How to get a work visa for Australia
You can’t work on a visitor or business visa. You are permitted to meet with prospective employers but you are not permitted to work. If you want to work in Australia, you'll need to apply for and be granted a working visa. After receiving the work visa, you are eligible to work in Australia for as long as your visa allows. Some of these visas can even lead to temporary or permanent residency for both you and eligible family members.
Which visa allows you to work in Australia?
Australia offers several types of work visas for a variety of professions, including skilled workers, specialized workers, short-term trainees, investors, and experienced businesspeople. You can apply for any of the following:
Short stay work visas
This visa allows you to come to Australia to do specific types of work on a short-term temporary basis. This is a list of Short stay work visas available:
Working Holiday Maker visas: Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) or Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)
Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (subclass 403) - Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme
Temporary Activity visa (subclass 408)
The Working Holiday maker (subclass 417 or 462) is the perfect option for young people worldwide although it is not a permanent solution. It lets people 18 to 30 years old have their first extended holiday in Australia and work here to help fund their trip. 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.
Temporary work visas
If you are not eligible for the Working Holiday Visa or the Work and Holiday Visa, and you wish to come to Australia to work temporarily, then you should consider a temporary work visa. A temporary work visa lets you come to Australia to do short-term, highly specialised, non-ongoing work. This is a list of Temporary work visas available:
Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482) – Sponsorship needed
Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) visa (subclass 188) – Sponsorship needed
The new Skilled Work Regional subclass 491 visa allows skilled eligible workers and their family to live, work and study in certain places in regional Australia for 5 years. The temporary skill shortage visa (subclass 482) is a work visa you can apply for only if you have a sponsor that nominated you for the visa. Your sponsor must provide evidence of having a genuine need to fill in that position with an overseas worker.
A provisional visa is also a temporary visa that provides a permanent pathway. You may be able to apply for the permanent visa related to the provisional visa. With subclass 491, visa holders can apply for permanent residency after 3 years.
Permanent work visas
If you wish to live, work or settle permanently in Australia, you can apply to any of the Permanent work visas. This is a list of Permanent work visas available:
Regional Sponsor Migration Scheme (subclass 187) – Sponsorship needed
Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186) – Sponsorship needed
Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) – Sponsorship needed
The Skilled Nominated visa (subclass 190) visa lets nominated skilled workers live and work in Australia as permanent residents. To be eligible for this visa, a skilled individual must be nominated by an Australian employer. The subclass 189 is the best visa because it is permanent and independent as the name says so it allows applicants to live and work in any area of Australia permanently.
What visa do I need to work in Australia?
The visa that you need to work in Australia depends on how long you want to stay and the kind of work you will be doing. It’s likely that you will need to meet particular criteria such as showing that you have a certain amount of money, that you have specific skills/qualifications and proficiency in English.
What are the most common work visas in Australia?
There are various types of working visas designed to suit different circumstances. Some visas require you to be sponsored by an employer, while others can be applied for even if you don’t have a job lined up before you arrive. You can apply for any work visa in the government’s migration program as long as you meet the eligibility criteria. But here are some of the most common types of working visas.
Working Holiday visa (subclass 417 and subclass 462)
The working holiday visa is limited to countries in which Australia holds an agreement so you have to be lucky enough to hold a passport from the eligible countries. It is for those aged between 18-30 years, but if you are a Canadian, French, or Irish citizen you can be up to 35 years of age. The unique thing about these visas is that they allow you to travel Australia and work during. The visa allows you to stay and work for a year in Australia and can be extended to 2nd or 3rd working holiday visa only if you are eligible. The difference between Subclass 417 and Subclass 462 is the country you are from.
If you’re interested about the Working Holiday visa, please visit here.
Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482)
The 482 is a temporary visa, which entitles skilled workers to work in Australia for up to four years if they are sponsored by an approved Australian employer. It is compulsory for your professional skills or work experience to be relevant to the position you are applying for in Australia. The 482 visas can lead you to permanent residency if the right conditions have been met.
Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491)
For skilled migrants, state nomination can assist you to qualify for a skilled migration visa from the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs, providing additional points toward your visa application. The 491 is a state nominated provisional visa for skilled migrants that allows you to live and work in Australia for up to five years and can provide a pathway to permanent residency. With those who have been living and working on the visa in regional Australia often becoming eligible for the 191 Visa after three years.
Employer Nomination Scheme visa (subclass 186)
The 186 visa is a permanent work visa designed for skilled workers who have employer sponsorship. To be eligible for this visa, you need to have relevant qualifications and work experience in a specific skilled occupation.
Skilled Independent visa (subclass 189)
The 189 visa lets people with in-demand skills live and work permanently anywhere in Australia. You don’t need to be sponsored by an employer to get a 189 visa, but you need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and be invited by the Australian government to apply for this visa. You’ll also need to complete a successful skill assessment to show that you have the skills and qualifications to work in your occupation.
How do I apply for a work visa in Australia?
The most common way to obtain a residence permit (temporary and permanent) in Australia is through your profession. If you possess the skills and capabilities to enhance Australia's economy and workforce, then you may be eligible to migrate to Australia by applying for an Australian Work visa. These visas are specifically designed to encourage applicants to obtain sponsorship through an employer or to secure the nomination.
First of all, you’ll need to apply for a job. Australian companies doesn't sponsor visa’s for outside people unless your skills are niche and much needed in the market. If you are outside Australia, make sure you learn and practice a niche skill. Use online job search, such as LinkedIn, SEEK, to search for your specific job roles.
And if you’ve found a potential employer or secured a job, ask your hiring manager or new boss to nominate you for a work visa. The easiest visa is Temporary Skill Shortage visa (subclass 482). It is also one of the most common work visas under the employer sponsored scheme. Once the nomination is approved, you will apply for the visa at The Department of Home Affairs.
You will need the following documents when you apply for the visa : offer letter, transaction reference number for your successful sponsorship nomination, CV, previous employment certificates, police clearance reports, IELTS, passport copy.
Subclass 482 (Temporary Skill Shortage) visas require a minimum of 2 years’ experience. The difficulty is that most people cannot achieve this 2 years’ work experience. Training visa (subclass 407) is a potential alternative to the 482 visas but easier to get than 482 visas. With a Training Visa, you can spend up to 2 years building on the existing experience to fulfill work experience required by Skilled Visas (subclass 189, 190 and 491) or Employer Sponsored Visas (subclass 482 and 186).
The Training Visa 407 can be the start you need to gain Australian work experience, licensing or registration needed to be able to work in Australia and be eligible for a further work visa. Although the length of the visa will be dependent on the course but it can be valid for up to 2 years. After that, you might eligible to apply for another type of visa, for example, employer-sponsored subclass 186/187 the permanent residency visa, or state nomination visa subclass 190.
