EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE APPLYING FOR AN AUSTRALIAN WORKING VISA

Australia’s versatile lifestyle and employment opportunities attract thousands of foreign workers to live and work in the country. The work visa types include Temporary Work Visa (subclass 457), Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa (subclass 186), Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa (subclass 187), TSS Visa in Australia and others. In this article, we have compiled the things you need to know and expect when applying for the Work Holiday Visa.

Eligibility criteria

You should meet the following criteria to be eligible for Australian Working Visa.

  • Your age should be between 18 to 30, that is 35 years for Canadian and Irish citizens and you should not be accompanied by dependent children
  • You should have an eligible passport that should be valid for 6 months or more.
  • You should be able to show sufficient funds in your account for return and initial part of your stay
  • You should meet the health criteria
  • You should possess a ‘good character’, meaning that you should not have any criminal record.

Visa cost

Visa cost is subject to change. You can check the current fee of the visa you intend to apply for here.

Visa duration

You can enter Australia up to 12 months after the date your visa was granted. You will be allowed to stay in the country 12 months after the date of your first entry. The visa completely gives you the allowance to leave the country and enter as many times as you want during this 12-month time period. The condition is that you cannot recover the time you have spent outside Australia after your first entry to utilise it later.

Type of work permit

The purpose of work and holiday visa of Australia is holiday and travel. Thus, it allows you to work in any field that is of temporary nature for a period of 6 months.

Visa conditions

There are a few conditions for working on a work visa. First, you must not be employed in a single company for more than 6 months. Second, you cannot pursue any training or education for more than 4 months in the country. Failure to abide by these conditions will render your visa cancelled, enforcing you to leave the country.

Processing time

For a normal and simple application, the average processing time is around 8 weeks. Along with the presence of any criminal offense or need of medical, this time may prolong further.

Financial prerequisites

You are obliged to prove that you have a sufficient amount of finances to support yourself during the initial phase of stay in the country. You might be requested to show an evidence for this on arrival. You should have your bank statement or a return ticket out of Australia as evidence. Although the amount of your funds may vary depending upon the length of your stay, a minimum amount of $5000 is generally considered sufficient.

Work and Holiday visa for travellers from the United States

Travellers having the U.S passport should note that they are eligible for Australian Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462) instead of Australian Working Holiday Visa.