VisaAustralia requires families to apply together for a graduate visa
For subclass 485 applications made from 13 November, eligible family members must file in a combined application with the graduate.
Official source date: 2026-11-12
Last verified against linked sources:
Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Check the date before planning a family application
Australia’s Temporary Graduate visa reform applies to new subclass 485 applications from 13 November 2026. Eligible partners and children must apply together with the graduate. The new rules end separate subsequent entrant applications for family joining a graduate who already holds the visa. Schedule 13 applies the changes according to the application date, so an application made before commencement remains under the previous rules.
The Home Affairs Post-Higher Education Work page available when checked still described later applications by family members. Its evidence and stream information remains useful, but the new regulation governs new applications. A person who already holds a graduate visa and had planned for a family member to join later should reassess the intended visa before paying or arranging travel.
Check the family member’s previous visa and present location
The government’s explanatory statement describes a route for dependants who already held a Student or Temporary Graduate visa as a family member of the same primary applicant. Check whether the person holds that visa now or held it in the six months before the new application. For a Student visa, the regulation also recognises a qualifying visa held on 2 October 2026. A visa grant letter can help match the holder, date and primary applicant across the previous and new files.
The prior visa condition has exceptions linked to the graduate’s passport from specified Pacific or Southeast Asian countries, a completed doctorate tied to the most recent Student visa, or study on that visa fully funded by a foreign government. A child born after the grant of the graduate’s latest Student or graduate visa may also qualify. Use the regulation’s exact passport and course provisions if relying on an exception.
A family member can join the combined application from overseas or from Australia outside immigration clearance. An onshore dependant needs a substantive visa, a qualifying Bridging A or B visa, or must meet a narrow 28-day provision after a specified tribunal decision concerning cancellation of a Student visa.
Prepare evidence for the family and the graduate
Home Affairs’ Form 1496i explains how to document a family relationship. A partner can provide evidence of a valid marriage or of a genuine continuing de facto relationship, as applicable. A birth certificate or adoption papers can establish the parent-child relationship. Where an older child relies on financial dependence, check the document’s age and dependency criteria before assuming they can be included. For children under 18, check whether parental consent, a custody order or other evidence of authority is required.
The graduate should use the department’s study requirement page to prepare the education provider’s completion letter and transcripts. The department distinguishes course completion from the date a qualification is formally conferred. Check the relevant stream and study rules against the completion date before scheduling the combined filing. Use Visa Entitlement Verification Online to check the visa currently in effect. The VEVO guide explains that the service shows the current grant and conditions. Use earlier grant notices to establish the visa history needed for the six-month or 2 October test, because VEVO does not display previous grants.
Check the charge for each person before filing in ImmiAccount
The Post-Higher Education Work guidance lists a standard principal charge of AUD 5,750, with limited concessions and separate charges for family members. Use Home Affairs’ current pricing estimator and check the amounts shown for the selected stream and family members before paying. The fee guidance notes that the applicable price depends on when the application is received. Medical checks and other evidence can add separate costs.
Use ImmiAccount to submit the application and follow the evidence prompts for each person. Keep each family member’s passport and relevant visa grants available when entering the details. For an earlier lodged case or an unusual visa history, check the exact date and records before starting another application. The public sources do not establish how a particular draft or incomplete transaction will be treated.
