Australian Visa Application Checklist: Documents You Need Before You Apply
September 9, 2026
Getting your Australian visa application right the first time comes down to one thing more
These visas allow international students to study in Australia and, upon completion, certain eligible graduates may apply for post-study temporary work visas to gain valuable work experience and potentially transition to longer-term residency options.
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Subclass 500
Australia is well known for its high quality of education – and studying in Australia can be a great choice to pursue your studies within a well-organised education system.
If you apply for a student visa for Australia, the level of documentation you need to provide will be determined by your choice of education provider and your country of citizenship.
Subclass 485
Australia visa for graduate students: Start your career here.
You are studying in Australia and you’d like to stay and work here. The Skilled Temporary Graduate visa subclass 485 is a temporary work visa for you to live and work in Australia upon completion of your course.
We are a team of immigration specialists guiding individuals, families and corporates who aspire to migrate to Australia. Our migration consultancy has a successful track record in visa approval, with a fair fee structure.
We guide individuals, families, and businesses through
Australia's immigration process with a successful track record.
AustraliaMigrate Pty Ltd has been helping people around the world successfully apply for Australian visas for over 25 years. Our professional specialists are highly experienced in the migration environment.
We guide individuals and businesses through the complex migration process to Australia. With long years of industry experience, our immigration specialists have built a reputation of providing accessible, accurate and genuine advice to our esteemed clients.
Occupation: Chef
Ranjeet Kumar, a young man from India, studied and completed Certificate IV in Commercial Cookery and Advanced Diploma of Hospitality Management at one Sydney’s hospitality management institutes in June 2020. His course took him 2 years and 3 months to complete. He approached us to help with his 485 Graduate Visa application.
AustraliaMigrate advised him that a skill assessment as a chef with TRA was required. As he had not completed a degree level qualification he could not apply for the Post Study Work Stream. Fortunately, his occupation of chef was on the 485 list of occupations.
We assisted Ranjeet to apply for his Skills Assessment with TRA and he received a successful outcome. With a positive skill assessment, Ranjeet’s 485 application was lodged together with the other documents required at the lodgement stage, such as an English language test (IELTS or PTE). His visa was granted for 18 months which means he has time to build his work experience as a chef.
RANJEET KUMAR
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If you have completed the requirements of the Australian Study Requirements which involved studying in Australia under a CRICOS Registered course, then you are eligible to apply for a 485 visa;
Yes, you can work while you’re studying in Australia. International students are permitted to work a maximum of 48 hours per fortnight during study periods and unlimited hours during study breaks. There are no work restrictions for students completing a masters by research or doctoral degree.
You have completed 1 or more degrees, diplomas or trade qualifications for an award by an Australian educational institution as a result of a course or courses:
(a) that are registered courses; and
(b) that were completed in a total of at least 16 calendar months; and
(c) that were completed as a result of a total of at least 2 academic years study; and
(d) for which all instruction was conducted in English; and
(e) undertaken while in Australia as the holder of an appropriate visa;
(f) an academic year is defined as a total of at least 46 weeks.
No, you can pay your tuition in instalments – usually every 3 to 6 months depending on the institution.
The exception is for English courses, where you must pay the first 3 months upfront.
You may be able to apply for the 485 Post-Vocational Education Work Stream only if your occupation is on the Medium and Long‑term Strategic Skills List. In addition, you will you need to have a skills assessment of that occupation undertaken by the relevant skills assessing authority of that occupation. Once approved, an 18-month visa will be granted, with no work restrictions;
Yes, you can request voluntary cancellation of your student visa after lodging your partner visa application. However, before proceeding, it is important to understand the potential implications, such as bridging visa conditions and work rights. We recommend consulting with AustraliaMigrate for expert guidance tailored to your situation.
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