Work in Australia
Working in Australia requires a visa. There are different work visas and visas for business travellers, so it is important to find out which variant you need for your trip.
Paid work
If you are between 18 and 35 years old, you might qualify for the Working Holiday Visa Australia. This visa allows you to perform paid work in Australia during your holiday. The maximum duration of such a work holiday is one year. However, you are required to switch employers every half year. This visa allows you to travel to the country an unlimited number of times. A Working Holiday Visa does limit what kind of job you can do. The work you are allowed to do with this visa must be labour-intensive. For example, office work or working in a kitchen are not allowed. You are allowed to work in agriculture, animal husbandry, fishing, arboriculture, wood processing, mining and construction.
If you will not be engaging in paid work in Australia, you can also choose for the eVisitor Australia. At £450, many travellers find the Working Holiday Visa too expensive and instead opt for the eVisitor. If you will not be doing paid work in Australia and do not mind leaving the country every 3 months, the eVisitor Australia will suffice.
If you want to extend your working holiday in Australia and are under 31 years of age, you can submit a new Working Holiday Visa application. You can submit this application at home, but also while in Australia. To qualify for a second application, you must have adhered to the requirements of the first Working Holiday Visa.
Job application
For a job application in Australia, all you need is an eVisitor. However, entering into employment requires a specific work visa or Working Holiday Visa.
Business trip
Do you want to go on a business trip to Australia, and will you not be paid by an Australian employer during this trip (you are allowed to be paid by your British employer)? And will you also not be selling services or products to Australian consumers? Then you will probably qualify for an eVisitor visa. An eVisitor is cheaper than submitting an application for a work visa.
eVisitor visa for business trips
You can submit an eVisitor Australia application if you are going on a business trip to Australia for one or several of the activities below:
- Meeting (potential) business partners
- Networking and introductions
- Meetings and negotiations
- Signing agreements
- Attending fairs, seminars, conferences or conventions
- Attending trainings/courses
- Performing market research
Volunteer work
Performing volunteer work in Australia without a visa is only allowed if the main purpose of the trip to Australia is tourism. Volunteer work that would otherwise be done by a paid Australian employer is not permitted without a work visa, even if you do not get paid for this work. If you want to perform volunteer work without having a work visa, you cannot get paid for the work you do. However, you are allowed to receive board and lodging as thanks. If you want to perform paid work in Australia, you must submit a work visa application.
