Why Apply for the Post-Vocational Stream?
This stream is customized for international students who hold vocational qualifications linked directly to occupations on Australia's Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL).
Complete Job Ready Program
Provides the required 12 months of full-time Australian employment to complete Trades Recognition Australia's Job Ready Program (JRP).
Transition to PR
Accrue essential Australian employment experience points for Subclass 189, 190, 491, or employer-sponsored visas.
Include Dependents
Include your partner and dependent children on your petition with full working and study rights in Australia.
Multiple Entry Travel
Travel overseas and return to Australia freely throughout your 18-month visa term without restriction.
Application Lifecycle
Our certified migration specialists ensure your vocational credentials, provisional assessments, and health insurance meet strict statutory deadlines.
Course Completion & Transcript Issuance
Obtain your official Completion Letter and Certificate/Diploma confirming satisfaction of the 2-year Australian Study Requirement in an MLTSSL-related field.
Provisional Skills Assessment Lodgement
Apply for a provisional skills assessment with the relevant assessing body (e.g., TRA PSA, VETASSESS, or ACS) before submitting your visa application.
English & AFP Police Clearances
Achieve the required score on PTE Academic or IELTS and lodge your Australian Federal Police (AFP) check prior to lodgement.
Visa Lodgement within 6 Months
Lodge your formal Subclass 485 petition online inside Australia within 6 months of your academic completion date to activate your Bridging Visa A (BVA).
Visa Grant & Workplace Accreditation
Receive your 18-month visa grant, commence full-time trade or vocational employment, and progress toward your full permanent residency skills assessment.
Documentary Requirements
All documentation must be clear, high-resolution certified colour copies uploaded upon lodgement to avoid processing delays.
- Valid Passport bio-pages (showing minimum 6 months validity)
- Current Australian Student Visa (Subclass 500) grant notification or valid Bridging Visa
- Certified Government Birth Certificates and National Identity Cards
- Marriage Certificate or evidence of 12+ months de facto relationship (if applicable)
- Official Completion Letter from your RTO confirming trade/diploma study across 92+ CRICOS weeks
- Official Academic Transcripts and Certificate III/IV, Diploma, or Associate Degree awards
- Proof of Provisional Skills Assessment application (e.g., TRA PSA application receipt or outcome)
- Official PTE Academic or IELTS test report satisfying minimum graduate score thresholds
- Australian Federal Police (AFP) National Police Certificate application receipt
- Overseas Visitor Health Cover (OVHC) policy certificate confirming valid comprehensive insurance
- Completed eMedical examinations (HAP ID) for all applicants
- Completed Form 80 (Personal Particulars for Character Assessment)
Frequently Asked Questions
Key questions regarding eligible qualifications, skills assessments, and age limits for the vocational stream.
Yes. Unlike the higher education stream, you must have applied for or obtained a provisional skills assessment in an occupation closely related to your vocational qualification on the Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLTSSL) before lodging your 485 application.
Applicants must be aged 35 years or under at the time of visa application. Hong Kong and British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders remain eligible up to 50 years of age and may receive a visa stay of up to 5 years.
Courses such as Commercial Cookery, Automotive Mechanical, Carpentry/Construction Trades, Electrical Trades, Fabrication, and select Diploma/Associate Degree programs are eligible, provided they satisfy the 2-year Australian Study Requirement and map to an MLTSSL trade or occupation.