Australia has changed the rules governing which family members international graduates can include in a Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) application. The new requirements took effect on 13 November 2026 and are particularly important for Indian graduates who plan to remain in Australia after completing their studies.
The change concerns dependants, not the basic eligibility of the primary 485 visa applicant. The Australian Department of Home Affairs says the main applicant’s eligibility requirements have not changed. However, the rules now restrict which partners and children can be included, require eligible family members to apply at the same time, and remove the option for them to join later as subsequent entrants.
What changed in Australia’s 485 visa rules from November 13?
Under the revised rules, a Temporary Graduate visa applicant can generally include family members who were already included on their previous Student visa or first Temporary Graduate visa, provided they meet the Department of Home Affairs’ prescribed visa-status conditions. New family members can be included only in specified circumstances, such as where the applicant completed a PhD while holding a Student visa or completed a course fully funded by a foreign government.
The Department’s factsheet also confirms that family members can no longer apply separately at a later date as subsequent entrants. All eligible family members must be included and apply at the same time as the primary applicant, even when they are outside Australia.
Which family members can an Indian graduate include?
The Home Affairs guidance sets out three broad routes for including family members:
- Family members included on an earlier visa: Applicants can generally include the same family members who were included on their previous Student visa or first Temporary Graduate visa. The family member must also meet the specified recent visa-status test. This includes holding a Student visa as the applicant’s dependant, or having held one on 2 October 2026 or within the previous six months, or holding a Temporary Graduate visa or having held one within the previous six months.
- Specified exemptions: New or existing family members may be included where the applicant is a national of a Pacific or ASEAN country, completed a PhD while holding a Student visa, or completed a course fully funded by a foreign government while holding a Student visa.
- Newborn children: Separate provisions apply to children born after the applicant’s most recent Student or Temporary Graduate visa was granted. The timing and place of birth affect how the child can be included.
India is not a Pacific or ASEAN country. Indian applicants should therefore not assume that nationality alone creates an exemption. An Indian graduate may still qualify under the PhD or foreign-government-funded-course provisions, or may be able to include eligible family members who were already part of the previous visa arrangement.
Can a spouse or child join the graduate in Australia later?
No. The revised rules remove the subsequent-entrant option for family members of Temporary Graduate visa applicants. Eligible family members must be included in the main application and apply at the same time. They can be in Australia or overseas when the application is lodged, but they cannot be added later through a separate subsequent-entrant application.
The primary applicant must be in Australia when applying for the Temporary Graduate visa. The Department says eligible family members may be either inside or outside Australia at that time.
What if the 485 application was lodged before November 13?
The Department of Home Affairs says applications lodged before 13 November 2026 will be assessed under the rules that applied on the date they were lodged. The new family-member requirements apply to applications made from November 13 onwards.
What are the rules for newborn children?
The factsheet sets out separate arrangements for newborn children. A child born outside Australia after the grant of the applicant’s most recent Student or Temporary Graduate visa may be included in the first or second Temporary Graduate visa application, subject to the stated requirements. A child born in Australia while the parent holds a Temporary Graduate visa automatically holds a Temporary Graduate visa. The Department says a child born outside Australia cannot simply be added to a Temporary Graduate visa after it has already been granted.
Why should applicants check the rules before using ImmiAccount?
The Department has issued a specific warning: ImmiAccount may allow an applicant to add family members even when they do not meet the new eligibility requirements. The ability to enter a dependant’s details in the online form does not mean that person is eligible to apply.
Home Affairs says an application that does not meet the eligibility rules may be treated as invalid. This can affect the family member’s visa status and ability to apply for another visa. The Department also warns that a decision that an application is invalid cannot be merits reviewed.
What should Indian graduates do before applying?
- Check whether each family member was included on the previous Student visa or first Temporary Graduate visa.
- Confirm the dependant’s current or recent visa status against the dates in the official factsheet.
- Check whether the PhD or foreign-government-funded-course exemption applies, if seeking to include a new family member.
- Prepare relationship evidence and supporting documents before lodging the application.
- Make sure all eligible family members are included and apply together. Do not rely on the online form alone to confirm eligibility.
- Use the Department of Home Affairs website or a properly registered Australian migration professional for advice on individual circumstances.
The changes are part of Australia’s wider tightening of student and graduate visa family settings. They follow student visa integrity reforms announced in October, which also restricted the ability of many students to add family members later. GAWAH has previously explained Australia’s student visa rule changes affecting Indian students and the Australian visa biometrics process for Indian applicants.
Frequently asked questions
Have Australia’s 485 visa eligibility requirements changed for the main applicant?
No. The Department of Home Affairs says the eligibility requirements for primary applicants have not changed. The new rules concern which family members can be included and how they must apply.
Can Indian graduates add a spouse or child to a 485 visa later?
No. The subsequent-entrant option has been removed. Eligible family members must apply at the same time as the primary applicant.
Can an Indian graduate include a new family member under an exemption?
Potentially, if the applicant completed a PhD while holding a Student visa or completed a course fully funded by a foreign government while holding a Student visa. The Pacific and ASEAN nationality exemption does not apply to Indian nationals.
Do the new rules apply to applications lodged before November 13, 2026?
No. Home Affairs says applications lodged before 13 November 2026 will be assessed under the rules that applied on the date of lodgement.
Must family members be in Australia when the 485 application is submitted?
No. The primary applicant must be in Australia, but eligible family members can be in or outside Australia. They must apply at the same time as the primary applicant.
Official sources and further information
Australian Department of Home Affairs: Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) factsheet, new family-member rules | Temporary Graduate visa, Post-Vocational Education Work stream | Temporary Graduate visa, Post-Higher Education Work stream | Australian Government: Student visa integrity reforms, October 2, 2026
This report is an explanatory guide based on published Department of Home Affairs material. Visa outcomes depend on individual circumstances and the rules in force when an application is lodged.
GAWAH News Desk | November 15, 2026
