Many unaware they are eligible for Australia visa

MANY people are unaware they are eligible to work in Australia, despite more than 30,000 people having emigrated there in the past year.

Ireland is among the top 10 feeder countries sending the most people to Australia on permanent residency (PR) visas.

Edwina Shanahan, manager with migration agents visafirst.com said people often feel they cannot apply for an Australian visa when this is not the case.

“While most people are aware of the ever-popular one-year working holiday visa, many are not aware of the fact they may be eligible to apply for a different working visa for Australia.

“We would urge those considering working abroad to assess their eligibility to travel for work.

“All too often we have encountered people who think that because they are over the age of 30, or because they have already used their one year working holiday visa, then they are excluded from subsequently being granted a working visa for Australia,” she said.

There are three main types of Australian work visa: PR; sponsorship; and working holiday.

The PR visa allows a person to live and work indefinitely in Australia. In order to get permanent residency, there are different requirements that need to be met depending on the visa type.

The state skilled visa requires a person to attain a minimum amount of points, while the employer nomination scheme and regional sponsored migration scheme visas require a person to have a job offer. Each Australian state publishes a list of occupations that are required for that state.

A working holiday visa will allow people to live and work for one year, but in that year, people can only work for a maximum of six months with an employer.

The 457 sponsorship visa is the one which has been granted to many Irish people who have travelled to Australia in recent years. It entitles a person to work and a job offer is required to apply. It takes only a few weeks to process. For construction trades and engineering professions, this visa is being processed as quickly as five working days.

Another increasingly popular option for Irish people moving to Australia is to set up a business there.

“It can then take anywhere from six to nine months to get the business visa arranged,” said Ms Shanahan.

“An Australian business visa offers a route to permanent residency for those that have a successful business career, yet don’t meet the requirements for a skilled migration visa. It also offers opportunities to those aged up to 56 to get permanent residency,” she added.