The 485 graduate visa age limit has dropped to 35

The subclass 485 Temporary Graduate visa had its maximum age reduced from 50 to 35 for most applicants, alongside a trimming of the pandemic-era stay extensions.

Who is exempt from the age-35 cap

• Masters by research and PhD graduates.
• Hong Kong and British National (Overseas) passport holders, who can also stay for five years rather than two or three.

Everyone else, including coursework masters and bachelor graduates, must be 35 or under at the time of application.

The stay periods also changed

• Bachelor and coursework masters graduates: two years (down from the temporary post-pandemic three).
• Masters by research and PhD graduates: three years.
• Graduates of an eligible qualification who studied and lived in a regional area have in recent years received an extra one to two years on top, depending on the area's classification.

What the six-month window means

The 485 must be lodged within six months of the date your last student visa ceased, and you generally need to be in Australia when you apply. You also need to already hold the other pieces: an eligible English test result, an AFP police check, and health insurance. Gathering those after your student visa ends, against a six-month clock, is where people run out of time.

If you are close to 35

Apply as soon as you meet the Australian study requirement, not at the end of your final semester. If you are already over 35 with a coursework qualification, the employer-sponsored 482 has no age bar at the temporary stage, though the permanent 186 does at 45.

Age also drives your skilled points test score, which drops at 33, 40, and 45. A graduate who turns 34 during a two-year 485 has a narrow window to reach an invitation before the age points fall again.