In short (as at 12 November 2026): New regulations start on 13 November 2026. For a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) application made on or after that day, your family members can be included only in certain cases, and they must apply at the same time as you. You cannot add family to a 485 later.
Source: Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 and its explanatory statement, Federal Register of Legislation, checked 12 November 2026.
If you are an international graduate planning to apply for a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485), and you want your partner or children on your application, these changes matter. The Government made new regulations on 12 November 2026, and they start the day after they were registered: 13 November 2026. They apply to applications made on or after that date.
The Government says the aim is to keep the 485 as a way for recent graduates to gain Australian work experience, rather than a pathway for family migration, and to match the family rules already in place for the student visa since 2 October 2026.
Rules and dates can change, so this information may be out of date by the time you read it. Please check the Department of Home Affairs website for the latest details, or contact us before you act.
What changes for graduates with family
- Family can be included only in set cases. A partner or child can be on your 485 application only if you or they fit one of the cases listed below.
- Everyone applies together. Family members must apply at the same time as you, in one combined application.
- No adding family later. Once you hold a 485, you cannot add family members to it afterwards.
- You must be in Australia to apply. The main applicant must be in Australia, but not in immigration clearance. Family members can apply from inside or outside Australia, but not in immigration clearance.
Who can be included on your 485 application
A family member can be included on your application only if one or more of these applies:
- You hold a Pacific-region or ASEAN passport. The regulation refers to a Pacific-regional country or a country listed in the Migration Regulations. The Government’s explanation describes these as Pacific and ASEAN member countries.
- Your last student visa was for a completed doctoral degree (PhD).
- Your studies were fully funded by a foreign government. This covers each course on your most recent student visa.
- Your child was born after your last visa was granted. The child must be born after your most recent student visa or 485 was granted.
- Your family member is already with you on a visa as your secondary applicant. They held a student visa as your secondary applicant on 2 October 2026 or at any time in the 6 months before you apply, or they hold or recently held (in the last 6 months) a 485 as your secondary applicant.
The Government says this lets family members who have already been in Australia with you stay together on a 485. It also covers family members of students who were here before the 2 October 2026 student visa changes and could not extend their own student visa afterwards. New family members who were not on your previous student or 485 visa generally cannot be added, unless you are in one of the groups listed in points 1 to 3.
What happens if the application does not meet the rules
An application that does not meet these requirements is not a valid application. Home Affairs cannot consider it, a visa cannot be granted, and there is no merits review. Judicial review through the courts remains available. This is why it matters to check your family’s situation before you lodge, not after.
Common questions
Can I add my partner or child to my 485 after it is granted?
No. Under the new rules, family members must be part of the same combined application, made at the same time as yours. The Government has removed the option of adding family members later.
My partner is overseas. Can they be included?
Family members can apply from outside Australia. But unless you are in one of the groups in points 1 to 3 above, a partner who has not held a student visa or 485 with you as your secondary applicant (in the periods described) generally cannot be included. A child born after your last visa was granted can be included.
My family is here with me on my student visa. Can they stay with me on my 485?
If they hold your student visa as your secondary applicant, or held it on 2 October 2026 or within the 6 months before you apply, they can be included. You must apply at the same time and in a combined application.
Do I need to be in Australia to apply?
Yes. As the main applicant, you must be in Australia (but not in immigration clearance) when you apply.
What to do now
- Check which of the five cases fits your situation, and keep evidence of your family’s current and previous visas.
- Plan to lodge one combined application for everyone who will be on your 485.
- Check the dates. Applications made on or after 13 November 2026 are covered by the new rules.
- If your family may not fit any case, talk to a registered migration agent before your student visa ends, so you know your options.
The regulation also removes old rules for the 485 Replacement stream, which closed to new applications in 2024, and applies public interest criteria 4017 and 4018 to main applicants under 18. If you are weighing a 485 against a further student visa, see our guide on whether to apply for a 485 or a further student visa.
To discuss your own situation, book a consultation with Sohail Cheema, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 1170438).
Source: Migration Amendment (Temporary Graduate Visa Reform) Regulations 2026 (F2026L01500) and its explanatory statement, Federal Register of Legislation, checked 12 November 2026. Requirements are set by the Department of Home Affairs and can change. This post is general information only and does not constitute migration advice.
Update log
- 12 November 2026: First version, after the Temporary Graduate Visa Reform Regulations 2026 were made. They start on 13 November 2026.
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