Nowadays, working overseas has become a part of more and more people’s careers. With its high quality of life and career opportunities, Australia has become a desirable workplace for many people. This article will provide a detailed introduction to Australia’s work visa information, covering various types of visas, application requirements, processes, required time, and related costs, to help you smoothly embark on your career journey in Australia.
To apply for an Australian work visa, you only need to apply for an ImmiAccount on the immigration department’s website, submit the visa application online, upload the required documents, and pay the fee. If you need to submit an Expression of Interest (EOI), you need to register with SkillSelect first to submit the EOI, and then apply for an ImmiAccount. The EOI is valid for 2 years and can be updated at any time during this period. For example, adding work experience, improving education, and updating IELTS scores can improve the score in the scoring system and help speed up the visa application process.
| Types of visas | Processing time |
|---|---|
| Working holidays (417 categories) | About 3 months |
| Overseas graduates (476 categories) | About 17 months |
| Graduate Temporary Visa (Subclass 485) | About 12 months |
| Temporary technical shortage (482 categories) | About 11 months (short-term skills diversion)About 9 months (medium to long-term skill diversion) |
| Remote areas (Class 491, Class 494) | No standard time |
| Employer Sponsorship (Type 186) | About 11 months |
| Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189) | About 18 months |
| Skilled Nominee Visa (Subclass 190) | About 14 months |
The following are some common visa application requirements:
And some common conditions applicable to different visas:
English proficiency:
IELTS renewal is recognized, with minimum requirements for both the whole and the papers. Taking the permanent work visa (subclass 189) as an example, “Competent English” is required, which means that each paper must achieve a score of 6.0 or above.
Qualified skilled occupations:
including short-term skills required in Australia (STSOL), medium and long-term skills (MLTSSL), and regional skills (ROL).
Skills assessment:
Most visa applications require a skills assessment. Applicants need to contact Australian skills assessment agencies based on their industry/occupation.
Rating system:
Applicable to subclass 491, subclass 189, and subclass 190 visas, at least 65 points are required to have a chance of being invited to apply. Points can be obtained based on age, English proficiency, education, work experience, significant other, and other categories.
Employer guarantee:
Some visas (482 and 494) require applicants to be sponsored by a “Standard Business Sponsor”, and the employer must first complete the application online and be approved.
Working holiday visa
The Australian working holiday visa is valid for 12 months, during which there are no restrictions on entry or exit, and you can also study (up to 4 months). After working for a designated occupation for 3 months, you are eligible to apply for a second visa (Second WH Visa), and then after working for another 6 months, you can apply for a third visa (Third WH Visa), which means you can spend up to 36 months of working holiday in Australia in total.
Temporary work visa
Temporary work visas are temporary and can be used to work in Australia for 18 months to 5 years. Skilled visas in remote areas (subclass 491 and 494) can be converted into permanent work visas after 3 years, while graduate visas (subclass 482 and 485) have the opportunity to apply for permanent residency after 5 years.
Permanent work visa
There are mainly two types of permanent work visas. One type (Type 186) requires employer sponsorship, while the other type (Type 189 and Type 190) requires state government sponsorship. You need to submit a letter of intent first, and then be invited to apply for this visa based on your score ranking, or wait for the state government to nominate you directly.
| Types of visas | Cost |
|---|---|
| Working holidays (417 categories) | AUD 485 |
| Overseas graduates (476 categories) | AUD 405 |
| Graduate Temporary Visa (Subclass 485) | AUD 1650 |
| Temporary technical shortage (482 categories) | AUD 1265 (short-term skills diversion)AUD 2645 (Medium- and Long-Term Skills Stream) |
| Remote areas (Class 491, Class 494) | AUD 4045 |
| Permanent work visa (subclass 186, subclass 189, subclass 190) | AUD 4045 |
After the visa is approved, you can go to Australia. However, when living and working overseas, it is inevitable to face the problem of cross-border remittance. Choosing a safe and convenient remittance channel is also an issue that cannot be ignored. Here, we recommend a remittance tool, BiyaPay.
It supports real-time exchange rate inquiry and exchange of more than 20 legal currencies and more than 200 digital currencies. It provides users with financial services such as global remittance, online payment, fiat and digital currency exchange, and online deposit and withdrawal. The characteristics of digital currency exchange for fiat currency are borderless, global, decentralized, and real-time transfer, making global remittance unlimited and instant transfer possible.
The above is the relevant introduction about Australian visas. You can choose the visa that suits you according to the relevant requirements. I wish you a smooth employment and a happy life in Australia.
*This article is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from BiyaPay or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.
We make no representations, warranties or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, completeness or timeliness of the contents of this publication.



