485 visa and COVID 19
With the newly published legislative instrument - Migration Amendment (COVID-19 Concessions) Regulations 2020 - amendments have been made to some items of schedule 1 and 2 of the Migration Regulations 1994 and concessions are now available for holders and prospective applicants of the visa subclasses 887, 888, 188, 790 and 485.
With reference to prospective 485 visa applicants, the amendments now allow:
OFFSHORE 485 visa applications (previusly only onshore applications were valid)
OFFSHORE 485 visa grants (previously only onshore grants were possible)
(Offshore) applications where the Australian Study Requirement has been met within the last 12 months (previously 6 months).
These concessions will be available to former international students stuck overseas during all or part of the period commencing on 1 February 2020 and ending on 19 September 2020. They will be provided with the opportunity to obtain a visa to return to Australia when travel restrictions are lifted.
The visa period will run from the date of entry to Australia