March 19, 2024

Working in Australia

U.S. Work & Holiday Visa (Subclass 462)

The Work and Holiday (Subclass 462) visa is for young people aged 18 to 30 who want to travel and work for up to 12 months in Australia. This visa allows you to supplement the cost of your holiday through periods of temporary or casual employment.

The Work and Holiday visa program is designed to encourage cultural exchange and closer ties between the United States and Australia.

If you are granted a Work and Holiday visa you can:

  • Enter Australia at any time within 12 months of the visa grant date
  • Stay in Australia for up to 12 months from the date of first entry
  • Leave and re-enter Australia any number of times from the 12 months from the date of first entry
  • Undertake temporary employment in Australia for up to six months with each employer
  • Study for up to four months.

Skilled workers

The SkillSelect Program enables skilled workers interested in migrating to Australia to record their details to be considered for a skilled visa through an Expression of Interest (EOI).  An EOI is not a visa application, it is an indication that you would like to be considered for a skilled visa.

Persons who have submitted an EOI can be found and nominated for skilled visas by Australian employers or State and Territory governments, or they can be invited by the Australian Government to lodge a visa application.

To submit an EOI for a visa your nominated occupation must be on the Skilled Occupation List.

A number of visas are points-based and you must meet the required passmark.  The current passmark is 60.

Skilled Independent (subclass 189) visa

  • This points-based visa is for skilled workers who are not sponsored by an employer, a state or territory, or a family member.
  • A visa holder can live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
  • Certain family members can be included in the application.

Skilled – Nominated (subclass 190) visa

  • This points-based visa is for skilled workers who are nominated by a state or territory.
  • A visa holder can live and work permanently anywhere in Australia.
  • Certain family members can be included in the application.

Skilled – Nominated or Sponsored (Provisional) (subclass 489) visa

  • This points-based visa is for skilled workers who are nominated by a state or territory or sponsored by an eligible relative living in a designated area in Australia.
  • The visa is valid for four years, and a visa holder must live and work in a specified regional area.
  • Certain family members can be included in the application.
  • This visa allows holders of visa subclasses 495, 496, 475 and 487 to stay in Australia for an additional year.

Subclass 482 visa – Temporary Skilled Shortage Visa

This visa allows a business to employ someone from outside Australia in a skilled job in Australia.

If you hold this visa, you can:

  • work in Australia for up to two or four years
  • bring your family with you
  • travel in and out of Australia as often as you want

Employer Nomination Scheme (subclass 186)

This visa is for skilled workers from outside Australia or skilled temporary residents who live and work in Australia. It has three streams.

  • The Temporary Residence Transition stream is for subclass 457 visa holders who have worked for two years and their employer wants to offer them a permanent position.
  • The Direct Entry stream is for people who have never, or only briefly, worked in the Australian labour market.
  • The Agreement stream is for people sponsored by a employer through a labour or regional migration agreement.

Regional Sponsored Migration Scheme (subclass 187)

This visa is for skilled workers from outside Australia or skilled temporary residents who live and work in regional Australia. It has three streams.

  • The Temporary Residence Transition stream is for subclass 457 visa holders who have worked for two years and their employer wants to offer them a permanent position.
  • The Direct Entry stream is for people who have never, or only briefly, worked in the Australian labour market.
  • The Agreements stream is for people sponsored by a employer through a labour or regional migration agreement.

Business Talent (Permanent) (subclass 132) visa

This visa has two streams.

  • The Significant Business History stream is for affluent owners or part owners of a business who want to have a major management role in a new or existing business in Australia.
  • The Venture Capital Entrepreneur stream is for people who have obtained at least AUD1 million in funding from an Australian venture capital firm.

Business Innovation and Investment (Provisional) (subclass 188) visa

The visa includes five streams:

  • Business Innovation stream: for people with business skills who want to establish, develop and manage a new or existing business in Australia. Applicants must be nominated by a state or territory government.
  • Investor stream: for people who want to make a designated investment of at least AUD1.5million in an Australian state or territory and maintain business and investment activity in Australia. Applicants must be nominated by a state or territory government.
  • Significant Investor stream: for people who are willing to invest at least AUD5million into complying significant investments in Australia and want to maintain business and investment activity in Australia. Applicants can be nominated by a state or territory government or Austrade on behalf of the Australian government.
  • Premium Investor stream: for people who are willing to invest at least AUD15million into complying premium investments in Australia and want to maintain business and investment activity in Australia. Applicants must be nominated by Austrade on behalf of the Australian government.
  • Entrepreneur stream: for people who have a funding agreement from a third party for at least AUD200 000 to undertake a complying entrepreneur activity that is proposed to lead to either the commercialisation of a product or service in Australia or the development of a business in Australia. Applicants must be nominated by a state or territory government.

  • Holding this visa is the first stage before becoming eligible to qualify for a Business Innovation and Investment (Permanent) visa (subclass 888).