The 485 Temporary Graduate Visa in 2026: Fee, Age Limit and Stay Durations

You came to Australia to study, you finished the degree, and now you want to stay and put it to work. That is exactly what the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) is for — a post-study work visa that lets eligible graduates remain in Australia after their course ends. But for Filipino graduates planning that move in 2026, two changes have landed hard: the visa fee has doubled, and the age door has narrowed.

If you were budgeting based on what a friend paid a year or two ago, the number is now very different. And if you assumed there was plenty of time to apply — well into your late thirties or forties — the rules have tightened there too. This guide lays out the 2026 fee, the age-35 cut-off and its exceptions, exactly how long you can stay, and the English rule that now expires faster than most people expect.

The 1 March 2026 fee doubling to AUD 4,600

Let's start with the change that stings the most. The base visa application charge for a primary subclass 485 applicant is now AUD 4,600, effective 1 March 2026. That is exactly double the previous AUD 2,300, and it is the most recent visa fee change in the whole system as of June 2026. For a Filipino graduate converting that to pesos, this is a serious line item — one that did not exist at this size when most current students first enrolled.

What makes this increase notable is the timing. Australian visa charges usually re-index on 1 July each year by a few per cent. This was different: a one-off doubling in the middle of the program year, on 1 March. It is a reminder that fees can change at any time, not just at the annual July review, so the figure you read today is the figure to confirm again before you lodge.

Two practical points. First, the AUD 4,600 is the primary applicant's base charge; if your spouse or children are included, additional applicant charges apply on top, so a family application costs considerably more. Second, the charge is a government fee paid to the Department of Home Affairs — it is separate from any professional fees, and it sits alongside the other costs of finishing study in Australia. Budget for it in pesos early, because there is no graduate-visa discount for Filipino nationals.

The age-35 cut-off (and the exceptions that still matter)

The second change is about who can apply at all. The Post-Higher Education Work (PHEW) stream — the main 485 stream for university graduates — now has an age limit of 35 or under at the time of application. That ceiling was lowered from 50 effective 1 July 2024, and it has caught out many would-be applicants who assumed graduate visas were open to all ages.

This matters a great deal for Filipino graduates who study later in life. If you complete a Bachelor or coursework Masters in Australia at, say, 37, the standard PHEW stream is closed to you by age alone, no matter how strong your results. That is why your study timeline and your age need to be planned together, not separately.

There are, however, real exceptions that keep the door open past 35:

• Masters by research and doctoral (PhD) graduates retain the more generous under-50 age limit. If a research pathway fits your goals, it can preserve your eligibility well into your forties.
• Hong Kong and British National (Overseas), or BN(O), passport holders also keep the under-50 limit. This is a passport-based exception and does not apply to a Philippine passport, but it is part of the rule and worth understanding if your situation is mixed.

The takeaway for most Filipino applicants is simple: if you are approaching 35 and the standard graduate visa matters to your plan, the age clock is real, and a research degree is the main route to a longer runway. This is general information only — a MARA-registered migration agent can confirm how the cut-off applies to your exact circumstances.

How long you can actually stay: 2, 3 or 4 years

The reward for the fee and the age hurdle is time — legitimate, full-work-rights time in Australia after graduation. How much you get depends on the qualification you completed, not on the visa fee you paid. The current PHEW stay durations are:

Qualification completed	Maximum stay (PHEW)
Bachelor degree (including honours)	Up to 2 years
Masters by coursework or extended	Up to 3 years
Masters by research	Up to 3 years
Doctoral degree (PhD)	Up to 4 years

Note the detail that trips people up: a Masters by coursework now gives up to 3 years, not two. Earlier guidance floating around online still quotes two years for coursework Masters and three for a PhD — both are out of date. The accurate picture for 2026 is two years for a Bachelor, three for either type of Masters, and four for a doctorate.

On top of these base durations, eligible graduates of regional institutions may receive a longer extension — a deliberate incentive to study and stay outside the big capital cities. If regional study is on your radar, the extra graduate-visa time can be a meaningful part of the decision. The earlier short-lived "2-year extended bonus" from mid-2024 has been removed, so do not plan around it.

English, and the new 12-month test-validity trap

The 485 has its own English requirement, and it is higher than the student visa's. You generally need IELTS 6.5 overall with no individual band below 5.5 (for a test taken on or after 23 March 2024), or an accepted equivalent from another approved provider.

Here is the change that quietly catches applicants out. From 7 August 2025, your English test result is valid for only 12 months — reduced from the previous three years. If you sat IELTS early in your degree and assumed it would still count at graduation, it may well have expired by the time you are ready to lodge the 485. The fix is straightforward but needs planning: time your English test so a valid result is in hand when you apply, not years before.

One more rule to respect: online or remote-proctored tests, including IELTS Online, are not accepted for the 485. You will need to sit an in-person, test-centre English exam. For Filipino graduates, that means booking a recognised test centre rather than relying on an at-home option, and factoring the test fee and scheduling into your timeline.

Planning the move from a 500 to a 485

The graduate visa is the bridge between finishing your studies on a student visa (subclass 500) and whatever comes next — skilled migration, employer sponsorship, or simply Australian work experience that strengthens a future application. Sequencing it well saves money and avoids gaps. A few principles tie this article together:

• Apply while your student visa is still valid. You generally lodge the 485 after completing your course but before your current visa runs out, so track your course end date and your visa expiry together.
• Have a current English result ready. Because results now expire after 12 months, schedule the test close to when you will lodge — not at the start of your degree.
• Mind the age clock. If you are nearing 35, the qualification you choose (and when you finish) can decide whether the standard PHEW stream is even open to you.
• Budget the full AUD 4,600 in pesos. Add any family-member charges, the in-person English test, health and character costs, and remember Australian fees can rise at any time.
• Think one step ahead. The 485 is temporary; use the two-to-four years of work rights deliberately, because the experience you gain can feed a later skilled or employer-sponsored pathway.

Done thoughtfully, the move from a 500 to a 485 turns an Australian degree into Australian work experience — and that experience is often the single most valuable thing a graduate can carry into the next stage of their migration plan.