Step-by-Step Process to Apply for a Temporary Graduate Visa in Australia

So… you’ve finally finished your studies in Australia. Feels strange, right? One day you're buried in assignments, and suddenly—boom—you’re googling things like Temporary Graduate Visa at 2 AM wondering what comes next.

If you’ve landed here, chances are you’ve heard about the Temporary Graduate Visa (Subclass 485) already. Maybe from a friend, maybe from a random YouTube video, or maybe from scrolling through sites like MigrateVerse trying to make sense of it all.

Either way, yeah… this visa is kind of a big deal if you want to stay back and work after studying.

But honestly? The process can feel confusing at first. Too many steps. Too many “requirements.” And everything feels like it has a deadline attached to it.

Let’s just slow it down and go through it properly—step by step, like a normal human would.

First Things First — What Even Is This Visa?

The Temporary Graduate Visa (subclass 485) is basically your chance to stay in Australia after finishing your studies. Work, gain experience, maybe figure out your long-term plan.

There are two main streams:

• Graduate Work Stream

• Post-Study Work Stream

And yeah, choosing the right one matters more than people think.

I’ve seen people pick the wrong stream just because someone told them “yeh yeh same thing”—it’s not.

Step 1: Figure Out Which Stream You Actually Fit Into

This part is important. Like… don’t rush it.

Graduate Work Stream

This one is tied to skilled occupations. If your course connects to a job on the skilled list, you might qualify. But then comes the catch—you’ll need a skills assessment.

And that can take time. Sometimes a lot of time.

Post-Study Work Stream

This is more common for uni graduates—Bachelor’s, Master’s, PhD.

No occupation list. No skills assessment. A bit more flexible.

Most people go for this one, honestly.

Step 2: Check If You’re Even Eligible (Don’t Skip This)

I know, I know… eligibility checks are boring. But skipping this? Bad idea.

Here’s what you need:

• Age under 50

• Completed at least 2 years of study in Australia

• Held a valid student visa in the last 6 months

• English language requirement

• Health insurance

Sounds simple, but small details trip people up.

Like… your course completion date matters. Not your graduation ceremony. Not your results day. The official completion letter date.

Yeah. That tiny detail.

Step 3: Start Collecting Documents (This Takes Longer Than You Think)

This is where reality hits.

You’ll need:

• Passport

• Academic transcripts

• Completion letter

• English test results

• Police clearance

• Health insurance

And if you’re doing Graduate Work stream → skills assessment too.

Now here’s the thing… you think you have everything. But then suddenly:

“Wait, where’s my completion letter?”

“Oh, my passport is expiring?”

“Why is my name spelled differently on this doc?”

It happens. A lot.

So yeah, start early.

Step 4: English Test (If You Haven’t Already)

You’ll probably need something like:

• IELTS

• PTE Academic

• TOEFL

Minimum score is usually around IELTS 6.0 overall.

But honestly? If you can score higher, do it. It helps later.

Also… booking test slots last minute is stressful. Don’t do that to yourself.

Step 5: Police Check — Slightly Annoying but Necessary

You’ll need a clearance from the Australian Federal Police.

Apply online. Pick the right category (immigration).

And then… wait.

Sometimes it comes fast. Sometimes it doesn’t.

I’ve seen people panic because they applied too late and their visa deadline was close. Not fun.

Step 6: Health Insurance — Don’t Ignore This

Once your student visa ends, your OSHC might stop too.

You’ll need a new health cover for this visa.

And no, this isn’t optional.

People assume, “I’ll sort it later”—but if it’s missing, your visa can get refused.

Just… get it done.

Step 7: Create Your ImmiAccount (And Don’t Rush It)

Everything happens through ImmiAccount.

You’ll:

• Fill personal details

• Add education history

• Upload documents

Sounds easy, but this is where mistakes sneak in.

Wrong dates. Misspelled names. Uploading wrong files.

And fixing those later? Painful.

Take your time here.

Step 8: Submit Your Application (Timing is Everything)

This part is stressful. Not gonna lie.

You need to apply:

• Within 6 months of course completion

• While holding a valid visa

Visa fee is around AUD 1,895 (it changes sometimes).

After applying:

• You’ll get confirmation

• You might receive a Bridging Visa

That Bridging Visa is what lets you stay legally while waiting.

Step 9: Medical Exam (Sometimes Required, Sometimes Not)

Some people get asked for it, some don’t.

If you do:

• Book with approved doctors
• Follow instructions properly

And yeah… don’t delay it.

Step 10: Now Comes the Waiting Game

This part is… weird.

You’ve done everything. Submitted everything. And now?

You wait.

Processing time is usually 2 to 6 months.

Sometimes quicker. Sometimes slower.

You’ll keep checking your ImmiAccount like:

“Any update?”

“Still processing?”

“Why is nothing happening?”

Totally normal.

Real Talk — Common Mistakes People Make

I’ve seen these way too often:

• Applying at the last minute

• Choosing the wrong stream

• Uploading unclear documents

• Forgetting police check

• Not checking email updates

And honestly, most of these are avoidable.

Just takes a bit of planning.

A Small Observation (Something People Don’t Talk About)

A lot of students focus only on “getting the visa.”

But the real question is…

What will you do after you get it?

Because this visa gives you time—but how you use that time matters.

Jobs. Networking. Experience.

Some people figure it out quickly. Others… take longer.

And that’s okay.

And… That’s Pretty Much It

Applying for the Temporary Graduate Visa isn’t exactly “easy”… but it’s not impossible either.

It’s more like… a process you just have to go through carefully.

Some parts feel confusing. Some feel slow. Some feel unnecessarily complicated.

But once it’s done?

You get time. And options.

And honestly, that’s what most people are looking for at this stage anyway.