How to get a temporary work visa for Australia

Australia is a highly developed country with many opportunities for work and a good salary. If you wish to work in Australia for a temporary period you will require a nonimmigrant work visa. This work visa is not permanent and will expire after a few months or years depending on the type you have. You cannot stay and work in Australia after your visa expires because you will put yourself at risk for deportation.

How can I work in Australia temporarily?

The temporary visa allows overseas workers to visit and work in Australia for a limited period of time. The visa lets you come to Australia to work in a specific field or under a specific employer as per the visa conditions. You can get a temporary work visa as a student, Temporary Skilled, Temporary Graduate, Working Holiday Maker or a Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme. To be eligible to apply for the visa you must fulfil the eligibility requirements of the visa stream you want to apply for. Let's explore Australia's most common temporary visa categories to find out which suits you the best.

The Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) and The Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) are the two main temporary work visas in Australia. Both these visas allow you to work and live in Australia for up to 4 years.

Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)

Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) is a work visa which allows Australian employers to sponsor a person from overseas to work in their business in Australia. This visa is a temporary visa that is valid for either one to four years, depending on your nominated occupation, the visa stream and your circumstances. It lets you and any member of your family unit who has also been granted this visa to remain in Australia for the period specified in your visa grant notification. If you have the skills to fill a job position with an Australia employer who is looking to recruit you then you may be eligible for the the 482 visa.

Before you can apply for a Temporary Skill Shortage visa, your proposed employer will need to lodge a nomination application for you. They will only be able to do this if they are an approved sponsor or have at least lodged an application to become a standard business sponsor.

Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)

The subclass 491 visa is for people nominated by a State or Territory government or sponsored by an eligible family member to live and work in regional Australia. To apply for this visa, you must be nominated to apply by a state or territory government agency, or any eligible relative must sponsor you. Also, you must have a suitable skills assessment done for the nominated occupation listed under relevant skilled occupation list of Australia.

Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme (subclass 403)

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme allows people from Pacific island countries and Timor-Leste to work in unskilled, low-skilled, and semi-skilled jobs in rural and regional Australia for up to 3 years. Countries currently participating in Pacific labour mobility are Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. If you’re interested, you can read more about the PALM scheme here.

Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417 and subclass 462)

The Working Holiday visa lets young people from certain countries holiday and work in Australia for up to one year. To get this work visa, you must be at least 18 years of age but not yet 31, must not have a dependent child with you during your stay, and have a passport from an eligible country. Other requirements may depend on where your passport is from. You can apply for a Second Working Holiday visa if you want to extend your stay for a further year, as long as you have complied to the conditions of your first Working Holiday visa and completed 88 days of regional work. You can read more about the Working Holiday maker here.

Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 494)

The subclass 494 visa enables regional employers to address identified labour shortages within their region by sponsoring skilled workers where employers can't source an appropriately skilled Australian worker. With this visa, you can live, work and study only in designated regional areas of Australia for 5 years. Designated regional areas include all of Australia except for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. If eligible, you can apply for permanent residence after you have held your 494 visa for 3 years.

Skilled Regional (provisional) visa (subclass 489)

This temporary visa is for skilled workers who want to live and work in regional Australia. ​​​​​You need to live, work and study in specified regional areas of Australia. With this visa, you can stay in Australia for up 4 years. To come and work by this visa, you must be nominated to apply by a state or territory government agency, or an eligible relative must sponsor you. You also need to have an occupation on a relevant skilled occupation list and have a suitable skills assessment for the occupation.

Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (subclass 400)

The Subclass 400 Visa is a temporary visa allowing skilled people to enter Australia for short-term, highly specialised work. You can apply for this visa if you have a specialized skill that is in short supply in Australia. To be eligible for the Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) Visa Subclass 400, you will need to have highly specialised skills, knowledge and experience that can assist Australian business, cannot reasonably be found in the Australian labour market. The visa allows the applicants to stay in Australia for minimum three months up to six months to the maximum.

Business Innovation and Investment (provisional) visa (subclass 188)

The Business Innovation and Investment - provisional / subclass 188 is a state nominated provisional visa which is valid for four years. This visa allows you to own and manage a new or existing business in Australia, or to invest in Australia. You must be nominated by a state or territory government or Australian agency to be eligible to apply.

How do I apply for an Australian temporary work visa?

There are many different visas available to overseas workers. You can apply for most visas online on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website via ImmiAccount. The requirements for your visa depend on your circumstances and the type of visa you apply for. Some of the most common factors to meet in the visa application process include needing a competent level of English language skill, meeting Australia’s health and character requirements, and holding an eligible job or profession. If you are a business owner or investor, you must also hold sufficient funds, assets, or have a minimum net value to qualify for the prestigious Business Talent visa. If your visa requires an official invitation to apply, you can submit an EOI on SkillSelect. Afterward, you will be nominated by an Australian state or territory government agency and be invited to apply.

You will receive the official decision on your visa application request in writing. If approved, you will receive your visa grant number, start date of your visa, and visa conditions, if applicable. If refused, you will get a reason why and whether you have a right to a review of the decision. Keep in mind that your visa application fee will not be refunded if your visa application is rejected.

If you are unsure which visa is the most suitable for you, or if you don’t know how to proceed with your application for an Australian visa, contact our immigration professionals today. They will guide you on all the steps you need to take to successfully secure your visa.