Visa
Subclass 485 visa guide for Nepali students: Temporary Graduate streams, stay periods, age limit, English scores, 6-month deadline, 2026 fees and course planning.
For many Nepali families, the real question behind "study in Australia" is what happens after graduation. For most international graduates, the answer is the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), often called the post-study work visa, which Home Affairs says allows students to live, study and work after they finish their studies.
This guide explains the 485 visa for Nepali students: eligibility, streams, stay periods, age and English rules, the six-month deadline, costs, and how to choose a course in Nepal with the 485 in mind. It is general information, not migration advice, so confirm details on the Department of Home Affairs website before you act.
The 485 lets you stay after your course, travel in and out, and work for any employer. Study Australia notes that holders keep unlimited work rights, but you must find your own job.
It is temporary. Home Affairs says it cannot be extended, and you can usually hold it only once as the main applicant. It does not lead straight to permanent residency, although many graduates use it to gain Australian work experience before exploring skilled or employer-sponsored visas.
Post-Higher Education Work stream: The stream most Nepali university graduates use. You need an eligible Bachelor, Masters or Doctoral degree from a CRICOS-registered provider, in any field, and no skills assessment.
Post-Vocational Education Work stream: For associate degree, diploma or trade graduates, and much stricter. You must nominate an occupation on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL), hold a closely related qualification, and include a skills assessment or proof you have applied for one. The occupation cannot be changed after you apply.
Second Post-Higher Education Work stream: An extra period for graduates who studied at a regional campus and then lived only in a designated regional area for at least two years on their first 485, with any work or study there also regional.
Home Affairs sets the stay by the level of your Australian qualification (verify on publish against Home Affairs):
Bachelor degree (including honours): 2 years.
Masters by coursework or extended Masters: 2 years.
Masters by research: 3 years.
Doctoral degree (PhD): 3 years.
Graduate Diploma: usually 2 years, if linked to a related eligible degree.
Associate degree, diploma or trade qualification (vocational stream): 18 months.
Second Post-Higher Education Work stream: 1 extra year (Category 2 areas) or 2 extra years (Category 3), with a Tasmania exception.
Home Affairs lists Perth as Category 2 ("Cities and Major Regional Centres"), with cities such as Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart. Sydney is Category 1, with Melbourne and Brisbane, so study in Sydney does not lead to a second 485. This matters when you compare cities from Nepal.
Age: You must be 35 or under when you apply. Home Affairs allows applicants under 50 if they are using a Masters by research or a PhD for the Post-Higher Education Work stream.
Where you apply from: You must be in Australia and hold a Student visa, or have held one in the last six months.
The six-month deadline: Apply within six months of completing your course. Home Affairs says the completion date is when you were first told in writing that you met all academic requirements, not your graduation ceremony. Late applications cannot be accepted.
English: Unless you hold a UK, USA, Canadian, New Zealand or Irish passport, you need a test result. For tests taken from 7 August 2025, minimums include IELTS (Academic or General Training) 6.5 overall with 5.5 in each skill, or PTE Academic 55 overall with at least 40 in Listening, 42 in Reading, 41 in Writing and 39 in Speaking. The test must be taken in the 12 months before you apply (verify on publish against Home Affairs). These scores are higher than many Student visa minimums. Our IELTS vs PTE comparison can help you choose the test that suits you.
Health insurance: You need adequate health insurance when you apply and for your whole stay. OSHC can usually cover you at lodgement, but you will need a 485-compliant policy (often Overseas Visitors Health Cover) before your OSHC ends. A gap can lead to refusal.
Police check: Show that you applied for an Australian Federal Police check within the 12 months before you apply, and not on the same day.
Health, character and history: You must meet health and character requirements and sign the Australian Values Statement. Past compliance matters too, so review our guide to Australian student visa conditions for Nepali students.
Many 485 problems start years earlier, when the course is chosen. Home Affairs says you must have completed:
one or more CRICOS-registered qualifications totalling at least two academic years (92 weeks)
over at least 16 calendar months of study in Australia on a visa that allows study
taught in English, at bachelor or higher, diploma, advanced diploma or trade level.
English courses do not count: ELICOS and enabling programs are excluded.
Credits can cut your counted study: Credit for previous study can push you below 16 months or 92 weeks, and credit for overseas study cannot be used directly. Check before accepting credit transfer.
Only standard course length counts: You are credited with the CRICOS duration, even if you took longer, and failed subjects do not count.
Offshore or online study does not count: At least 16 months must be completed while physically in Australia.
Study Australia states that the Temporary Graduate visa application charge increased to AUD 5,750 on 1 July 2026 (verify on publish against the Home Affairs Visa Pricing Estimator). Published fee tables also show AUD 2,875 for each family member aged 18 or over, AUD 1,450 for each child under 18, and AUD 2,265 for the main applicant in the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream (verify on publish against Home Affairs). Budget for health checks, police checks, the English test and insurance too.
Home Affairs gives no fixed processing time, only an online processing time guide (check the current timeframe when you apply). You apply through ImmiAccount, and the stream cannot be changed after you apply. A bridging visa usually keeps you lawful while you wait.
Studying again after your 485: Under the 2 October 2026 rules, 485 holders cannot lodge a Student visa application in Australia, with no exemptions, so you must apply and be granted from outside Australia. Our post on the Australian student visa changes for October 2026 explains the full list.
Family members: At the time of writing, Home Affairs' 485 pages still allow eligible family members to apply with you or join later, but the government has announced similar family restrictions for Temporary Graduate visas. No start date had been published when we checked (verify on publish).
Changing provider: Until 30 June 2027, most students must complete 12 months of their main course before changing provider. Choose the course you will use for your 485 carefully before you leave Nepal.
Course length: Choose CRICOS study totalling at least 92 weeks. A one-year Masters on its own will not meet the requirement.
Degree or vocational: Degrees in any field suit the Post-Higher Education Work stream. A diploma should match a listed MLTSSL occupation and its skills assessment.
City and campus: If a second 485 matters, compare Perth (Category 2) or a Category 3 campus with Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane.
Age and timing: In your early thirties? Check you will still be 35 or under at your likely completion date.
Career fit: Pick a field with real graduate jobs, not just a visa route. Our guides to IT courses and career outcomes and nursing courses and pathways cover two popular choices. Our part-time jobs guide shows how to build local experience while you study.
Yes. Nepali graduates can apply if they meet the age, English, study, insurance, police check and timing rules while in Australia on, or recently on, a Student visa.
Home Affairs says you must be 35 or under when you apply. Applicants using a Masters by research or a PhD for the Post-Higher Education Work stream can be under 50.
Within six months of your course completion date, the date you were told in writing that you met all academic requirements. Prepare English results, insurance and the police check early.
Possibly, under the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, if it is closely related to an MLTSSL occupation and you have, or have applied for, a skills assessment. The stay is 18 months.
Current Home Affairs pages still allow eligible family members, but restrictions have been announced. Get registered migration advice on timing before you make plans.
Not directly. It gives you time to gain work experience, and any permanent visa has separate criteria.
Planning for the 485 starts before you choose your course. Everest Global Education supports you on both sides: our Nepal offices help you choose a CRICOS course, city and intake that keep post-study work options open, and our Perth and Sydney teams support students and graduates in Australia. Visa advice is given with MARA-registered migration agents, and you can check any agent on the official OMARA register.
Kathmandu: Putalisadak, Opposite of MIT College
Pokhara: Pushpa Ratna Bhawan Siddharthachowk-4, Pokhara 33700
Beni: New Road Beni bazar Myagdi
Dhangadhi: Boradadi Road, Dhangadhi 10900
Janakpur: Girija Path Muralichowk Janakpur
Perth (Australia): 102 James St, Northbridge WA 6003
Sydney (Australia): Level 1 / 483 Princes Highway, Rockdale, NSW 2216
Whether you are choosing a course in Nepal or finishing your studies in Australia, book a consultation with your academic documents, passport, visa details and any English results. We will review your 485 timeline honestly and tell you what to prepare.
Submit an enquiry at https://everestglobaledu.com/enquiry and our team will contact you by phone or email.
Everest Global Education
Phone: +61 8 6157 0080
Email: info@everestglobal.com
Website: https://everestglobaledu.com/
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