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Graduate visa 485: what Ugandan students should know about dependants and work rights

Visa guide · 2026-08-19 · 4 min read

A visa built for graduates is increasingly full of people who never sat an Australian exam. That is the argument behind a growing debate over the temporary graduate (subclass 485) visa, and it matters to any Ugandan student in Kampala or Entebbe who is weighing an Australian course and a spouse or child who might travel too. Below are the figures being used, the rights involved and the changes critics want.

The figures in the debate

• The 485 is one of the fastest-growing visa categories under the current government, with about 271,000 current holders.
• A higher education researcher estimates that roughly one in five holders are secondary applicants, and closer to one in three for graduates from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines.
• A more recent estimate puts secondary applicants at close to 27% of current holders, with secondary numbers up well over 200% since 2022.
• Around 800,000 people are in Australia across student and graduate categories combined.

Why partners' rights are the sticking point

Under current settings, a spouse or partner attached to a 485 has exactly the same work rights as the main visa holder: no cap, no field-of-study requirement and no labour market test. A student visa holder, by contrast, is capped at 48 hours a fortnight during semester, while that student's partner can work unrestricted hours. Critics conclude that a single graduate application can put two full-time workers into the labour market, only one of them vetted through the education and skills pipeline. They add that the government's Study Australia platform presents family accompaniment as a benefit of choosing an Australian institution.

The United Kingdom comparison

In January 2024 the United Kingdom barred most international undergraduates from bringing dependants, saying the flexibility was being used as a workaround. Australia has made no equivalent move, and critics say its numbers now dwarf those that triggered the British change.

The proposals, step by step

1. End automatic dependant rights for undergraduate students.
2. Limit 485 eligibility to graduates with a relevant job offer. The 2023 Migration Review found more than half of bachelor's graduates were still in low-skilled work three-plus years after graduating, and the visa currently qualifies almost anyone completing a two-year course under 35.
3. Link a partner's work rights to the primary applicant's skill classification.

None of these has been adopted. They are suggestions for a system that critics say has turned into "two visas for the price of one application".

What this means if you are in Uganda

Plan on the assumption that settings can change between the day you choose a course and the day you finish. Keep your UNEB results, degree transcripts, DIT or other training certificates and employer references in order, and decide early how your family fits into the plan. If a job offer becomes the key to the graduate visa, a verified Talent Tabloid profile is an optional way to let employers check your experience, and the job listings show how employers describe roles.

Common mistakes to avoid when family is part of the plan

• Counting on a partner's work income that depends on rules that may be tightened.
• Taking advice from someone who is not a migration agent registered with the MARA.
• Assuming that a graduate visa means skilled work will follow.
• Ignoring the wider direction of policy; see this explainer on Australia's migration debate.

Frequently asked questions

Is a partner allowed to work on a 485?

Under current settings yes, with the same work rights as the primary holder.

What is a secondary applicant?

A spouse, partner or child who is attached to the main visa holder's application.

Could the rules change before I graduate?

They could. The measures discussed are proposals, so keep checking official pages.

Does the United Kingdom's rule apply to Australia?

No. It is cited as an example that critics want Australia to follow.

Are these study and job options only for Ugandans?

No. Jobs are open to everyone; the article is written for Ugandan readers.

Key takeaways

• Secondary applicants make up roughly one in five 485 holders, according to estimates in the debate, and a rising share overall.
• Partners currently share the main applicant's work rights; students are capped at 48 hours a fortnight.
• Critics want a job-offer test and tighter dependant rules; none is law.
• Read next: how Australian states are changing their nomination programs.

#subclass 485 #graduate visa #dependants #ugandan students #australia #work rights