GRADUATE VISA PREPARATION
Finishing your Australian studies can bring several decisions at once: collecting final records, planning your next step and understanding which migration questions need attention. If you are considering a Temporary Graduate visa, start with your own documents and circumstances, not another graduate’s outcome.
TILSAVV can help you discuss subclass 485 questions and organise the information needed for an individual consultation. Mmanu Bhardwaj, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 2518871, provides migration advice. This page is a starting point for preparation, not an eligibility decision or a promise of a visa.
Understand the question before choosing a pathway
The Temporary Graduate visa is a temporary visa associated with completing Australian studies. Home Affairs distinguishes the Post-Vocational Education Work, Post-Higher Education Work and Second Post-Higher Education Work streams. Which stream may be relevant depends on your qualifications and circumstances; the names are not interchangeable.
Use the official Home Affairs overview as a reference, then bring your questions to a consultation. Do not assume a course completion letter, a graduation invitation or a friend’s visa tells you whether you can apply. If an important date is approaching, explain that when contacting us rather than waiting until every document is perfectly filed.
How a consultation can help
A useful discussion starts with a clear account of where you are now and what you want to understand. You might be completing a course, waiting for final records, comparing the available streams or asking how graduate-visa questions relate to your longer-term plans.
Prepare the questions that matter to your decision. Ask which information is missing, what needs further checking and what the next agreed step would involve. Before requesting application work, clarify the proposed scope, responsibilities and costs. A conversation about one visa should not be mistaken for an assessment of every future migration option.
Prepare a clear study and visa timeline
Write a short timeline using the records you already hold. Include your course and provider names, campuses, enrolment periods, changes of course or provider, and the dates shown on completion-related documents. Keep the original documents alongside the summary so any differences can be explained.
Add your relevant visa history, current grant notice, previous applications and any decision notices or correspondence that may affect the discussion. Flag travel plans and dates you are unsure about. Do not guess a missing date or leave out a difficult part of the history because it feels awkward. Accurate information helps identify the questions that actually need advice.
Bring records, not just screenshots of somebody else’s checklist
The following is a consultation-preparation list, not a complete visa application checklist and not a statement that every item is required in every case:
- Identity records and the current visa documents you already hold.
- Available course completion correspondence, academic transcripts and enrolment records.
- A note of course, provider or campus changes, gaps and any inconsistent dates.
- Any English-test, skills-assessment, insurance or other records you want the adviser to consider, if relevant to your questions.
- Relevant family circumstances and earlier migration correspondence.
- Your main questions, upcoming commitments and documents still outstanding.
Keep a simple contents list and label files by what they are. If a record is missing, write “not yet available” and note whom you have asked. Avoid altering an original document to make a timeline look neater. Share private records only through a secure channel agreed with the adviser; an initial enquiry does not need your entire personal file.
Keep graduate-visa planning separate from a promise of permanent residence
A sensible next step is not the same thing as a guaranteed long-term outcome. Ask separately about your immediate graduate-visa questions, your study or employment plans and any future migration options you want assessed. Information about a temporary visa should not be treated as a promise of permanent residence, employment or sponsorship.
If you are still considering study options, use our existing Student visa service page. For a practical way to organise your first discussion, see our consultation preparation guide. These resources serve different purposes and do not replace advice based on your records.
Common preparation questions
Can this page tell me whether I am eligible?
No. It explains how to prepare for a discussion. Your circumstances and the current requirements need to be assessed before advice can be given about an application. Do not treat the preparation list as confirmation that you satisfy a stream.
Should I wait until my graduation ceremony?
Do not rely on the ceremony date as your only planning reference. Bring the actual course and completion records you have and ask which dates matter in your circumstances. This page does not calculate an application deadline.
What if I have changed courses or have missing records?
Explain the sequence openly and identify the gaps. Bring the documents available and a note of what you have requested from the provider. The purpose of preparation is to make uncertainties visible, not to hide them behind a tidy folder.
Can I enquire from Wyndham Vale or Manor Lakes?
TILSAVV welcomes enquiries from Geelong, including North Geelong, Wyndham Vale, Manor Lakes and across Australia. North Geelong is the verified business location; these other areas are markets served, not separate offices. Contact us to discuss the arrangements appropriate for your enquiry.
Official references
Checked 16 October 2026: Home Affairs — Temporary Graduate visa and Study Australia — Temporary Graduate visa. The organisation suggestions on this page are original preparation guidance, not a government document checklist.
