Everything you need to know about Working & Applying for Jobs in Australia

If you want to Work & Live in Australia, you must fulfill every criterion and complete all the required formalities. Every citizen except for New Zealand nationals needs a Visa to go to Australia. Therefore, if you plan on living or working in Australia, you must have all the correct information and appropriate Visa. Read this definitive guide and enrich your knowledge.

Types of Visa: There are five types of Visa: Visitor, Student, Temporary, Residence, and Migration Visas. If you need to visit Australia often for a prolonged period of time, you may be granted a multiple-entry Visa. Businessmen, sportspersons, entertainers, and parents of children living in Australia are usually granted multiple-entry Visas.

Time for processing Visa applications: Depending on the kind of Visa, the time needed for processing and approval may vary. However, it does take a considerable amount of time so it is wise to apply for it months earlier. Countries which receive many Visa applications take a longer time to process.

Further information: If you want to collect more information about Visas, charges or need forms, you can get it from offices of the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (DIMIA) in Australia (www.immi.gov.au). Another helpful source is Australian missions overseas.

Who can apply for citizenship of Australia?

As an immigrant
If you want to be a citizen of Australia, you will be eligible to apply for it only if you have been a resident in the country for a total of 24 months in the last 5 years. The application fee is $120.

General Criteria

● You have to be at least 18 years old.
● You must be a permanent resident of Australia.
● You must have a strong hold on the basics of English.
● You must have a good understanding of the privileges you receive as an Australian citizen. You should know what your responsibilities are towards the country.
● You should be well-informed about all the terms, conditions and details of Australian citizenship.
● You must have a good character and have a close association with the country.
● If you are over the age of 50 years, you are not subject to the criteria of having a good hold on English.
● If you are above 60 years of age, you need not understand and comply with the responsibilities and privileges of an Australian citizen.

Exceptional cases

● You will be given the privileges of exceptional rules if you belong to one or more of the following categories.

● The exception applies to personnel and professionals who belong to armed forces. If you have served for at least three months, you are eligible for this category.

● If you are a former Australian citizen, you pass the eligibility criteria for exceptions. For this, you need to have evidence that you have stayed in Australia as a resident for 12 months or more in the last 2 years.

If you need a permanent resident of Australia and you are engaged with the country in a way that benefits the citizens or the country, you will be eligible for this Visa category. There are various conditions and you have to fulfill one or more of them. For instance, if you are a spouse or widow of an Australian citizen, or have stayed in the country for 12 months in the last 2 years, you will be considered as an eligible candidate for this Visa category.

If you can show evidence that you would suffer extreme hardship if you are not granted permanent citizenship of Australia, your case might be taken into account.