Government guidance for Post-Vocational Education Work, Post-Higher Education Work and Second Post-Higher Education Work; select the actual qualifying stream. Not a downloadable application form. You must generally be aged 35 years or under when applying. Specified exceptions apply; check the chosen stream and individual eligibility in the official rules. The former general under-50 rule must not be used.
Home Affairs (page dated 14 December 2024; fee table updated 1 July 2026): from AUD 5,750.00 for the Post-Higher Education Work and Post-Vocational Education Work streams; AUD 2,265.00 for the second Post-Higher Education Work stream.≈ $3,738
Home Affairs processing tool (updated 29 September 2026), post-higher education work stream: 50% processed in 5 days and 90% in 55 days. Estimates, not a guarantee.
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Source-backed requirements
Eligibility
(4)PVE skills assessment
DocumentConditionalPVE only: lodge evidence that you applied to the relevant authority for assessment of your nominated occupation. A suitable assessment must have been made within the last 3 years and any stated validity must remain current. This is not a general PHE requirement.
Verified officialAustralian Study Requirement
DocumentMandatoryInitial PVE/PHE: eligible registered course(s), at least 2 academic years over at least 16 calendar months, taught in English and undertaken in Australia on a visa permitting study. Use the actual stream qualification and six-month completion rule; Second stream has separate prior-visa/regional rules.
Verified officialAge and applicable exception
MandatoryYou must generally be aged 35 years or under when applying. Specified exceptions apply; check the chosen stream and individual eligibility in the official rules. The former general under-50 rule must not be used.
Verified officialEnglish Proficiency
DocumentConditionalFor initial PVE/PHE, provide the stream’s accepted English evidence or a valid citizenship-and-passport exemption. Check the test date, applicable score table and evidence at lodging. Do not assume a new initial-stream test requirement for the Second stream.
Verified official
Qualification
(1)Recent Graduation
ConditionalFor initial PVE/PHE applications, check completion within the six months before application and at least the day before lodging. Use the academic completion date, not the graduation ceremony. Do not apply this fresh-completion deadline automatically to the Second stream.
Verified official
Preparation
(3)Second-stream regional evidence
DocumentConditionalFor Second: verify the eligible prior graduate visa and regional study/provider location. Prove residence only in the relevant regional category for the 2 years immediately before application; any work/study in that period and at decision must also be only there. Provide genuine future regional intentions. Apply the actual 485.232–235 branch, including replacement/extension history.
Verified officialHealth Insurance
DocumentMandatoryMaintain adequate actual health cover for all applicable applicants and the intended stay. Check the policy against the visa and any valid Medicare arrangement. OSHC eligibility ends when the Student visa expires; do not assume the same student policy covers a graduate visa.
Verified officialAustralian Federal Police Check
DocumentConditionalUnless clauses 485.232–485.235 apply, submit with the visa application evidence that you and each included person aged 16 or over requested an AFP check during the preceding 12 months, before the application day. A same-day request is insufficient.
Verified official
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Immigration Documents & Forms
Source citations
Migration Regulations1994 — skilled visa grant criteria
Department of Home Affairs / Federal Register of Legislation
Readfullstatutoryclauses189.222–224,190.212–216,491.211–217and491.612; suitable assessments and competent English are invitation criteria, actual scores must meet invitation and qualifying scores, nominations must remain effective, health applies to required family.191compliance and tax evidence are separate. LaterOct2studentreform does not alter these clauses. Initial graduate study windows, English evidence, AFP timing exception, insurance and regional branches; holiday passport, resources, children and public-interest criteria. Read with October student amendments, which leave these clauses unchanged. Full official C288 volume 2 retrieved. The later F2026L01347 instrument effective 2 October 2026 amends student application/visa provisions only; no changes to 482 or 186 reviewed clauses. Bounded statutory review, not case acceptance.
Temporary Graduate485 — current stream guidance
Australian Trade and Investment Commission
Current three streams: Post-Vocational Education Work, Post-Higher Education Work and Second Post-Higher Education Work. Qualification and regional criteria differ; historic stream names are not current intake labels.
Graduate English — LIN 25/089 tests and exemptions
Department of Home Affairs / Federal Register of Legislation
Dated score tables, one-year score period and citizenship plus valid-passport exemption; separate Hong Kong/BNO thresholds.
Migration Regulations 1994 C289 — AFP timing (485) and working-holiday funds (417)
Australian Government — Federal Register of Legislation
Selected clauses reviewed: 485.213(1)–(2) requires visa-lodgement evidence of an AFP-check application in the previous 12 months before application day, for the applicant and included persons aged 16+, except applicants meeting 485.232–485.235. 417.211(4)(b) requires sufficient personal-support and overseas-departure fare funds; 417.221(2)(a) maintains this at decision.
Official links
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