A Complete Guide on Work Permit in Australia

Being a dynamic country, Australia is always in demand for skilled employees. If you are a skilled worker looking for a country to work from Australia, It can be the best match for you because of the following reasons:

Australia has a stable economy growing with an average growth rate of 2.5% each year

• An abundance of job opportunities in almost every sector
• Beautiful cities with a vibrant cross-cultural life
• Great ways to save and a higher minimum wage
• Amazing social benefits including free healthcare

However, you need a work permit in Australia to move to the country.

What is a work permit in Australia?

A work permit is written permission to live and work in the country. An employer-specific work permit lets you work in Australia subject to restrictions on your work permit. 

Types of Australia Work Permits

• Business Talent (Permanent) visa: This is aimed at establishing or developing a new or existing company.
• Distinguished Talent visa: This is a permanent visa for people with internationally recognized exceptional performance in a particular field.
• Skilled Regional (Professional) visa: This is a temporary visa for skilled workers looking to stay and work in a specific Australian region.
• Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (RSMS) visa: This is a permanent visa. Employees nominated by their employer can apply to work under this visa in regional parts of Australia.
• Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) visa: In this, an employer nominates a skilled employee to stay and work in the country.
• Temporary Skilled Shortage visa: In the case, an Australian resident cannot be found for a role, a temporary visa can be issued to a foreigner to fill the gap.
• Skilled Independent visa: This is for skills Australia has a shortage of. People with these skills from New Zealand and invited workers can apply for this visa.
• Temporary Work (International Relations) visa: This is a temporary visa meant for work aimed at improving Australia’s international relations.
• Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa: This is a temporary visa issued for performing highly specialized work.
• Skilled Nominated visa: In this, employers nominate skilled workers to work under this visa permanently.

Eligibility Requirements

Each one of the work permits mentioned above has its requirements. For example, in an ENS visa, employees must portray that they have the required skills via a skills assessment. More importantly, employers need to nominate their employees for a work permit according to their requirements. General requirements for a work permit include:

• Be below the age of 45
• Finish a medical exam
• Sign the Australian Values Statement
• Meet the required character requirements
• Possessing 3 years of relevant work experience
• Portray competent English
• Comprehend the Australian Values Statement

Point system for General Skilled Migration Program

To apply for a work permit under the Skilled Migration Program, you need to obtain a minimum of 65 points. These points are earned across a few key factors such as English language proficiency, age, skilled work experience, etc. Essential documents required are as follows:

IELTS test to show proficiency in the English Language

Documents related to Skilled Employment, etc

Skilled Assessment Report from a pre-approved authority such as AACA, ACS, etc.

How to apply for a work permit in Australia?

You can obtain a work permit in Australia by following these steps:

• Shortlist the work visa that best suits your requirements
• Ensure that you have the requisite SkillSelect points to get the Work Permit
• Get the nomination/sponsorship form filled out from your employer before applying for the visa
• Fill in the application form for the required visa category
• Complete the process by filling in the relevant information and submitting the required documents.
• Finally, pay the necessary application fee

Australia’s Medical Exam for your work permit

You may be subject to a health examination to ensure that you meet Australia’s health standards. This may include a chest x-ray, medical exam, HIV test, syphilis test, hepatitis B and C test, etc. depending on the work permit you’ve applied for.

Outside the country, you can schedule a medical examination with any of the pre-approved clinics or panel physicians. You can obtain more information regarding this by contacting the immigration office near you.

Cost of work permit in Australia

• 4045 AUD – Employer Nomination Scheme Visa/ Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme Visa/ Skilled Independent Visa/ Temporary Skill Shortage Visa/ Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa
• 310 AUD – Temporary Work Visa Australia (Short Stay Specialist)/ Temporary Work Visa Australia (International Relations)
• 4110 AUD – Distinguished Talent Visa
• 1265 AUD For Short Term Stream 

2645 AUD for Medium Term Stream – Temporary Skill Shortage Visa

• 360 AUD – Skilled Regional (Provisional) Visa(Extended Stay Pathway)

Time required to obtain a work permit in Australia

A work visa usually takes 2 to 5 months to get processed. The time might vary depending on the complexity of your application, workload, and several other factors. Once it is done, you can move to Australia for work and start with your dream job.

Conclusion

Applying for a work permit can be an intimidating process. Especially when time is an important factor. With your job offer about to expire, the best way to ensure your application gets accepted, you should do thorough research. Follow this article for details regarding various steps of the application process. Use it with utmost attention to detail to secure your work permit in Australia.

FAQ