This visa allows the holder to live, study and work in Australia for a period of 2 to 4 years, depending on their qualification. There are three different visa streams under the Subclass 485 visa, including Graduate Work, Post-study Work and Replacement.

To be eligible for any of the Subclass 485 visa streams, there are certain common eligibility criteria that must be met. These include being under the age of 50, holding or having held an eligible student visa in the last 6 months, demonstrating English proficiency, having adequate health insurance, satisfying specific Public Interest criteria and Special Return criteria, meeting health and character requirements, and satisfying specific criteria for the visa stream being applied for.

Under the Graduate Work stream, applicants must have a skilled occupation on the relevant Medium and Long Term Strategic Skilled List (MLTSSL), satisfy the Australian Study requirement within the last 6 months, have qualifications closely related to their nominated occupation, and have a positive skills assessment from the relevant skills assessment authority concerning their nominated occupation.

For the Post-study Work stream, applicants must hold or have held a relevant student visa, hold a Bachelor Degree, Bachelor (Honours) Degree, Masters by Coursework Degree, Masters by Research Degree, Masters (Extended) Degree or a Doctoral Degree, have qualifications awarded by an institution registered on the Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students, and satisfy the Australian Study requirement within the last 6 months.

Under the Replacement stream, applicants must hold or have held a first Subclass 485 visa as the primary applicant, have had that visa granted before 15 December 2021 and in effect on or after 1 February 2020, and satisfy additional criteria related to their location when their first Subclass 485 visa was granted.

Overall, the Subclass 485 visa provides a valuable opportunity for international students to continue their journey in Australia and gain valuable work experience. However, meeting the eligibility criteria can be complex and requires careful consideration and planning.