Post-study work
Second Post-Higher Education Work (485)
A second stay for graduates who made regional Australia home: one to two further years of work rights.
Requirements
What the second 485 asks of you.
Designated regional areas are defined by postcode. Where you studied and where you have lived are checked address by address.
The visa you hold now
A subclass 485 in the Post-Study Work or Post-Higher Education Work stream, generally the first you have held in the stream, or a Replacement stream visa where you previously held a Post-Study Work visa.
A regional qualification
The degree that earned your first visa came from an educational institution in a designated regional area of Australia.
The regional years
For at least two years immediately before applying, any living, working or studying happened only in designated regional areas.
Age, insurance and location at lodgement
Under 36 at application for bachelor, coursework masters and masters extended graduates, under 50 for research masters and doctoral graduates. Adequate health insurance and health and character requirements apply, and you must be in Australia both when the application is lodged and when the visa is granted.
The pathway
How we run your second 485.
Regional audit
Addresses, work and study locations for the last two years are checked postcode by postcode against the designated areas.
Evidence
Leases, payslips, enrolment and utility records that prove the regional years.
Lodgement in Australia
Lodged decision-ready while you are in Australia; you must also be here at grant.
The second stay
One or two further years, set by the category of regional area you lived in.
General information only, not immigration advice. Your circumstances matter. Visa requirements, fees and processing times change regularly. Facts on this page last reviewed 15 July 2026. Check current details with the Department of Home Affairs , or speak with us for advice on your situation. Website terms.
Begin with a conversation.
Speak with a MARA-registered migration agent in Melbourne about your pathway. Book a time that suits you.