Australia, the land of the Down Under, is one of the countries that have long been welcoming migrants from all over the globe including Filipinos. The vast island not only opens up various opportunities for OFWs but also to their family as well that is why many consider working there.
What would it take to get out and work in Australia?
Find a sponsor
First of all, you must go sponsor/employer hunting. If you are already in Australia, probably visiting a friend or family, try to go out or go online and look for companies that are willing to sponsor you as their foreign worker. If you are in the Philippines, you can visit job hunting sites that are approved by the Australian Embassy or the Australian government such as joboutlook.gov.au. a family or friend could refer you to an employer that needs the required skill and experience needed.
Once you find a job opening you think you are qualified, get ready to to prepare yourself in an interview that could be personal (if you are in Australia) or via skype/telephone.
Application for Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457)
When the employer decided to sponsor you, you must secure a work visa. There a couple of kinds of visas, for this article we tackle the Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457) which is a visa for a sponsored skilled worker for their nominated occupation for four years.
To get this visa you must be sponsored by an approved employer or business and you must have the required skills to fill in the nominated position by your sponsor. This is to make sure that no other Australian citizen is fit to fill in the position being offered to the foreign worker as the Australian citizens are prioritized for job offers. Your employer must be an approved sponsor by the government.
Clearly, before you apply for this visa, your employer must be an approved sponsor and they must nominate you for the job position.
Requirements
1. When you apply for Temporary Work (Skilled) visa (subclass 457), you must be nominated in an approved occupation. Australian government had set Skilled Occupation Lists which you can visit in the embassy’s website.
2. You must have the required skills needed for the job which you employer had to prove during your nomination
3. You must speak vocational English. You must pass a score of ‘B’ in Occupational English Test (OET) or at least a score of 5 in each of the four parts of English Language Testing System (IELTS) which are listening, reading, writing and speaking.
4. You have to meet the registration and licensing obligations ( your sponsor will provide this),
5. You must be nominated by an approved business or sponsor.
6. You must meet certain health requirements that depends on your circumstances.
7. And you must provide a character requirement such as a police clearance coming form a country you lived in for a year or more after you turned 16.
Prepare your needed documents:
- l eVisa application 1066
- l Qualification certificates
- l Registration, licensing or professional membership
- l Reference from previous employers
- l Resumé
- l IELTS OR OEL test result
- l Valid ID’s and other personal documents to prove your identity
You might be needed to provide more information if needed by the embassy. For more information, you can visite the Australian Embassy website as informations are subject to change from time to time.
Once your visa gets approved, you can work in Australia for 4 years, bring your family along to study or work and travel in or out of the country.
One of the best reasons why many OFWs choose Australia is not only for the work opportunities but also the advantage to bring along your family and have a grand travel together.
