Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485): who can include family from 13 November 2026

Updated on 13 November 2026

From 13 November 2026 you can only include a family member on your 485 application if they were on your previous visa, or you fall into an exempt group (Pacific or ASEAN national, PhD graduate, or fully government-funded student), or they are your newborn child. Everyone must apply at the same time. Nobody can be added later.

Key Dates

How to read the conditions on this page

Immigration rules turn on small words. We have marked them the same way throughout so you can see at a glance what is required.

The three ways to include a family member

A family member can be on your application only if at least one of these is true.

The sections below explain each one in full.

If none applies to a person, they cannot be included.

Way 1: they were on your previous visa

You can include only the same family members who were on your previous visa. You cannot include anyone who was not on it, unless you meet one of the exempt criteria in Way 2.

If you are applying for your first Temporary Graduate visa

If you are applying for your second Temporary Graduate visa

Other requirements that apply on top

Your family members can be in Australia or outside Australia.

Way 2: the exemptions

If you meet any one of the criteria below, you can include any family members. They do not need to have been on your previous Student or Temporary Graduate visa, and they can be existing or new family members.

Being exempt widens who you can include. It does not remove the other conditions. You must still be in Australia when you apply, and you and your family members must apply at the same time. You cannot add them later. Your family members can be in Australia or outside Australia. The Department's page does not list which countries count as Pacific or ASEAN for this purpose, so check your nationality against the Department's Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) page before you rely on this exemption.

Way 3: a newborn child

Born outside Australia: The child must have been born after you were granted your most recent Student visa or Temporary Graduate visa. You can include them in your first or second 485 application. You must be in Australia, the child can be in or outside Australia, and you must apply together. A child born outside Australia cannot be added after the visa is granted. Born in Australia: If you hold a Temporary Graduate visa when the child is born, they automatically hold a Temporary Graduate visa as a dependent. No separate application is needed, but you must notify the Department of the birth.

Where everyone needs to be

The primary applicant: In Australia. No exceptions are listed on the Department's page. Your family members: In Australia or outside Australia. Timing: All applicants must lodge at the same time, even if some are overseas.

No adding family later

Family members cannot apply separately as subsequent entrants. This applies to everyone, including applicants who qualify under the exempt criteria. If a person is not on your application when you lodge it, the rules on this page do not provide a way to bring them in afterwards, apart from a child born in Australia to a 485 holder, as explained above. Do not rely on ImmiAccount to check eligibility. ImmiAccount may let you add a family member who does not meet the new requirements. Being able to add them does not make them eligible. If they do not qualify, their application is invalid. An invalid application may affect their visa status, and if their visa has already expired they may not be able to apply for another visa. A decision that an application is invalid cannot be merits reviewed.

Before you apply

Frequently asked questions

When do the new rules start?

On 13 November 2026. Applications lodged before that date are assessed under the rules in place when they were lodged.

Have the rules for the main applicant changed?

No. The Department states that eligibility requirements for primary applicants have not changed. H3: I am an ASEAN or Pacific national.

Do I need to show my family was on my student visa?

No. Under the exemption you can include any family members. You must still be in Australia when you apply, and everyone must apply at the same time.

Can my partner apply later and join me?

No. Family members cannot apply later as subsequent entrants, separate from your application. Source. Department of Home Affairs, "Changes to Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) family member rules", page last updated 13 November 2026: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/changes-to-temporary-graduate-visa-subclass-485-family-member-rules

This article is general information only and is not legal or migration advice. Rules can change, so confirm your situation with the Department or a registered migration agent before lodging.