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One in five on the 485 are dependants: what Tanzanian students and families should check

Visa guide · 2026-08-19 · 4 min read

Most debate about Australia's temporary graduate (subclass 485) visa begins with the headline number. A more useful starting point for a student in Dar es Salaam or Arusha is the question of who is inside it. This article follows that question through to what it could mean for families.

A bridge that carries more than graduates

In theory the 485 is a bridge between study and skilled employment. In practice, critics say, a large and growing share of people holding it are spouses, partners and children. The same researcher who pointed to roughly one in five secondary applicants says the share is closer to one in three among graduates from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. A newer estimate suggests close to 27% of current holders, after secondary numbers rose by well over 200% since 2022. About 271,000 people hold the visa now.

Why this changes the labour market picture

A partner on a 485 has exactly the same work rights as the main holder. There is no cap, no field-of-study condition and no labour market test. Compare a student, who is capped at 48 hours a fortnight in semester while the student's partner can work unrestricted hours. Put together, critics say, one graduate application can add two full-time workers, with only one checked against the education and skills pipeline. They also note that the government's Study Australia platform promotes family accompaniment as a benefit.

What other countries have done

The United Kingdom closed this route for undergraduate students in January 2024, barring most of them from bringing dependants. Australia has made no matching move.

Three fixes people are suggesting

• Remove automatic dependant rights for undergraduates.
• Require a relevant job offer for the 485, replacing near-automatic eligibility after a two-year course for applicants under 35. The 2023 Migration Review found more than half of bachelor's graduates in low-skilled work three-plus years after graduating.
• Make a partner's work rights depend on the main applicant's skill classification.

With around 800,000 people in student and graduate categories, supporters say modest tightening could reduce net numbers. Again, these are ideas, not adopted rules.

Reading the numbers with care

None of these figures is an official rule, and they come from people arguing for change. They do show where the pressure is building: a visa designed to retain talent is being used, in critics' words, as a route that measures family migration as if it were skilled migration. For a student, the practical lesson is to separate two questions that are easy to blur: whether you will qualify for the graduate visa, and whether the conditions your family relies on today will still be there when you finish.

A checklist for Tanzanian families

Before you commit money, read the official visa pages for your own situation and speak to a migration agent registered with the MARA. Gather NECTA results, degree transcripts, VETA certificates if you hold them and references from employers. Think about how your plans would look if partner work rights narrowed, and look at the jobs page to see what employers ask of candidates after study. A tailored CV helps whichever way policy goes, and Build AI CV is one option for preparing it.

Common mistakes with study visas and families

One mistake is selecting a university because of the family pitch alone. Another is budgeting around a partner's income that rests on current settings. A third is assuming that finishing a course leads automatically to a skilled job; the Migration Review found otherwise for many graduates. The last is relying on someone who is not an agent registered with the MARA.

Frequently asked questions

Does the 485 still allow partners to work?

Yes, with the same work rights as the main holder, under current settings.

Why do critics mention "unvetted" workers?

Because a partner can enter the labour market without the education and skills checks the main applicant went through.

Is a change certain?

No. The measures are proposals and Australia has not adopted them.

Does New Zealand work the same way?

This debate concerns Australia. For New Zealand's student timelines, see this guide to its student visa queue.

Is the study route limited to Tanzanians?

No. Jobs and study options are open to everyone; this guide speaks to readers in Tanzania.

Key takeaways

• The 485 has about 271,000 holders and a large dependant share, according to critics.
• Partners have unrestricted rights; students are capped at 48 hours a fortnight.
• Proposals would add a job-offer test and narrower dependant rights.
• Also read why this debate matters to skilled workers.

#graduate visa #dependants #tanzanian students #subclass 485 #australia #study