Subclass 476 · Repealed · Status checked August 2026
476 visa: closed — and what to do instead
Short answer: the Skilled — Recognised Graduate visa (subclass 476) is gone. The Department of Home Affairs has capped and ceased the category — no more grants, closed permanently from 1 July 2024 — and now lists it among its repealed visas (checked 20 August 2026). Existing visas remain valid to expiry. For engineering graduates who were counting on it, the realistic 2026 routes are employer sponsorship under the 482, the points-tested 189/190/491, or the 485 after Australian study. Prepared by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536).
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed August 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Status
- Capped and ceased — repealed
- Closed permanently from
- 1 July 2024
- New applications
- Not possible
- Existing visas
- Valid to expiry
- Main alternatives
- 482 · 189/190/491 · 485
What happened to the 476
The 476 gave recent engineering graduates of recognised overseas institutions up to 18 months (later extended for some pandemic-era holders) in Australia with full work rights — no employer, no points test, no Australian study required. That made it a rare open door, and an enormously oversubscribed one.
The door is now shut. The Department capped and ceased the category — its own notice states that no more 476 visas will be granted and that the government closed the category permanently from 1 July 2024. Home Affairs lists the 476 under its repealed visas (status checked 20 August 2026). Any site still describing the 476 as open, or offering to lodge one, is out of date.
If you hold a 476 now
Your visa was not cancelled — it runs to its stated expiry with work rights intact. But there is no renewal and no successor product, so the clock is the strategy: every month of remaining validity is a month of Australian work experience, employer relationships and points accrual that can convert into the next visa. The worst position is reaching expiry with nothing lodged; the best is using the remaining time to secure employer sponsorship or an invitation in the points program while lawfully onshore.
Alternatives in 2026
- 482 Skills in Demand (employer-sponsored). The workhorse. Most professional engineering occupations sit on the Core Skills Occupation List, the stream is not points-tested, and it carries a pathway to permanent residence through the 186. The hurdle is real but singular: an Australian employer willing to sponsor.
- 189 / 190 / 491 (points-tested). Independent of any employer, built on an Engineers Australia skills assessment, your points score, and — for 190/491 — state nomination. Competitive for engineers, but invitation rounds reward strong English scores and experience.
- 485 Temporary Graduate. Only if you complete eligible study in Australia — which is itself a legitimate strategy: an Australian engineering masters converts an overseas graduate into a 485 holder with local work rights and a cleaner run at the programs above.
- Regional routes. Designated Area Migration Agreements and state regional programs can reach occupations and applicants the standard streams miss.
Choosing a route
The right sequence depends on four facts about you: your occupation's ANZSCO code and its CSOL status, your points score as it stands today, whether Australian study is realistic for you, and your English test ceiling. Those four facts usually make the answer obvious — and they are exactly what a short assessment establishes.
Were you counting on the 476?
Tell us your occupation, qualifications and points position. You'll get a straight answer on which route — 482 sponsorship, points-tested, or study-first — is actually open to you in 2026.
Want it settled this week instead? Book 30 minutes with Keshab personally — personal advice on your documents and a written summary of next steps. $200 + GST, credited toward your fee if you engage.
Book a consultation →Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536. General information only, not migration advice. Visa status verified against the Department of Home Affairs website as at the date shown; program settings change over time.
Questions we get asked first
Is the 476 visa still available?
No. The Skilled — Recognised Graduate visa (subclass 476) has been capped and ceased — the Department of Home Affairs states that no more 476 visas will be granted, and the category was closed permanently from 1 July 2024. Home Affairs now lists it among its repealed visas (status checked 20 August 2026). New applications are not possible.
I hold a 476 visa — is it still valid?
Yes. Capping and ceasing stopped new grants; it did not cancel visas already granted. An existing 476 remains valid to its expiry date with its work rights intact. The real question for holders is what comes next — the time to line up the follow-on visa is well before expiry, not after.
What replaced the 476 visa?
Nothing directly — there is no successor product for overseas engineering graduates without Australian study or an employer. The practical routes in 2026 are: employer sponsorship under the 482 Skills in Demand visa (most engineering occupations are on the Core Skills Occupation List), the points-tested 189/190/491 program with a skills assessment from Engineers Australia, the 485 Temporary Graduate visa for those who completed eligible study in Australia, and regional options such as DAMAs.
Can I still use my Engineers Australia skills assessment?
A skills assessment from Engineers Australia remains the key that opens the skilled program — it is required for the 189/190/491 and for most engineering nominations under the 482. If your assessment is still in its validity period, it is an asset worth building a new pathway around rather than letting lapse.
What should former 476 applicants do now?
Map your position honestly: your occupation against the Core Skills Occupation List, your points score for 189/190/491, any Australian study that opens the 485, and your realistic prospects of employer sponsorship. For most engineering graduates the strongest single move is securing an Australian employer willing to sponsor under the 482 — engineering occupations are broadly listed and the nomination is not points-tested.
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