Australia Immigration Has Launched Second Graduate Visa Initiative Under The Subclass 485

Subclass 485 is the temporary graduate subclass which any international student can apply after completing his/her tertiary education in Australia. In simple words it is called Post-Study work permit. The visa helps the candidates to live, study further and work in Australia.

As per the recent changes the department has declared a newly launched Second Graduate Visa option. Previously this visa subclass has once-in-lifetime visa condition but form the new year students who studied especially from the regional educational institutes may apply for the second visa as well.

The visa is divided into 2 streams in this Second Graduate Visa Initiative.

The Graduate Work Stream

• The stream considers the candidates who graduate with the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. And the graduation has been done with the relevant skills, qualification and in demand occupation that is considers under the Australian labour market.

The Post-Study Work Stream

• It is only eligible to the international students who have recently completed their graduation (in any stream) with higher education degree from the designated Australian institutes.

From the 20th January 2021 Australian immigration has given opportunity to the graduate visa holders under the post-study stream to apply for Second Graduate Visa under the same stream. However, students need to satisfy the specific regional requirements. The visa validity may be granted up to 1 to 2 years.

One Year Visa & Two Years Visa

One Year Visa – to obtain 1 year visa, the candidates need to fulfil the given below requirements.

• 1 year study visa will be granted to the applicants who has obtain their degree from anywhere other than these major Australian major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane
• At the time of holding 1^st year’s graduate visa and before applying for the second-year visa, at least 2 years the candidates must be in lived, work or studied in the areas that were outside from the above-mentioned cities.
  • The above-mentioned condition is also applicable for all the family members of the primary applicant who has got the second visa under subclass 485.

• Who before applying the second visa
• Studied in a regional centre or other regional areas
• While holding the first Graduate visa, and also lived, worked or studied only in a regional centre or other regional area for minimum of 2 years.
  • The above-mentioned condition is also applicable for all the family members of the primary applicant who has got the second visa under subclass 485.

In above both the visa types and the streams the new visa conditions will be applicable for the subclass 485 where visa holders are required to lived, worked or studied in the regional areas while applying for the new visa.
Candidates must be familiar with definition of Designated Regional Areas which includes.

Designated Cities Such as

• Perth
• Adelaide,
• the Gold Coast
• the Sunshine Coast
• Newcastle/Lake Macquarie
• Wollongong/Illawarra
• Canberra
• Geelong, and
• Hobart

Regional Areas Such as

• Including all the areas of regional Australia which excluded the areas mentioned above and the cities Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

Costing

The visa application charge for the second Graduate visa in the Post Study Work stream will cost:

Visa charges for applying the second graduate visa under the post study work stream

• Primary Applicants: $650 (AUD) – Base Charges
• Secondary Applicant of 18 years & above: $325 (AUD) – Additional applicant charges
• Secondary Applicants of 18 years or below: $165 (AUD) – Additional applicant charges