Australia Work Visas

"How to get an Australian work visa
and how to find work in Australia"

I wish some Australia Work Visa had been available for me when I went on my first trip to Australia.

Back then Germans couldn't get the popular working holiday visa for Australia. Today they can, and so can travelers from many other nations.

You can travel Australia for up to one year (or more!) and pay for your trip by working here!

Read how easy it can be to get the Australian working holiday visa AND to find a job.

Read on if you first want to check if you are eligible for a work visa, and, if you aren't, what other options you have.

Who can get Australia Work Visas and Working Holiday Visas?
What are you allowed to do with an Australian Working Holiday Visa (WHV)?
How do you apply for a WHV?

Who can get Australia Work Visas?

There are many different kinds of Australian work visas. Some are for holiday makers, some are for people who want to move here permanently.

The most popular Australian work visa, and the easiest to get, is the Australian working holiday visa. It allows you to work in Australia for 12 months.

To apply for this particular Australia Work Visa you need to be between 18 and 30 years old.

(What about people over 30? Can they get an Australian working holiday visa?)

If you are 18 to 30 years old, check if you are from one of the countries eligible for this visa:

Eligible for the Australian Working Holiday Visa subclass 417, are working holiday makers from: Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
Eligible for the slightly different Australian Work And Holiday Visa subclass 462, are tertiary educated people from Bangladesh, Chile, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and the US.

Are you from one of those countries? Great. It means you can visit Australia for a full year and you are allowed to work here. Find out how to apply for your WHV and how to find work.

Not eligible? Then you should look at the other Australian working visas available.

What you can and can't do
under this Australia Work Visa

The working holiday visa is valid for 12 months from the date of arrival in Australia.

Apart from the 12 months limit there is only one other restriction: the work has to be of a temporary or casual nature. Under this Australia work visa you are allowed to stay with each employer for a maximum of six months.

Obviously that limits the range of jobs available to you. But presumably you travel to Australia to see as much as possible of it, so you wouldn't stay in any one place for too long anyway.

You are also allowed to study in Australia for up to four months.

If you can prove that you did seasonal work in regional Australia (e.g. fruit picking) for at least three months during your first visit, then you can get a second 12 months Australia Working Holiday Visa. (This does NOT apply to the Australia Work and Holiday Visa!)

You get two full years in Australia, and you can pay for your trip by working here. It doesn't get much better than that!

Find out how to get your WHV, how to find the right jobs, and how to get your second visa, all hassle free.

How do you apply for the Australia Work Visa?

There are two options: do it yourself or do it the easy way!

How to apply for an Australia Work Visa yourself

You need to http://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visi/Visi-1 and find out what exactly you need to do and supply.

Once you have all the necessary documentation together you can lodge your application. Many people will be able to do it online but in some cases a paper application is required. Make sure you read through everything carefully!