We know that this is an exciting time of year when most people would like to go visit family overseas or go on a trip to celebrate graduation.
BEFORE you book your tickets though, you must consider the following:
You must be in Australia when your 485 Temporary Graduate (TR) visa is decided.
If you apply now, but are overseas when your 485 TR visa is decided, Immigration has a right to refuse your visa. Whilst the chance of refusal simply because you're overseas this is low, especially if you still have a valid Student visa or Bridging Visa B, HOWEVER, if for any reason you don't meet a certain criteria and Immigration refuses your 485 visa whilst you are overseas, you do not have the rights to appeal to AAT.
Therefore, it is highly recommended that you remain in Australia until your 485 visa is approved.
Need to travel urgently? You should keep your trip as short as possible.
Yes, the current published processing time is 64 - 72 days for the Post-Study Work Stream (PSWS), and 86 days - 5 months for Graduate Work Stream (GWS). However, these published times are a guide only and doesn't mean your visa won't get approved earlier. We've had PSWS visas approved in only 6 days, and GWS visas in as little as 2 months, so bear this in mind before you book your tickets.
To remove the stress, it is highly recommended that you remain in Australia while your visa is being processed. If it is urgent that you must go overseas, we would recommend to keep your trip as short as possible. After all, you are paying $1,535 for this visa. Losing this opportunity to extend your stay in Australia could be very stressful and costly. So the question you must answer is: Is the trip right now really worth it?
If you have any questions about your situation and whether you should travel, please feel free to contact us.