Australia working visa

[ballin]

Was just wondering if any fellow CP'ers have done anything like this and if they have any real world advice for applying, and life in Australia.


EDIT. Interested in a working holiday visa.

[nik-]

All I know about Australia is that everything's bite kills you in seconds.

[Robotic]

Do you mean a Working Holiday Visa? If so, I applied for it in '06 and was approved in almost 24 hours. Printed off the paper, and gave it to the customs guy when arriving at the airport in Syndey. Stamped my passport, and said "Good day mate!". Super easy!

... as long as you don't have a record.

[ballin]

Originally Posted by Robotic

Do you mean a Working Holiday Visa? If so, I applied for it in '06 and was approved in almost 24 hours. Printed off the paper, and gave it to the customs guy when arriving at the airport in Syndey. Stamped my passport, and said "Good day mate!". Super easy!

... as long as you don't have a record.

I have heard and read conflicting things, when you did it did you have to prove funds???

[Robotic]

I brought an offical bank statement saying I had $X amount in my bank. They never asked for it, and all the backpackers I spoke with weren't asked either. Not sure if rules are being reinforced. If you're short on cash I'm sure you could ask family for a temporary loan just to get the bank statement, and then give the money back to your family right away. I honestly wouldn't worry to much about that.

[Ozy_Flame]

I got one one in New Zealand in '06, same thing - super easy to get, and it allows multiple entries. Highly recommend a Holiday Visa, and they come relatively cheap.

I did, however, go through the SWAP program which was very helpful in getting it all arranged.

SInce I'm over 30 now, I can't do the Australia one as easily, but New Zealand is under 35 so there's still time again

[koop]

Yeah i didnt get asked to prove funds when i went in 2011 either. The whole process is super easy for a Canadian, from applying to actually landing and going through customs, its really nothing to worry about.

[koop]

If youre looking to get a vehicle while you're there though its definitely worth doing some research beforehand as its a much different system, and can be a bit of a headache if you're looking to get an inexpensive vehicle and sell it later. Every state inspects different things (which needs to be done to register a car), and charges different amounts.

[Red Slinger]

I don't believe that you have to prove funds for the working holiday visa but you do for certain other types of visas. The working holiday visa is primarily intended for backpackers and other people that are interested in doing season work (eg. fruit picking).

Life in Australia is pretty similar to life in Canada. The culture is comparable although some of that depends on the state or city that you are living in. The cost of living in Australia's major cities, especially Perth, Sydney and Melbourne is VERY high compared to Calgary. They are more in line with the cost of living in Vancouver.

Where in Australia are you planning to go?

[Muta]

I loved Perth when I was there. Would have loved to haven gotten out of the city and hiked / camped up the coast.

[Pizza]

Yup, did a working holiday visa there 5 years ago

You're allowed to work at one place 6 months max.

I made the mistake of going to the gold coast where they get the most tourism. It's pretty much ######bag central there if you're someone of colour. I've had people scream at me and my wife, we've had stuff thrown at us like rocks, beer bottles and eggs. One drunk guy tried to pick a fight with me because I was a foreign looking. Seriously, they're 30 years behind Canada when it comes to immigration and accepting people of different ethnic backgrounds. If you think we're bad when it comes to our relationship with natives, Australians are fairly violent with their indigenous people

but if you're white, you should be okay

[Sparks]

Expect it to be hard to find work on that visa - and if you can find work it won't be great. I've been in Australia (Brisbane) for 2.5 years and even on a long stay visa (457) it took me 6 months to land a job without Australian work experience.

You should tell us where you plan to go. I'm sure CP has a contingent who lived/live in each major city.

[surferguy]

I did this ten years ago. Very fond memories.

[ballin]

Originally Posted by Sparks

Expect it to be hard to find work on that visa - and if you can find work it won't be great. I've been in Australia (Brisbane) for 2.5 years and even on a long stay visa (457) it took me 6 months to land a job without Australian work experience.

You should tell us where you plan to go. I'm sure CP has a contingent who lived/live in each major city.

Well as of now im hoping to start in perth and make my way east, and maybe end in sydney.

[Tron_fdc]

Yeah when I was there I always played it up like I was a long term resident when applying for jobs. No one wants to hire someone that is going to leave in 6 months, unless you have a skill that they can't find locally.

When all else fails go pick fruit. Prepare to be slave driven for minimum wage, and yelled at like you're a worthless backpacker (which you are). Picking fruit SUCKS.

[Rutuu]

Originally Posted by Tron_fdc

Yeah when I was there I always played it up like I was a long term resident when applying for jobs. No one wants to hire someone that is going to leave in 6 months, unless you have a skill that they can't find locally.

When all else fails go pick fruit. Prepare to be slave driven for minimum wage, and yelled at like you're a worthless backpacker (which you are). Picking fruit SUCKS.

A few points (my friend is staying with me on a holiday working visa he started in February this year)

1. Technically you have to prove funds, but they never asked...he did the temporary loan
2. They don't pay you to pick fruit anymore, it's just accomodation and food now...terrible.
3. Rent in Brisbane in a share house will be ~$150/week; lots of people rent the Juicy Vans and camp it or stay at the hostel the whole time.
4. Make a fake resume for serving...it will help unless you're a cute girl; they have their pick right now, so it's tough to land a job in Brisbane. Other cities I can't speak for, but my friend was turned down 200+ times before landing a temp 3week job with a big insurance company. It took him 4months to find that job.
5. You can work at the hostel on a room and food deal too

Hope the above doens't sound doom and gloom, but the reality of the finincial aspects will help you plan; with that said its a BIG country with lots and lots to explore.

Finally don't pull the rookie move and come here in June/July/August and expect it to be warm...it's winter here and anything south of Brisbane will be below 20C during the day and single digits overnight, with the humidity that can be quite chilly. North of Brisbane is quite comfortable this time of year though.

[bcsoda]

Originally Posted by ballin

Was just wondering if any fellow CP'ers have done anything like this and if they have any real world advice for applying, and life in Australia.


EDIT. Interested in a working holiday visa.

Originally Posted by ballin

I have heard and read conflicting things, when you did it did you have to prove funds???

Not for Australia, but I did for France last year. Apparently applying for Australia is easier than France, and applying for France was pretty easy (except for the amount of paperwork they wanted, but once I had that it was easy and I was approved the same day they received it).

As for the funds, I was concerned about that as well. In the end I managed to save up enough money before I had to apply, but there was an option to have my parents (or whoever had enough funds) write a letter saying that they would give you money if you needed it. Maybe that's an option for Australia as well.

[Johnny199r]

I did it back in '08. I didn't end up working while I was there, but it was easy to get the visa.

I found Australians to generally be morons. They have the same attitudes as Canadians from 1980. Racist, sexist, get too drunk - picking fights, the "tough" men have strange haircuts and wear neon shirts and short shorts? It's a time warp to more ignorant times.

Australia would be a great country if there were no Australians in it.

My favourite spot was Byron Bay. I kick myself for not getting to the outback and up to Northern Territory. Spend as little time as possible in the big cities would be my advice.

[bcsoda]

Oh, and make sure you tell Alberta Health the date that you're leaving and the date that you plan to return (assuming you're in Alberta). I was told I needed to call them every time I left or returned to the country while on the working holiday visa (and this was confirmed by the employees I talked to when I called), otherwise there could be issues with your eligibility for Alberta Health Care. I basically just called before every flight and they added it to my file.

[Red Slinger]

If you're going to Perth I'd recommend looking at rentals online prior to leaving. It's not cheap and there's not a lot to choose from. Also, the economy in Perth has hit a bit of a lull so there aren't a lot of jobs to be had. However, if you're just planning on doing some travelling there are a lot of lousy jobs that will basically only give you room and board, although some may provide a little bit of spending money.

As someone else mentioned, it's winter here now. Generally, the high during the day is in the high teens and the low is usually in the single digits, and it rains 3-4 days a week minimum. In Calgary that's pretty nice but here the humidity makes it feel colder than that. Also, most houses aren't insulated and don't generally have central heating. So, if it's 5 degrees outside it may be 10-15 inside the house. They might have A/C that you can use to warm the place but it costs a fortune to run.

However, if you are travelling to the north it is a great time of year. Cyclone season is over and you won't run into the oppresive, sticky heat of the summer. I was up in Ningaloo and Karijini a few weeks ago and it was awesome- not only the weather but it's a largely unspoilt area that is just developing tourism.

If you want more info on Perth or WA send me a PM.

Lastly, I'm confused with the thread tags.