Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
485 Temporary Graduate vs 482 Skills in Demand
If you are a recent Australian graduate, the 485 is usually first: it needs no employer and buys years to gain the experience, English scores and job offer that make the 482 or points visas real. Jumping straight to a 482 is right only when a sponsor is already committed and the occupation is listed.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Employer needed
- No · Yes — approved sponsor
- Who it is for
- Recent Australian graduates · Anyone with a listed occupation + sponsor
- Length
- 18 months–5 years by stream · Up to 4 years
- Strategic role
- Runway to build a case · The case itself
The migration agent that other migration agents learn from. WIDEN is an OMARA-approved CPD provider — our training is rated ★4.8 by 40+ registered migration agents.
About the CPD →Side by side
| 485 Temporary Graduate | 482 Skills in Demand | |
|---|---|---|
| Employer needed | No | Yes — approved sponsor |
| Who it is for | Recent Australian graduates | Anyone with a listed occupation + sponsor |
| Length | 18 months–5 years by stream | Up to 4 years |
| Strategic role | Runway to build a case | The case itself |
| Government charge | $5,750 (first) / $2,265 (second) | $4,015 |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
If you are a recent Australian graduate, the 485 is usually first: it needs no employer and buys years to gain the experience, English scores and job offer that make the 482 or points visas real. Jumping straight to a 482 is right only when a sponsor is already committed and the occupation is listed.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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MARN 1576536 · practising since 2015 · contact details
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Questions we get asked first
485 Temporary Graduate or 482 Skills in Demand — which is better?
If you are a recent Australian graduate, the 485 is usually first: it needs no employer and buys years to gain the experience, English scores and job offer that make the 482 or points visas real. Jumping straight to a 482 is right only when a sponsor is already committed and the occupation is listed.
What is the main difference between the 485 Temporary Graduate and the 482 Skills in Demand?
Employer needed: 485 Temporary Graduate — No; 482 Skills in Demand — Yes — approved sponsor. Who it is for: 485 Temporary Graduate — Recent Australian graduates; 482 Skills in Demand — Anyone with a listed occupation + sponsor. Length: 485 Temporary Graduate — 18 months–5 years by stream; 482 Skills in Demand — Up to 4 years.
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