Visas
The 485 graduate visa: age, length and what Indian graduates get
In short
The subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa requires you to be 35 years of age or under when you apply, with an exception up to 50 for research master's and doctoral graduates. Indian nationals get longer stays under the India-Australia trade agreement: three years for a master's and four for a PhD. The visa cannot be extended.
Two things about the 485 are commonly out of date in guidance written even a year ago: the age limit, and the separate set of durations that applies to Indian nationals.
The streams were also renamed, so a plan built on the words Graduate Work and Post-Study Work will not match what the Department's pages now say.
Age, and the exceptions
The Department of Home Affairs states that you must be 35 years of age or under when you apply. Two exceptions appear on the Post-Higher Education Work stream page: applicants who used a research master's or doctoral degree to meet the study requirement may be under 50, as may holders of Hong Kong or British National Overseas passports.
The Post-Vocational Education Work stream carries the Hong Kong and BNO exception but not the research-degree one, which matters if you are weighing a vocational qualification against a coursework master's at a similar price.
How long the visa lasts
Standard lengths under the Post-Higher Education Work stream are two years for a bachelor's degree including honours, two years for a coursework or extended master's, three years for a research master's and three for a doctoral degree.
Indian nationals come under the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement, which sets different figures, and these are the ones that apply to most readers of this page.
| Qualification | Standard | Indian nationals (AI-ECTA) |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's (including honours) | 2 years | 2 years |
| Bachelor's, first-class honours in STEM | 2 years | 3 years |
| Master's (coursework or extended) | 2 years | 3 years |
| Master's (research) | 3 years | 3 years |
| Doctoral (PhD) | 3 years | 4 years |
The other conditions people miss
You must be in Australia when you apply, hold an eligible visa, and have held a student visa in the last six months. The qualification must come from a CRICOS-registered course, and you need evidence of adequate health insurance and of having applied for an Australian Federal Police check.
The Post-Vocational Education Work stream adds requirements the higher education stream does not have: an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List, a closely related qualification, and a skills assessment or evidence that you have applied for one.
English, for tests taken on or after 7 August 2025, means an overall IELTS 6.5 with 5.5 in each component, with equivalents listed for PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, OET and others. Citizens of the UK, USA, Canada, New Zealand and Ireland holding a valid passport are exempt from the test.
What this means when you choose the course
The difference between a coursework master's and a research master's is now a year of post-study work for most people, and the difference between a vocational qualification and a degree is larger still. That is a reason to think about the qualification level early, not after the offer.
It is not a reason to claim an intention you do not have. The genuine student requirement asks you to explain your study plans honestly, and a statement built backwards from a visa length reads exactly like what it is.
Related questions
I am 36. Is there any route to a 485?
Only through the stated exceptions: a research master's or doctoral degree used to meet the study requirement allows applicants under 50, as does a Hong Kong or British National Overseas passport. Otherwise the limit is 35 at the time of application.
Can the 485 be extended?
No. Home Affairs states the visa cannot be extended. A Second Post-Higher Education Work visa exists, but it is for graduates of regional institutions who have lived in a designated regional area for at least two years.
Do the AI-ECTA lengths apply automatically?
They apply to Indian nationals meeting the stream's requirements, and the lengths are published on the Home Affairs stream page. As with every figure here, check the page on the day you apply.