Last Updated: 24 March 2026

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To apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), you need identity documents, study completion evidence, English test results, health insurance, and character documents. The exact list varies by stream — Post-Higher Education Work (PHEW), Post-Vocational Education Work (PVEW), and Second Post-Higher Education Work each have different requirements.

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The Department of Home Affairs does not publish a single fixed checklist. Your personalised list is generated through the DHA Document Checklist Tool and confirmed in ImmiAccount once you start your application. That list is the one that counts.

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This page covers what most applicants need across all three streams, based on official Department of Home Affairs guidance. For a full overview of eligibility, duration, and conditions, see the 485 visa complete guide.

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Jump to your stream:

• Post-Higher Education Work (PHEW)

• Post-Vocational Education Work (PVEW)

• Second Post-Higher Education Work

• Family member documents

• Preparing and submitting documents

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Documents Required for All 485 Visa Streams

These documents apply regardless of which stream you are applying under.

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Identity Documents

Provide the bio-data pages of your current passport showing your photo, personal details, and passport issue and expiry dates.

Also provide:

• A national identity card, if you have one

• Proof of change of name, if your name differs across documents

Accepted proof of name change includes a marriage or divorce certificate, change of name documents from an Australian Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, or documents showing other names you have been known by.

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Health Insurance Documents

You must prove you have adequate health insurance in Australia for the full duration of the visa. Provide one or more of the following:

• A signed letter from your health insurance provider

• A Medicare card or proof of Medicare enrolment

• Evidence of Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC)

If you are still on a student visa at the time of lodgement, your current OSHC may be accepted initially — but the Department may contact you to obtain OVHC before a decision is made. Arrange OVHC early to avoid delays.

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Post-Higher Education Work Stream Documents

This section covers the document requirements for the PHEW stream — the most commonly applied stream for bachelor, masters, and doctoral graduates.

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Study Documents

You must prove you meet the Australian study requirement. Your education provider must confirm you have successfully completed your course.

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Required documents include:

• A course completion letter from your education provider stating your course name, CRICOS code, and completion date

• Official academic transcripts

• Confirmation the course was CRICOS-registered

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Your completion letter carries the most weight. Vague or incomplete letters — missing the CRICOS code or completion date — regularly trigger Departmental requests for resubmission.

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For the full list of study evidence required, refer to the Department's Meeting the Temporary Graduate visa study requirement page.

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English Language Documents

You must provide evidence of English proficiency unless you hold a valid passport from the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland.

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Accepted tests include IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT, CELPIP, OET, MET, and LANGUAGECERT Academic. Results must have been taken within the 12 months immediately before lodging and must still be valid on the day you submit. An expired result is treated the same as no result at all.

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For minimum scores by test, sub-skill, and passport type (including BNO and Hong Kong), see the TR 485 English Requirement guide.

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Character Documents (PHEW)

You and every other applicant aged 16 or over must provide evidence that you applied for an Australian Federal Police (AFP) check within the 12-month period ending the day before you submit your visa application.

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AFP timing rules — read carefully:

• You must not apply for the AFP check on the same day as your visa application

• You must apply no earlier than 12 months before and no later than the day before your visa application date

• The AFP system may take up to 24 hours to generate a receipt — the application submission confirmation page can be saved as evidence of the date you applied

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Only complete disclosure National Police Certificates (Immigration/Citizenship — Australia Name Check Only) issued by the Australian Federal Police are accepted. The Department does not accept standard disclosure certificates, state or territory police certificates, or certificates from any other organisation.

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You must complete and provide:

• Form 80 — Personal particulars for character assessment

• Form 1221 — Additional personal particulars information

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If requested, you may also need to provide:

• An overseas police certificate from each country where you have lived for a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16, including your home country

• Military service records or discharge papers if you served in the armed forces of any country

Overseas police certificate processing times vary significantly by country. Start these early — some take weeks to arrive.

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Post-Vocational Education Work Stream Documents 

The PVEW stream is for graduates with associate degrees, diplomas, or trade qualifications linked to an occupation on the skilled occupation list. In addition to the common documents above, this stream requires a skills assessment.

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Study Documents

Same requirements as the PHEW stream — course completion letter (with CRICOS code and completion date), academic transcripts, and confirmation of CRICOS registration.

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English Language Documents

Same requirements as the PHEW stream — accepted tests, minimum scores, and validity rules are identical. See the TR 485 English Requirement guide for the full score breakdown.

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Skills Assessment Documents

You must provide evidence that the relevant assessing authority has assessed your skills as suitable for your nominated occupation.

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Key points:

• Assessing authorities may require a higher level of study than what the PVEW stream itself requires — confirm requirements with the relevant authority for your occupation before applying

• If you have not yet received your skills assessment, you must provide evidence you have already applied to the relevant assessing authority

• Skills assessments are valid for a maximum of 3 years, unless a shorter expiry date is specified on the assessment

• You must attach the completed assessment in ImmiAccount when it is available

Find the relevant assessing authority for your occupation on the skilled occupation list.

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Character Documents (PVEW)

Same AFP timing rules as the PHEW stream apply — apply for your AFP check no earlier than 12 months before and no later than the day before your visa application date. Form 80 and Form 1221 are required.

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Second Post-Higher Education Work Stream Documents 

This stream is for graduates who have already held a 485 visa in the Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work, or Replacement stream and have resided in a designated regional area for at least 2 years. You must be in Australia to apply.

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Identity Documents

Same as other streams — passport bio-data pages, national identity card if applicable, proof of name change if relevant.

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Residence Documents

This is the key document category unique to this stream. You must prove you lived in a designated regional area for at least 2 years immediately before lodging your application.

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Your evidence must show:

• That you lived in a designated regional area for a continuous period of at least 2 years before lodging

• That you continued to live in the designated regional area throughout that 2-year period

• That you continue to live in a designated regional area at the time of application

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Accepted residence evidence (copies of documents in your name) includes:

• Driver's licence

• Utility bills

• Mortgage documents or tenancy agreements

• Bank statements

• Documents relating to your children's schooling

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Work and Study Documents

If you worked or studied while living in a designated regional area during your 485 visa, you must provide evidence that the work and/or study was completed in that regional area.

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Health Insurance Documents

Same requirements as other streams — signed letter from your health insurance provider, Medicare card or proof of enrolment, or evidence of OVHC.

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Character Documents (Second PHEW)

The AFP check works differently for this stream. You must provide an AFP National Police Check to be granted this visa — the timing requirement differs from the PHEW and PVEW streams. Complete Form 80 and Form 1221 if requested.

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You may also need to provide overseas police certificates from every country where you lived for 12 months or more in the last 10 years since turning 16.

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Previous 485 Visa Evidence

You must provide evidence of your previous Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) held in the Post-Higher Education Work, Post-Study Work, or Replacement stream.

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Family Member Documents 

If you are including a partner or dependants in your application, each person needs their own documentation.

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Partner Documents

Provide your partner's:

• Identity documents (passport bio-data pages)

• Character documents (AFP check if aged 16 or over)

If you are married, provide your marriage certificate or other evidence that your marriage is recognised in Australia.

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If you are in a de facto relationship, provide proof of your de facto relationship. You must also provide evidence that:

• You have been in the de facto relationship for at least 12 months before you applied, or

• Your relationship is registered by a participating Australian state or territory

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Dependants Under 18

For every dependant aged 18 or younger applying with you:

• Copies of birth certificates or the family book showing both parents' names

• Copies of adoption papers, if applicable

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Parental responsibility: If the child has another parent or guardian not travelling to Australia who has a legal right to decide where the child lives, that person must complete either Form 1229 (Consent form to grant an Australian visa to a child under 18) or a statutory declaration giving consent.

 

Alternatively, you can provide an Australian court order permitting the child to travel, or evidence that the laws of your home country permit it.

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Dependants Over 18

To include a child over 18 in your application, they must be:

• Aged 18–22 and dependent on you or your partner, or

• Aged 23 or over and unable to earn a living due to physical or cognitive limitations and dependent on you or your partner

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Provide:

• A copy of their birth certificate

• Identity documents

• Character documents

• A completed Form 47a — Details of a child or other dependent family member aged 18 years or over

• Proof of financial dependency (bank statements, money transfers, rent receipts)

• If the child is aged 23 or likely to turn 23 during processing — a report from a qualified medical practitioner confirming dependency due to total or partial loss of bodily or mental functions

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Preparing and Submitting Your Documents 

Translation Requirements

All non-English documents must be translated into English. Provide both the original and translated document in your application.

• Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI)

• Translators outside Australia do not need to be accredited, but must include their full name, address, telephone number, and qualifications and experience in the language translated — in English

You do not need to have documents certified.

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Scanning and Photographing

Scan or photograph all documents (English and non-English) in colour. Scans and photos must be clear and legible. If a document is more than one page, save it as a single file.

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What You Must Attach at Lodgement

When you submit your application in ImmiAccount, you must attach at a minimum (see the full how to apply for the 485 visa guide for lodgement steps):

• Evidence of successful course completion

• Evidence of the required English level

• Evidence that all applicants aged 16 or over have applied for an AFP check (PHEW and PVEW streams)

• Evidence of adequate health insurance for all applicants

• Evidence of skills assessment application in your nominated occupation (PVEW stream only)

• Evidence of residence in a designated regional area (Second PHEW stream only)

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Common Document Mistakes That Cause Delays

Incomplete applications drive the majority of processing delays. The most common triggers:

• Expired English test results — check validity before lodging; an expired result counts as no result

• Completion letters missing the CRICOS code or completion date — providers sometimes issue vague letters that the Department will not accept

• AFP check applied on the wrong date — applying on the same day as your visa application is not accepted; apply at least one day before

• Missing overseas police certificates — if you lived overseas for 12+ months since age 16, these are required and can take weeks to obtain

• Inconsistent personal details across documents — name spelling differences, date of birth discrepancies, or mismatched passport numbers pause applications

A Departmental request for further information (Section 56 notice) pauses your application entirely until you respond. Each delay adds weeks or months to your processing time. See current 485 visa processing times to understand what to expect.

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How to Get Your Personalised Checklist

Use the DHA Document Checklist Tool before you lodge. Once you start your application in ImmiAccount, the system generates a tailored list based on your specific circumstances. That list overrides any third-party guide, including this page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does the government publish an official TR 485 document checklist?

No fixed list exists. The Department generates a personalised checklist through the Document Checklist Tool on their website and through ImmiAccount once you start your application.

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When exactly do I need to apply for my AFP check?

You must apply no earlier than 12 months before and no later than the day before your visa application date. Applying on the same day as your visa application is not accepted. This rule applies to the PHEW and PVEW streams. For the Second PHEW stream, the AFP check is required at the time of grant rather than at lodgement.

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Do my English test results need to be valid when I lodge, or when the visa is decided?

Valid at lodgement. Check your expiry date before you submit — an expired result means you have no English evidence on file. See the TR 485 English Requirement guide for accepted tests and minimum scores.

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Do I need to certify my documents?

No. The Department does not require certified copies. Scanned or photographed copies in colour are accepted.

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What happens if I don't have my skills assessment yet?

(PVEW stream) You can still lodge your application — but you must provide evidence that you have already applied to the relevant assessing authority. You must then attach the completed assessment in ImmiAccount once it is issued.

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Can a migration agent check my documents before I lodge?

Yes — and this removes the most common delay triggers before lodgement. A registered migration agent reviews your documents against your specific circumstances and identifies gaps before you submit.

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Get Your Documents Reviewed Before You Lodge

Missing or incorrect documents are the most common reason 485 visa applications are delayed or refused. RACC's registered migration agents review your full document package before lodgement, identify gaps, and ensure your application is complete before it reaches the Department.

Book a free consultation

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This page provides general information based on official Department of Home Affairs guidance. Visa requirements can change. Confirm your personalised requirements through the DHA Document Checklist Tool and ImmiAccount before lodging.