Working in Australia

Working in Australia is always a good opportunity especially since the labor market is always in need of several jobs. Since the Australian economy is always fluctuating, jobs in demand are bound to change. But several jobs are always needed in the market as shown by the Skilled Migration List in Australia. Information Technology, Nursing, Hospitality, Engineering, Construction and Finance are some of the few fields where jobs are mostly always in demand.

Further, your chances of finding a job are higher in metropolitan cities such as Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney but don’t discount more rural locations. If you possess the right skills and qualifications your chances of securing work are good. Australia is a huge labor market so make sure you research all available options for you. Plus, graduates at all levels generally enjoy a low unemployment rate and have better labour market outcomes and salaries than non-graduates.

Some industries that have increased in the Australian job market include:

• Construction
• Education
• Engineering
• Banks and Accounting
• Healthcare
• Mining And Energy
• Science And Technology
• Hospitality

For working, there are lots of visa options you can choose from. The Australian government has established several visa options for a range of purposes such as: travel, study, work, permanent residence, refugee, sponsorship and more. It’s important to know the rules and regulations that come hand to hand when you apply for that specific visa. Your visa may limit the type of work you can do in Australia and what not. Some visas have rules about how many hours you can work (eg. international students), or what jobs you can do (eg. a seasonal worker).

Even among the migration cap that is fixed on a annual basis for Australia, a large part of it is made up of the skilled stream, allowing skilled foreign workers to live and work in Australia on permanent and temporary visas. To apply for a work visa, you are required to apply according to your skill which can be accessed through Skill Select. You can also find the appropriate visa for your job from Visa-finder which is available in Australian Home Affairs’ website.

If you’re working legally in Australia, you’re entitled to the minimum wage. Whether you’re working at a farm or in a restaurant, you should receive at least AUD 20.33 an hour, which in comparison to other countries is really good. While you’re in Australia, remember that your employer can’t cancel your visa, even if it’s been breached. Only the Department of Home Affairs can grant, refuse or cancel visas.

All workers in Australia have rights and protections at work, including people from overseas working in Australia . The Fair Work Ombudsman’ states that work will not be characterized as foreign or national and that all work will be treated fairly. Employers of people from overseas must provide the following to their employees. If any of these things are not provided by an employer , the employee has the right to report the unfairness to the Department of Home Affairs.

Also, to receive a visa, you are expected to fulfill a certain criteria. Listed as the health and character requirements in the Australian Home affairs website, these are the criteria that need to be met first for you to receive a visa. This applies to both permanent and temporary visa holders. They also require a character check for all applicants of the Australian visa

Keep in mind that the government of Australia is very strict about the legalities regarding visa deadlines. If you are in Australia without a valid visa, you could face serious consequences including detention and/or permanent removal from Australia . If your visa is about to expire, you are expected to apply for a BVE (Bridging Visa) which is a short term visa that lets you arrange to leave remaining lawful.