485 Visa Processing Time: Current Home Affairs Figures

You have finished your course, your Student visa end date is getting closer, and the question on your mind is simple. How long will the 485 take?

The answer depends on your stream. Home Affairs publishes separate figures for the Post-Higher Education Work stream and the Post-Vocational Education Work stream, and the gap between them is large.

That gap matters when you are planning work, rent or a trip home. A few weeks on a bridging visa feels very different from five months.

This guide gives the current Home Affairs times for each stream. It also explains what slows a file down and how the bridging visa keeps you lawful.

You will also see whether you can keep working while you wait, and what to do if your application passes the 90% time.

For the visa itself, streams and stay periods, see the 485 visa page. For the eligibility rules and document list, read the 485 visa requirements guide.

How long does a 485 visa take to process?

Most Post-Higher Education Work applications are decided within 55 days, and most Post-Vocational Education Work applications within 5 months.

These are the current global processing times (Home Affairs, updated 29 September 2026):

The figures cover applications decided up to 31 August 2026. Home Affairs updates them monthly, so check the global visa processing times page before you plan around them.

Why is the Post-Vocational stream slower?

• It needs a skills assessment application for an occupation linked to your trade qualification.
• Officers often check that assessment and your occupation before deciding.
• A processing time is a guide based on past decisions, not a promise for your file.

How do you apply for a 485 visa?

You apply online through ImmiAccount, and you must be in Australia (but not in immigration clearance) when you lodge.

• Create or log in to your ImmiAccount.
• Choose your stream carefully. Home Affairs says you cannot change it after you apply.
• Attach every document, including evidence that each applicant aged 16 or over has applied for an AFP check and evidence of health insurance. The 485 visa requirements guide has the full list.
• Add any family members to the same application, with their own documents.
• Pay the visa application charge. Home Affairs cannot treat the application as valid without it.

What slows a 485 visa down?

Missing documents and unanswered requests are the most common reasons a 485 sits past the 50% time.

Common causes of delay

• No evidence of an AFP check application, or the wrong type of check.
• Health exams not done until Home Affairs asks for them.
• A request for more information that sits unanswered in ImmiAccount.
• Details that do not match across your passport, transcript and completion letter.
• For Post-Vocational, a skills assessment that is still open or in a different occupation.

What helps a faster decision

• Arrange health exams before you lodge. Home Affairs says this “may lead to a faster decision”.
• Upload a complete, decision-ready application on day one.
• Check ImmiAccount often and reply to any request within the time given. Home Affairs can decide once that time has passed.

Can you stay in Australia while your 485 is processed?

Yes. When you lodge a valid 485 in Australia, you are granted a Bridging visa A (BVA). It starts if your Student visa expires before a decision.

Home Affairs is clear: do not cancel your current visa, as that would leave you in Australia unlawfully. The BVA also ceases if you leave Australia. If you need to travel while you wait, apply for a Bridging visa B before you go so you can return.

Read more in the guide to Bridging visa A work rights.

Waiting on a 485 decision and unsure where you stand? A MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration can check your bridging visa, conditions and next steps. Book a consultation.

Can you work while waiting for your 485?

Usually yes, but the hours depend on the conditions on your current visa or BVA, so check them in VEVO.

• Student visa holders can work up to 48 hours a fortnight while the course is in session.
• Student visa holders can work unlimited hours when the course is not in session.
• If your BVA stops or limits work and you are in financial hardship, you can apply for a further BVA that lets you work.
• Once the 485 is granted, there is no limit on the hours you can work.

What should you do if your 485 is past the 90% processing time?

Wait until your application is clearly outside the 90% figure for your stream, then contact Home Affairs. Before that point, Home Affairs says it “cannot give status updates while your application is within standard processing timeframes”.

• Check ImmiAccount for any request you may have missed.
• Confirm your health exams and AFP check evidence show as received.
• Update Home Affairs if your address, passport or family details have changed.
• Use the Home Affairs contact us page to make an enquiry.
• Keep your BVA conditions in mind, and do not leave Australia without a Bridging visa B.

How do you know if your 485 is approved?

Home Affairs tells you in writing through ImmiAccount. A grant letter shows:

• Your visa grant number.
• Your visa conditions.
• The date your visa starts and ends.

If the application is refused, the letter explains why and whether you have review rights. Read it closely, as review deadlines are short.

Can you travel outside Australia on a 485 visa?

Yes. A granted 485 lets you leave and return as many times as you want while it is valid. The limit is before the grant: a BVA ceases when you depart, so you need a Bridging visa B to come back.

How The Migration Helps

The Migration helps graduates lodge a 485 that is ready for a decision, so time is not lost on avoidable requests.

• Stream check, so you lodge in the stream that matches your qualification.
• Document review before lodgement, including AFP and health insurance evidence.
• Bridging visa and travel advice while you wait.
• A plan for what comes after the 485, from employer sponsorship to skilled visas.
• Advice from a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738). Check the MARA register.
• 7+ years helping students and graduates in Australia.

485 Visa Processing Time: Final Thoughts

Right now, most Post-Higher Education Work applications are decided within 55 days and most Post-Vocational Education Work applications within 5 months. A complete application, early health exams and quick replies give your file the best chance of landing inside those times. No migration agent can guarantee a visa outcome.

If you want your 485 checked before you lodge, speak with a MARA-registered migration agent (MARN 2518738) at The Migration. Book your consultation.

Frequently asked questions