided in a designated regional area.

Designated regional areas are divided into two categories: Category 2 “Cities and Major Regional Centres” and Category 3 “Regional Centres and Other Regional Areas".

If you have lived only in a Category 2 area, you can generally only be granted an additional 1 year visa. Exceptions apply to applicants living in a Category 2 area in Tasmania who can be granted a 2 year visa.

If you have lived only in a Category 3 area, you can only be granted an additional 2 year visa.

If you have moved between categories you will be considered for the shorter visa, unless you have lived in Category 2 and 3 areas in Tasmania.

If you have been away from your usual residence for a holiday or short work trip, it will not change the way we assess your usual residence.

The table below provides a guide on the residence and study requirements for the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream visa.

If you worked and/or studied while you held your Temporary Graduate visa in the Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work, or Replacement stream, the work and study must have been in the designated regional area.

We may ask you to provide further information or evidence of your work or study.

The Department does not undertake pre-lodgement assessments of any visa criteria. Once a valid visa application has been lodged, a delegate will make an assessment based on the information available to them.

You and your family members must have and maintain adequate health insurance for the duration of your stay in Australia. See what we consider adequate health insurance.

You and any family members who apply for the visa with you must meet our health requirement.

You and any family members aged 16 years and over who apply for the visa must meet our character requirement.

If you are 18 years of age or older, you must:

• have read, or had explained to you, the Life in Australia booklet
• sign an Australian Values Statement that confirms you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws.

If you or any family members owe the Australian Government money, you or they must have paid it back or arranged to pay it back.

We will consider your immigration history when we make a decision on your application, which means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused.

In some circumstances you may still apply for a permanent visa if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused see Limitations on applications in Australia.

If applying for a visa from outside Australia see Can I go to Australia.

If you need immigration assistance, see Who can help with your visa application.

Now that you have your Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) Second Post-Higher Education Work visa, you may want to consider withdrawing any other undecided visa applications you have lodged with us. Failure to withdraw any undecided applications may result in you being granted a different visa.

To withdraw any other visa application, you must tell us in writing. More information is available at You want to withdraw an application.

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have:

• a valid visa to enter Australia
• a valid passport or other travel document.

At the border

Completing an Incoming Passenger Card

All people arriving Australia must complete the Incoming Passenger Card. You will be given this card onboard.

Leaving the airport faster

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

What you can do when you have this visa

You can live, study and work in Australia temporarily.

You must find your own employment while on this visa.

What you must do on this visa

You and your family members must obey all Australian laws. See your conditions in VEVO or your visa grant letter.

Tell us if things change

Things you need to let us know about when you have this visa include:

• changes to your phone number, email, address or passport
• changes to your relationship status
• the birth of a child.

See how to let us know if there is a change in your situation.

See how long you can stay

The visa starts on the date we grant your visa. To see when you must leave, use VEVO.

Staying longer

You might be eligible for other skilled work visas. Use our visa finder to find out options for work.

Travelling on your visa

This visa is granted with multiple entries. You can travel outside Australia and return as many times as you want while your visa is valid.

Time spent outside Australia does not extend your visa.

See your conditions.

Working

To see your conditions for work, use VEVO.

You are protected by Australian workplace law. See your workplace rights and entitlements.

Bringing family

Members of the family unit can also apply to join you in Australia as a subsequent entrant after we grant your visa. They can be in or outside Australia when they apply (but not in immigration clearance).

Family members applying for this visa as subsequent entrants must apply online in ImmiAccount. For more information see step by step.

Visa holders must arrive in Australia by their Initial Entry Date.

Newborn children

Find out what to do if your child is born after you apply or when you hold your visa.

Before you leave

Check your travel documents

You must have a valid passport or other travel document to leave Australia.

At the border

Leaving the airport faster

We have an automated process that uses facial recognition technology and your ePassport. You might be able to leave the airport faster if you use SmartGate.

After you leave

Getting your superannuation

You are likely to have some money in a superannuation fund if you worked in Australia and you are paid AUD450 or more before tax in a month.

• aged 18 years or older
• paid AUD450 or more before tax in a month.

See how to access your super.

Proving you have been to Australia

To prove you have been to Australia, request your international movement records by requesting travel records.