So...you're thinking of moving to Australia? There's the small matter of border restrictions and visa applications to conquer, but no stress, LEMON is here to help. The good news is that border restrictions from COVID have now been eased and international travellers can come and go more freely, however, as we all know, this is subject to change. This is also the case with visa's, the Australian Government are constantly updating and changing visa guidelines. We've outlined some of the common visa's that you can apply for that allow you to work in Australia, but it's best to get in touch with us when your move is approaching so we can update you with the latest.
Working in Australia - Visa
417 working holiday visa (2 years)
This working holiday visa is the most commonly used visa for people looking to come to Australia for work. It allows you to enter the country and work for 2 years however there are some requirements when it comes to working with this visa as set out below.
If you want to obtain your second year as part of this visa, you must complete 88 days of farm work in rural Australia. This can be seen as a burden by some but a lot of people would say that farm work is up there with some of the greatest experiences here in Australia.
Another requirement is that you cannot work for the same employer for more than 6 months - this can be a nuisance as it results in people having to look for an employer every 6 months but with jobs plentiful here in Australia, this is not usually hard to do.
Note here that for those of you from the UK, an agreement has been reached in principle between the UK and Australian government which will allows you to obtain a 3 year working holiday visa without the requirement to complete the farm work in rural Australia.
482 temporary skill shortage visa (2 to 4 years)
From the 457 visa, you can then be sponsored on a 482 temporary skill shortage visa. This visa enables employers to address labour shortages by bringing in skilled workers where employers can't source an appropriately skilled Australian worker. There is also the possibility that employers will sponsor you directly with a 482 visa (without obtaining a 457) - we expect this to become more frequent as the borders reopen.
With this, you can stay for between 2 - 4 years. It is a bit of a myth that you are stuck with the employer which sponsors you. I went through the process of changing employers; it is seamless and not costly at all for the employer taking on your visa.
Latest on the border and visa situation in Australia
The border situation here in Australia is changing weekly..but in a good way! See below for the latest news on Australia's border opening.
As of the 15 December 2021, eligible visa holders can enter Australia without quarantining in NSW. Please note that individual state requirements still apply.
Below is a list of visas which do not need an exemption to enter. The temporary skill shortage visa (482) and working holiday (417) are likely the most relevant visas for those of us working in the Consulting and Accounting sector.
Please reach out with any further questions on the visa or border situation here in Australia. Click the link below if you want to read more about the COVID situation and impact on travel from the Australian Government's website:
Subclass 200 – Refugee visa
Subclass 201 – In-country Special Humanitarian visa
Subclass 202 – Global Special Humanitarian visa
Subclass 203 – Emergency Rescue visa
Subclass 204 – Woman at Risk visa
Subclass 300 – Prospective Marriage visa
Subclass 400 – Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa
Subclass 403 – Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (other streams, including Australian Agriculture Visa stream)
Subclass 407 – Training visa
Subclass 408 – Temporary Activity visa
Subclass 417 – Working Holiday visa
Subclass 449 – Humanitarian Stay (Temporary) visa
Subclass 457 – Temporary Work (Skilled) visa
Subclass 461 – New Zealand Citizen Family Relationship visa
Subclass 462 – Work and Holiday visa
Subclass 476 – Skilled – Recognised Graduate visa
Subclass 482 – Temporary Skill Shortage visa
Subclass 485 – Temporary Graduate visa
Subclass 489 – Skilled – Regional (Provisional) visa
Subclass 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa
Subclass 494 – Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional (Provisional) visa
Subclass 500 – Student visa
Subclass 580 – Student Guardian visa (closed to new applicants)
Subclass 590 – Student Guardian visa
Subclass 785 – Temporary Protection visa
Subclass 790 – Safe Haven Enterprise visa
Subclass 870 – Sponsored Parent (Temporary) visa
Subclass 988 – Maritime Crew vis
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