The 485 visa is a temporary visa that allows international students to live, study and work after you have finished your studies. Since 1 July 2024 it has 2 main streams:
Your identity
Documents to provide for a 485 visa in both streams (Post-Vocational Education Work and Post-Higher Education Work):
- Passport bio data page
- Birth certificates (showing parents names)
- Passport-sized photograph (45 mm x 35 mm)
Your family relationships
- Marriage certificate/ Divorce certificate or statutory declaration separation documents (if applicable)
- If you are living in a de facto relationship: independent evidence that you have been in the relationship for at least 12 months (for example, joint bank account statements, billing accounts in joint names or joint ownership of major assets).
- If any dependent child included in the application is adopted: certified copies of the adoption papers.
Health and character documents
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- When the visa application is made, it must be accompanied by evidence that everyone included in the application has adequate health insurance in Australia. Provide any one of the following:
- a signed letter from a health insurance provider (138 KB RTF)
- if you are from a country with a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia and will be eligible for Medicare when you arrive here,
- Australian Federal Police Check (not older than 12 months)
- When the visa application is made, it must be accompanied by evidence that everyone included in the application has adequate health insurance in Australia. Provide any one of the following:
The AFP National Police Check is applied for online through the Australian Federal Police website. Visa applicants should select Code 33 (Immigration/Citizenship) as the purpose of the check. See our AFP police check guide. Fingerprints are not required.
- You might need to provide police certificates from each country in which anyone in your application has spent a total of 12 months or more in the past 10 years since turning 16 years of age. The office processing your application will advise you if they need these documents.
The Australian study requirement
- Completion letters from your education provider stating:
- the date that the course started and ended
- the date that course requirements were met
- the location of the campus where you studied
- whether the study involved any distance learning whether the study was full-time or part-time
- the language in which instruction was given
- Certified copies of course transcripts.
- Where credit has been granted, it must state whether the credit granted on the basis of study was in a course that also met the conditions of the Australian study requirement.
Example: You studied a course in Australia that was taught in English and registered with CRICOS.If any credits have been granted towards the completion of your award then please ensure your transcript clearly indicates the details of these transferred credits.
Post-Vocational Education Work stream (formerly Graduate Work stream)
Provide these documents with your application if you are applying in the Post-Vocational Education Work stream.
- Skills assessment for your nominated occupation (which is on the list of eligible skilled occupations) – either:
- evidence of your successful skills assessment in which the relevant assessing authority has assessed your skills as suitable for your nominated occupation, or
- evidence that you have applied to the relevant assessment authority for a skills assessment for your nominated occupation.
Documents to show English language ability
- The results of a specified English language test. The test must have been taken within 1 year before you apply.
You do not need to provide documents to show your English language proficiency if you are a citizen of the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, the United States or the Republic of Ireland and you have a valid passport from one of those countries.
See the latest 485 visa changes and updates:
