This page provides detailed Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) (“TR”) applications.
Most of our clients can find answers to their questions here.
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Recent update as of 1 March 2026: Visa application charges for the Temporary Graduate visa (TGV) have increased.
- Post-Vocational Education Work stream: From AUD 4,600
- Post-Higher Education Work stream: From AUD 4,600
- Second Post-Higher Education Work stream: From AUD 1,810
Preparing for lodging TR application:
About each document, insurance, medical check, police check, English test, and skills assessment
If you can make it look like a proper color-scanned version, you can.
Otherwise, please send us a proper color scan version.
CamScanner or SmartScan is not acceptable.
Please send us a color scan version.
No. Please provide your driver’s license, bank transaction statement, or utility bills with your address printed on it.
No. We accept color-scanned versions of all documents including birth certificates.
Yes.
You can find a NAATI-certified translator online (https://www.naati.com.au/mynaati/PDSearch/StartNewSearch) or you can go to your country’s Consulate in Melbourne (e.g. Malaysian Consulate) to do it.
Post Office, Officeworks or some pharmacies.
A soft copy is acceptable for all documents. Please make sure you send us a color-scanned version.
Please request from your universities. It may take some time to get them. Please arrange them in advance.
Yes. In almost all cases, IMMI must see your completion letter.
Yes. A graduation certificate is not required for TR.
Monash Uni – Proof of qualification
Melbourne Uni – Evidence of qualification
RMIT, Deakin, Swinburne, Victoria Uni, etc. – Statement of academic completion
For any universities/colleges/institutions, please make sure your completion letter contains below information:
– Course commencement date
– Course completion date
– Full-time study
– English was the language of instruction
– Campus of study (must have this in the completion letter, if your campus is in a Regional area)
Yes. OVHC is required insurance for TR.
You may still have your OSHC covered after your student visa expiry. But your OSHC normally will be invalid once your student visa expires. You may request for refund of your OSHC from your OSHC provider. Please contact your OSHC provider.
Normally it will be the next day after your student visa expiry date.
The first payment normally is deducted at the time of arranging OVHC. The second payment normally happens at the beginning of the second month of your OVHC policy.
For example: if we arrange your OVHC on 16 Feb, to arrange it to start on 16 Mar. Your first payment will be deducted around 16 Feb. Your second payment will be deducted around 16 Apr.
After lodgement of your visa application, we will send you the medical referral letter. Then you can book an appointment.
Please bring (1) the medical referral letter (2) an original passport (3) reading glasses or contact lenses (4) a credit or savings card to pay for the medical check fee.
BUPA will email and text you all the details. Please refer to BUPA’s correspondence.
12 months
Normally not.
Neither. Medical check outcomes will be sent to IMMI directly.
Your medical check outcome normally will be updated in the IMMI account within 5 business days. Normally if you are not contacted by BUPA, you have passed the medical check. You may also contact us to check.
12 months.
No. Name check only.
Normally NO. Police check for volunteer/placement/internship/job is for ‘employment/volunteer’ purposes. For visa applications, IMMI only accepts police checks that are done for ‘Immigration/Citizenship’ purposes. We can help you apply again.
You may be required to provide overseas police clearance certificates if you have lived in another country for 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.
Home Affairs will advise if overseas police checks are required in your case.
Contact us here to apply for the CAE & IELTS test.
It’s up to you. The test format for both is different. Please refer to their official web pages for details. You also can register for the CAE & IELTS with us.
PTE: within 5 business days.
IELTS & CAE: 10 business days.
Please note sometimes they put some test results for auditing purposes, which will make it longer for you to receive the test result.
PTE: normally daily.
IELTS & CAE: normally fortnightly or monthly, depending on the test center.
Please check the availability. You may need to book it 1 to 2 months before, during peak season.
Please make sure you receive your valid English result before we lodge your TR application.
For the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, you must apply for a skills assessment in your nominated occupation before lodging your subclass 485 application. The occupation must be on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), and your qualification must be closely related to that occupation.
For the Post-Higher Education Work stream, a skills assessment is not required.
If you are applying for the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream, a skills assessment is also not required.
*If you need to do a Professional Year in accounting and engineering, you need to do a skills assessment for PY.
Skills assessment for TR normally only assesses your documents such as transcript and completion letter, English. Requirements depend on your skill assessment body.
For trades occupations, they will also assess working experience.
Assessment requirements depend on the relevant assessing authority.
For certain occupations, especially trade occupations, practical assessments or technical interviews may be required.
Lodging and after lodging TR application:
About location of lodging, deadline of lodging, visa processing time, bridging visas …
You must lodge your subclass 485 application within six months of the completion date stated on your official completion letter.
The completion date is not your graduation ceremony date.
You must also hold an eligible visa at the time of application and be physically in Australia. the expiry date of your last student visa, whichever date comes first.
No. You need to be physically onshore (in Australia) when we lodge your application.
Scenario 1: If your current visa (student visa or visitor visa) is still valid, you can still travel on your current visa, as long as you come back to Australia before current visa expiry date.
Scenario 2: If your BVA is valid (i.e. your student visa or visitor visa has expired), please contact us to apply for BVB. Please refer to below questions and answers about BVB.
Processing times vary depending on application volume, stream selected, and whether additional information is required.
Current estimated processing times are published on the official Home Affairs website and may change without notice.
After we lodge your visa application, IMMI will send your bridging visa A (BVA) automatedly, normally immediately, sometimes taking one to two business days. With this visa, you can stay in Australia after your current visa expires. However, you are not allowed to leave Australia when your BVA has been activated. If you need to travel outside Australia, please contact us to apply for Bridging visa B.
If you apply for TR from a student visa, normally you are allowed to work full-time while holding a valid BVA.
If you apply for TR from a visitor visa, normally you are NOT allowed to work full time while holding a valid BVA, until your TR is granted.
When you hold BVA but want to travel outside Australia, you need to apply for BVB to travel and come back. You must apply for a Bridging Visa B before travelling outside Australia if your Bridging Visa A has become active.
You should apply early enough to allow sufficient processing time before your intended travel date.
There is an extra cost to apply for BVB.
Because your current visa (student visa or visitor visa) is still valid.
The next day of your current visa expiry date.
The visa grant letter will not change automatically. But in IMMI’s system, your BVA is valid. You can check on VEVO (https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/busi/visas-and-migration/visa-entitlement-verification-online-(Vevo)).
Yes. It gives you full study permission.
Yes. It gives you full work permission.
Yes.
Yes. Your subclass 485 visa remains valid for the duration granted, provided you comply with all visa conditions, including maintaining adequate health insurance and complying with Australian laws.
Yes. Please contact RACC.
For subclass 485, your English test must be taken within 12 months before the date of application.
If your English test is older than 12 months at the time of lodgement, it will not be accepted.
English validity rules for other visa types may differ.
12 months.
12 months.
Yes.
Graduate Diploma may not be considered by IMMI as an eligible qualification to apply for TR. Please be aware of the risks of applying for TR.
We can continue to help with your PR application, but if there is no invitation by the time of your current visa expiry, then you can either:
a. Go back to your home country and wait for an invitation overseas
b. Apply for a student visa if you plan to do further study
c. Apply for a tourist visa if you wish to spend a holiday (please note: no work is allowed)
d. Apply TR if you wish to try
Graduate Diploma may not be considered by IMMI as an eligible qualification to apply for TR. Please be aware of the risks of applying for TR. You may still pass it if you can prove your studies are closely related.
We can continue to help with your PR application, but if there is no invitation by the time of your current visa expiry, then you can either:
a. Go back to your home country and wait for an invitation overseas
b. Apply for a student visa if you plan to do further study
c. Apply for a tourist visa if you wish to spend a holiday (please note: no work is allowed)
d. Apply TR if you wish to try
Scenario 1: If your current visa (student visa or visitor visa) is still valid, you can still travel on your current visa, as long as you come back to Australia before the current visa expiry date.
Scenario 2: If your BVA is valid (i.e. your student visa or visitor visa has expired), please contact us to apply for BVB. Please refer to the below questions about BVB.
Yes, please note you must lodge your TR application onshore within six months from the completion date on your completion letter, and within six months from the expiry date of your last student visa, whichever date comes first.
You can apply for a visitor visa to come back to Australia. Once you arrive in Australia, we can lodge your application.
In your whole lifetime, you can only apply for and be granted TR once, as the primary applicant. However, you can be dependent on your partner’s TR if that is applicable.
RACC Indonesia – is a Registered Migration and Education Consulting Company (MARN1572961) with 20 Years of experience in Helping Apply for Visas and Study in Australia.
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