How to Get a Work Visa for Australia
Obtaining an Australian work visa depends on your nationality, education, type of employment sought and intended length of stay. U.S. nationals between the ages of 18 and 30 can take advantage of the fact that Australia is one of the few nations that offers a Work and Holiday Visa to Americans. This visa is valid for up to 12 months and allows multiple re-entries during that period. This visa is also available to nationals of Chile, Thailand, Malaysia and Turkey.
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Instructions
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Apply for and receive a passport from your home country. If you already have a passport and it will expire sooner than six months after your planned departure from Australia, renew your passport now.
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Obtain a copy of your diploma from the highest level of education you have completed. Americans must present a high school diploma; residents from Chile, Thailand, Malaysia and Turkey must present a diploma from a post-secondary institution.
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Download Form 1163i and determine what, if any, medical examination requirements will apply to your visa application (this varies according to the countries in which you have lived during the last five years and what type of job you expect to perform in Australia). If necessary, get a medical examination and ask your doctor to prepare a report you can present to Australian immigration officials.
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Obtain health insurance that will cover you during your stay in Australia. You can purchase long-term travel insurance online (see Resources).
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Obtain a penal clearance certificate, or police certificate, showing your criminal record (or lack thereof) for every locale where you have lived over the last 12 months.
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Call the Australian Immigration Office responsible for your country to check on any special additional visa requirements for your country and the type of payment methods they accept (see Resources).
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Print and complete Form 1208, Application for Work and Holiday Visa from the website of the Australian Department of Immigration and Citizenship (see Resources),
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Make certified copies of every page of your passport and have two passport-style photographs taken.
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Gather all of the foregoing documentation with certified copies of your passport and the visa fee of A$195 (in the appropriate form of payment), and send it to the Australian Immigration Office in your home country. Do not send your actual passport.
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Schedule travel arrangements ONLY after you are notified that your visa has been approved. You do not need an actual visa stamp on your passport; your visa approval will be electronically transmitted to Australian border authorities.
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Tips & Warnings
Nationals of Chile, Thailand, Malaysia and Turkey must prove English language proficiency (this could include TOEFL or IELTS test scores, or evidence that you attended school for several years in an institution in which the language of instruction was English); provide evidence of funding of at least A$5,000, and present a letter of approval from their home government. These requirements are not applicable to U.S. nationals.
Even though the Work and Holiday Visa is valid for 12 months, you may not work for the same employer for more than six months continuously. If you are caught doing so, your visa will be canceled and you will have to leave Australia.
