From 13 November 2026, eligible partners and children must apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485) at the same time as the main applicant, in a combined application. Separate subsequent entrant applications are no longer available for new lodgements from that date. Watch the 32-second...
From 13 November 2026, eligible partners and children must apply for the Temporary Graduate visa (Subclass 485) at the same time as the main applicant, in a combined application. Separate subsequent entrant applications are no longer available for new lodgements from that date.
Watch the 32-second overview: Subclass 485 family visa changes on YouTube.
Who can apply with the graduate?
A member of the main applicant’s family unit must meet at least one of these six conditions, as well as the other visa requirements:
- The main applicant holds a passport from a Pacific-regional country or a country listed in Schedule 1, subitem 1222(5A) of the Migration Regulations 1994.
- The main applicant’s most recent Student visa was granted for a doctoral degree they have completed.
- Each course covered by the main applicant’s most recent Student visa was fully funded by a foreign government.
- The child was born after the main applicant was granted their most recent Student or Subclass 485 visa.
- The family member holds a Student dependant visa linked to the same main applicant, held it on 2 October 2026, or held it in the six months immediately before lodging.
- The family member holds a Subclass 485 dependant visa linked to the same main applicant or held it in the six months immediately before lodging.
Can my partner apply from overseas?
Yes. An eligible family member can be inside or outside Australia at lodgement. The main applicant must be in Australia, and neither applicant can be in immigration clearance. A family member applying in Australia must also hold a substantive visa or a Bridging Visa A or B granted on the basis of a valid visa application, unless they meet a specific 28-day exception following an Administrative Review Tribunal decision concerning their Student visa cancellation.
What if a 485 application is already pending?
If your partner or child validly lodged their own 485 application before 13 November 2026, the previous rules apply to that application. If only the graduate lodged before that date, that does not preserve the family member’s ability to lodge separately from 13 November.
Example: A graduate from Nepal and their spouse
A Nepali coursework master’s graduate plans to apply for a 485. Their spouse holds a Student dependant visa linked to the graduate. They may be able to lodge together under the linked Student visa condition. If the spouse never held a linked visa, check whether another condition applies before assuming they can be included.
What to check before you lodge
Check each family member’s current visa, previous visa grant and expiry dates, whether their visa was linked to the same main applicant, and where they will be when you lodge. Prepare the combined application before submitting.
Contact Global Consult for an assessment of your family’s circumstances.
Official source: Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01500). See Schedule 1 item 1229, Schedule 2 clause 485.311 and Schedule 13 clause 17001 of the Migration Regulations 1994 as amended.
General information only. Individual eligibility depends on your circumstances and the rules at lodgement.
