Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
485 Temporary Graduate vs 491 Skilled Work Regional
A graduate who already has the points, the skills assessment and a state willing to nominate can go straight to the 491 and start the three regional years toward permanent residence; most graduates do not, and use the 485 first: unrestricted work for eighteen months to several years by stream, with no points, no nomination and no occupation list, during which the skills assessment, the experience and the English score are built up and the 491 or another visa is applied for from the 485. The 485 is the runway; the 491 is the flight, and the regional years on a regional 485 also serve the second 485 and the state programs.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Needs
- An eligible Australian qualification completed in the last 6 months, under 35, English, an AFP check · The points, a skills assessment, an occupation on the list, a state or family nomination, an invitation
- Work
- Any employer, any job, anywhere · Any employer in a designated regional area
- Length
- 18 months to several years by stream · 5 years, then the 191
- Charge
- $5,750 primary applicant · $6,140 primary applicant
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 485 Temporary Graduate | 491 Skilled Work Regional | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs | An eligible Australian qualification completed in the last 6 months, under 35, English, an AFP check | The points, a skills assessment, an occupation on the list, a state or family nomination, an invitation |
| Work | Any employer, any job, anywhere | Any employer in a designated regional area |
| Length | 18 months to several years by stream | 5 years, then the 191 |
| Charge | $5,750 primary applicant | $6,140 primary applicant |
| Path to PR | None directly; the time builds the next application | 191 after 3 regional years at the required income |
| Lodging the next visa | A 491 or other visa lodged from the 485, with a bridging visa after it ends | Already on the pathway |
| Watch out | The 6-month window after completion and the age limit of 35 | Living or working outside the region breaks the three years |
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
A graduate who already has the points, the skills assessment and a state willing to nominate can go straight to the 491 and start the three regional years toward permanent residence; most graduates do not, and use the 485 first: unrestricted work for eighteen months to several years by stream, with no points, no nomination and no occupation list, during which the skills assessment, the experience and the English score are built up and the 491 or another visa is applied for from the 485. The 485 is the runway; the 491 is the flight, and the regional years on a regional 485 also serve the second 485 and the state programs.
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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Questions we get asked first
485 Temporary Graduate or 491 Skilled Work Regional — which is better?
A graduate who already has the points, the skills assessment and a state willing to nominate can go straight to the 491 and start the three regional years toward permanent residence; most graduates do not, and use the 485 first: unrestricted work for eighteen months to several years by stream, with no points, no nomination and no occupation list, during which the skills assessment, the experience and the English score are built up and the 491 or another visa is applied for from the 485. The 485 is the runway; the 491 is the flight, and the regional years on a regional 485 also serve the second 485 and the state programs.
What is the main difference between the 485 Temporary Graduate and the 491 Skilled Work Regional?
Needs: 485 Temporary Graduate — An eligible Australian qualification completed in the last 6 months, under 35, English, an AFP check; 491 Skilled Work Regional — The points, a skills assessment, an occupation on the list, a state or family nomination, an invitation. Work: 485 Temporary Graduate — Any employer, any job, anywhere; 491 Skilled Work Regional — Any employer in a designated regional area. Length: 485 Temporary Graduate — 18 months to several years by stream; 491 Skilled Work Regional — 5 years, then the 191.
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