Visa information for Australia  

Requirements for Australian visas vary greatly depending on factors such as nationality and skills. Unless you hold an Australian or New Zealand Passport you will need to obtain a visa to work in Australia. We require that you are eligible to work in Australia before we are able to assist you.

To find comprehensive information on visas that are available for Australia, click here to view the Department of Immigration's website.

Below we have listed three of the most commonly used visas:

Temporary Business (Long Stay) - Standard Business Sponsorship (Subclass 457)

Who is this visa for?

This is a program where employers sponsor approved skilled professionals to work in Australia on a temporary basis. Employers can nominate a number of positions for different occupations under the same sponsorship application.

What does this visa allow me to do?

• Work in Australia for a period of between three months and four years
• Bring any eligible secondary applicants with you to Australia – secondary applicants can work and study
• After entering Australia you have no limit on the number of times you can travel in and out of Australia
  
  

How do I know if I am eligible for this visa?

You must meet a number of requirements, including:

• Sponsorship by an employer to fill a nominated position
• Skills, qualifications, experience and an employment background which match those required for the position
• English language skills
• Health tests
• Character referencing
  
  

Skilled – Independent Visa (Subclass 136)

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for people who do not have a sponsor, or who choose not to be sponsored. They wish to rely on their own skill, education, and employability to satisfy the visa criteria.

For this visa you are required to have skills and qualifications that meet the Australian standard for an occupation on the Skilled Occupation List (SOL). The SOL is a list of skilled occupations that are in need in Australia. Each occupation listed is allocated a points value for use in the assessment process. You will need to meet the applicable passmark for a visa to be granted. There are a number of additional requirements which must also be met.

What does this visa allow me to do?

This visa allows you and any dependent family members included in your visa application to live as permanent residents in Australia. Australian permanent residents can:

• Live and work anywhere in Australia on a permanent basis
• Study in Australia at school or university
• Receive subsidised healthcare through Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS)
• Access certain social security payments (subject to waiting periods)
• Be eligible for Australian citizenship (subject to the residency eligibility criteria)
• Sponsor people for permanent residence
  
  

How do I know if I am eligible for this visa?

This visa allows you to migrate to Australia if you are under 45 years of age, have good English skills, and have skills and qualifications in an occupation required in Australia. You must meet the points test pass mark and all additional requirements.

Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417)

Who is this visa for?

This visa is for people aged 18 to 30 years of age, who are interested in a working holiday of up to 12 months in Australia. You are limited to working with each employer for up to three months, however, in most cases this is usually extended up to six months. Applicants must have turned 18, but not turned 31, at the time of visa application. It allows you to supplement the cost of your holiday through incidental employment.

If your primary reason for travelling to Australia is to participate in the work force, you should consider the above two visa options first as they are designed for this purpose. In saying this, it is common practice for professionals to apply for the Working Holiday Visa and change to the Standard Business Sponsorship Visa once it has expired.

You may apply for this visa if you hold a passport for one of the countries or regions participating with Australia in the Working Holiday Maker Programme. These include:

• Belgium
• Canada
• Cyprus, Republic of
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (HKSAR)
• Ireland, Republic of
• Italy
• Japan
• Korea, Republic of
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Sweden
• Taiwan
• UK
  
  

What does this visa allow me to do?

• Enter Australia within 12 months of grant
• Stay up to 12 months
• Leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid
• Work in Australia for up to six months with each employer
• Study or train for up to four months
  
  

How do I know if I am eligible for this visa?

You must meet a number of general requirements, including:

• Be outside Australia when you apply and when your visa is granted
• Not have entered Australia on a Working Holiday Visa before
• Be aged between 18 and 30 years (inclusive) at the time of applying
• Be applying no more than 12 months before you intend to travel to Australia
• Have no dependent children (either at the time of applying or after the visa has been granted)
• Hold a passport for a country or region participating with Australia in the Working Holiday Maker Programme

There are also a number of health, character and financial requirements you must meet to obtain this visa.

Important to note!

This visa information may change. You must recheck your eligibility prior to lodging an application.

To speak with one of our experienced Australian consultants, please contact us on aus@globalcareerlink.com.