Getting a Visa Australia

Thursday, 29 April 2010 11:08

Getting a Visa Australia

There are 2 main types of Visa for Australia. A "Working Holiday Visa" and a "Tourist Visa". People from certain countries are not eligible for a Working Holiday Visa, however they may be eligible for "a Work & Holiday Visa". Details of these Visas can be found below. Please ensure you verify the latest valid visa information for your country of citizenship with Australian Immigration.

Working Holiday Visa

If you are a resident in one of the countries listed below you are able to apply for a Working Holiday Visa in Australia:

Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and UK.

A Working Holiday Visa allows you to:

Travel and work for a period of up 12 months.
Leave and re-enter Australia multiple times whilst your visa is valid
Work for one employer for up to 6 months
Study for a period of up to 4 months
If you hold a second Working Holiday Visa you are entitled to return to work for a previous employer for six months

In order to obtain a Working Holiday Visa you must:

Be between 18-30 years of age (at the time of applying)
Apply within the 12 months before you are travelling to Australia
Prove that you have a method of leaving the airport (plane ticket)
If you do not have proof of an air ticket you will be asked to provide a bank statement to prove you have sufficient funds to purchase a ticket.

Second Working Holiday Visa's

Currently you are able to apply for a second Working Holiday Visa for Australia or extend the visa you hold currently.

In order to obtain a second Working Holiday Visa you must:

Be between 18-30 years of age (at the time of applying)
Have completed 3 months of specific work in regional Australia - mainly harvest work
Be outside of Australia when your Visa is issued if you are applying from outside of Australia
Be inside of Australia when your Visa is issued if you are applying from inside of Australia

Cost of a Working Holiday Visa: AU$280.

Remember that the cost of your Visa will not be refunded if your visa application is not successful.

You can apply online or find any further information at: http://www.immi.gov.au/

Tourist Visa - Australia

If you come from one of the countries listed above then you can apply online for an eVisitor which allows you to enter the country for up to 3 months for the purpose of business or leisure and is completely free. You need to apply at least 2 weeks before you intend to visit Australia as the application can take between 2-10 working days.

You legally cannot work in Australia on a tourist visa, although some volunteer work may be acceptable.

Work & Holiday Visa

If you are a resident in Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey or the USA you are able to apply for a Work & Holiday Visa. A Work & Holiday Visa entitles you to work and travel in Australia for up to 12 months and costs AU$280.

You can apply online or find any further information at: http://www.immi.gov.au/

Getting a Visa Australia