What to Do After Your 485 Visa Expires in Australia

You finished your degree, found work and built a life here on your 485 visa. Now the end date on your grant letter is close, or it has already passed.

Friends mention a grace period. Others say you can extend the visa or go back to a Student visa. Most of that advice is now out of date.

The good news is that most people in this position still have lawful options. The earlier you look at them, the more of them stay open.

This guide explains what to do after a 485 visa expires in Australia, in the order it matters. It starts with your status on the day after the end date, then the bridging visa that keeps you lawful.

Next come six visa options, from employer sponsorship to a 190 or 491 visa. If you are still waiting on a SkillSelect invitation, there is a section for that too. All facts are as at October 2026.

If you would like your own dates checked, you can book a consultation with The Migration.

Your 485 has expired or ends soon: what happens the day after?

Your 485 visa ends on the date in your grant letter, and there is no grace period after it. From the next day, you are unlawful unless you already hold a bridging visa or another visa.

How to check your 485 visa end date

• VEVO: Log in to Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) with your passport and grant number. It shows your status, conditions and end date.
• Your Home Affairs account: Your grant letter is saved there and lists the date your visa ends.
• New passport: If you renewed your passport, update your details so VEVO and employer checks stay accurate.

The guide to using VEVO to check your visa conditions walks through each screen.

What changes once the end date passes?

• Status: Without another visa, you become an unlawful non-citizen the day after your 485 ends.
• Re-entry ban: If you overstay by more than 28 days, a ban of up to 3 years on new visas may apply, according to the Home Affairs re-entry ban page. A shorter overstay is still unlawful, so those 28 days are not a safe buffer.
• Work: You must stop working unless you hold a visa or bridging visa that allows it. Employers check this in VEVO.
• Health cover: Most 485 visa holders aren’t covered by Medicare unless they come from a country with a reciprocal health care agreement. Keep private health insurance active.
• Travel: If you leave Australia after your 485 ends, you can’t come back without a new visa.

Related article: 485 visa requirements for 2026–27

Can you stay in Australia after your 485 visa expires?

Yes, if you lodge a valid application for a new substantive visa before your 485 ends. A substantive visa is any visa that is not a bridging visa. Home Affairs then grants a bridging visa, which keeps you lawful while it decides.

A bridging visa doesn’t give you new rights by itself. It only holds your place while the main application is processed. So the plan always starts with choosing the right next visa.

Which bridging visa will you get?

• Bridging visa A (BVA): Granted when you lodge a valid application in Australia while you still hold your 485. It starts when your 485 ends. See the Home Affairs BVA page and the guide to Bridging visa A work rights.
• Bridging visa B (BVB): Lets a BVA holder leave and come back while the application is processed. You apply for a BVB separately, before you travel.
• Bridging visa C (BVC): Granted if you lodge a valid application when you no longer hold a substantive visa. The first BVC usually has no work rights, unless you applied for a visa on the Home Affairs list, such as the 491. Read the Bridging visa C guide.
• Further bridging visa with work: If your BVA or BVC doesn’t allow work, you can ask for another one that does. You usually need to show financial hardship.

One warning applies to every option. Section 48 of the Migration Act limits onshore applications after a visa is refused or cancelled. Expiry alone doesn’t trigger it. But once your BVA is in effect, a refusal of your new application can. A strong application lodged a little earlier is safer than a weak one lodged in a rush. The guide to bridging visas covers the details.

What if your 485 visa has already ended?

• Bridging visa E (BVE): Lets you stay lawfully while you arrange to leave or resolve your status. Your grant letter says whether you can work. See the guide to applying for a Bridging visa E.
• A late application: If a valid onshore application is still open to you, a BVC may follow. Many visas add extra tests when you apply without a substantive visa. They are usually easier to meet within 28 days of your visa ending.
• Leaving within 28 days: This avoids the re-entry ban described above, and you can apply for your next visa from overseas.

If your 485 has already ended, The Migration’s MARA-registered migration agents (MARN 2518738) can check which bridging visa you hold or can apply for. They can also confirm whether a new application is still open to you.

Your 485 is expiring, and you have no invitation yet: what now?

An Expression of Interest (EOI) in SkillSelect does not keep you lawful. It is not a visa application, so it gives you no bridging visa. Treat staying lawful and getting permanent residency (PR) as two separate problems, and solve the first one first.

How long do you actually have?

• You can lodge right up to your end date and still get a BVA.
• Set your real deadline 4 to 6 weeks before that date.
• Skills assessments, English tests and state nominations all take time. The last fortnight is a poor time to find a missing document.

Which options can you lodge in the time left?

Sort your options by lead time rather than by preference. Each one is a real application with its own rules, explained further down. What they share is that lodging one before your 485 ends gives you a BVA.

Lead times are a guide only, as at October 2026. State nomination timelines change without notice. A Student visa is not on this list. 485 holders have been unable to apply for a Student visa in Australia since 1 July 2024. The 2 October 2026 rules keep that bar, with no exemptions (see the FAQs).

Not sure which of these you qualify for? A MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration can compare them against your end date. You can book a consultation or try the points calculator first.

Can a 485 visa be extended?

No. Home Affairs can’t extend a 485 visa. The only second 485 is the Second Post-Higher Education Work stream, and it is narrow.

• Your first 485 must have come from a degree at a campus in a designated regional area.
• You must have lived only in a designated regional area for at least 2 years before you apply.
• You must still hold your first 485 when you apply, and be 35 or under (exceptions apply).
• Category 2 areas, such as Perth, Adelaide, the Gold Coast and Canberra, give 1 extra year. Category 3 areas give 2 extra years.
• If you studied and lived in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, this stream is not open to you.

Outside this stream, no one can hold a 485 as the main applicant twice. The 485 visa new rules guide tracks recent changes.

Does a temporary visa hurt your 189 chances?

No. Your EOI stays in SkillSelect for up to 2 years, whatever visa you hold. You can be on a 482, a second 485 or a bridging visa and still receive a subclass 189 visa invitation.

• A year on a 482 builds skilled work experience points.
• A Professional Year in accounting, ICT or engineering adds 5 points.
• A NAATI community language credential adds 5 points.
• A skilled partner can add 10 points.
• Each change gives your EOI a new date of effect.

The guide on applying for a 189 while working on a 485 walks through the move.

Should you keep waiting for an invitation?

• Check whether your occupation was invited in recent rounds. Home Affairs ranks people inside each occupation, and some got no invites at all.
• If yours was not invited, more waiting changes little. The 190 or 491 becomes the real pathway.
• If yours was invited and you are a few points short, still lodge something before your end date. A BVA costs you nothing if the invitation then arrives.

The 189 invitation rounds guide tracks the latest results.

Which visa options after a 485 can lead to PR?

Employer-sponsored visas, points-tested skilled visas and a partner visa can all lead to PR after a 485 visa. Further study can too, but it now starts outside Australia. The right one depends on your occupation, points, employer and relationship.

1. Employer-sponsored visas (482, 186 and 494)

The Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) replaced the Temporary Skill Shortage visa on 7 December 2024. An approved employer can sponsor you for up to 4 years.

Source: Home Affairs salary requirements, checked 23 October 2026.

• Experience: You need at least 12 months of full-time work in your job within the last 5 years. Work on your 485 counts if it is in the same or a closely related job.
• Subclass 186: The Employer Nomination Scheme visa is permanent. Its transition stream needs 2 years of sponsored work in the last 3 years while holding a 457 or 482 visa, or an eligible bridging visa.
• Subclass 494: The regional employer visa lasts up to 5 years and leads to the subclass 191 visa after 3 years.

2. Points-tested skilled visas (189, 190 and 491)

No employer is needed. You need 65 points to lodge an EOI, but 65 is the pass mark, not the score that gets invited.

• Subclass 189: Permanent, with no nomination. You need an invitation in a 189 round.
• Subclass 190: Permanent, with state or territory nomination worth 5 points. Each state sets its own list and rules. Victoria has ranked candidates with the Victorian Points Test since 13 October 2026.
• Subclass 491: A 5-year regional visa with nomination or family sponsorship worth 15 points. It leads to the 191 after 3 years of regional living and work.
• Skills assessment: A skills assessment issued only for a 485 may not be suitable for a 189, 190 or 491, so check it with the assessing authority before you lodge an EOI.

3. Partner visa

• If you are in a genuine relationship with an Australian citizen, PR holder or eligible New Zealand citizen, a partner visa may suit you.
• Onshore, it runs through the subclass 820 and then the 801 visa.
• You need strong evidence of the relationship, and the visa charge is high, so prepare it carefully.

4. Further study, lodged from outside Australia

• A new course can add points, such as 5 for study in regional Australia.
• 485 holders have been unable to apply for a Student visa in Australia since 1 July 2024. The 2 October 2026 rules keep that bar, with no exemptions. The application must be made from overseas. The FAQs below explain how.
• Most new Student visa applicants can no longer include a partner or children, apart from a few exempt groups.

How do you choose the right pathway after a 485?

Start with your end date, then match it to the fastest option you genuinely qualify for. These questions narrow it down:

• Occupation: Is it on the relevant list, and do you hold a current skills assessment?
• Points: How many can you claim today, and how many could you add in 6 months?
• Employer: Does your employer want to keep you and sponsor you?
• Location: Would you move to a regional area for a 491 or a second 485?
• Family: Do you have an Australian partner?
• Time: How many weeks remain before your real deadline?

The PR pathway roadmap shows how these visas connect.

How The Migration Helps

The Migration has more than 7 years of experience and MARA-registered migration agents (MARN 2518738). You can check any agent on the MARA register. The Migration is not part of Home Affairs, and the department makes every visa decision.

The team looks at your end date, occupation, points and work history. It then shows which option fits, prepares the forms and lodges in time for a bridging visa to apply. Professional fees are explained separately from Home Affairs charges before work starts.

Talking to an agent helps most when:

• Your 485 ends in the next 6 to 12 months and you have no next application planned.
• Your 485 has already ended, or you are not sure which bridging visa you hold.
• An employer has offered sponsorship, and you want it checked.
• You are close to an invitation score and want to compare 190 and 491 states.

If you are worried about a 485 visa expiring in Sydney, The Migration offers confidential consultations in the office or by Zoom, tailored to your situation and timeline.

If you are concerned about a 485 visa expiring in Melbourne, you can book an in-office or Zoom session at a time that suits you.

Conclusion

Knowing what to do after a 485 visa expires in Australia starts with one date. Lodge your next application before it, and a Bridging visa A keeps you lawful and usually working.

If the date has passed, a BVC or BVE may still give you a lawful base. From there, employer sponsorship, a 189, 190 or 491 visa, a partner visa or study from overseas can each lead to PR.

The Migration’s MARA-registered migration agents (MARN 2518738) can check your dates, points and options and set out a clear plan. Book your consultation to get started.

Frequently asked questions