Are you considering working in Australia? Have you ever considered looking for new opportunities in one of the most liveable countries in the world?
Australia is one of the most developed countries in terms of the quality of life, economic opportunities, employment rate and general stability, this makes it to be a preferred destination for the skilled immigrants from all over the globe. Finding a job in Australia, therefore, leaves one with the appropriate academic qualification, the correct visa to work in the country and the right working permit that is appropriate to the profession under consideration.
This article will take you step by step through the process of finding work in Australia, the various visas that may be required and how to look for a job.
Requirements For Job Application In Australia
There are few noteworthy considerations before anyone head out for job hunting for a new job in Australia. To begin with, one must check whether the received skills and qualifications will be considered in Australia. This often requires your qualifications to be checked by Australian relevant authorities to conform to the Australian standards. There are several documents that might be required depending on the position for example to work in many skilled positions, an applicant has to provide IELTS or TOEFL test results indicating their fluency in English.
Key Requirements:
- Approval by Australian authorities of your skills and the qualifications you have acquired.
- Certification of English Proficiency such as IELTS or TOEFL scores or any other internationally recognized language test.
- High quality resume and cover letter prepared in accordance with Australian norms and standards.
- Letters of recommendation from the previous employer(s) if needed nest.
- Extra credentials for certain positions; health care, teaching, etc.
It is also important to ensure that the documents used in the application process including resume and cover letters are appropriately formatted to Australian standards. CV or resume should be concise and should bullet point like show case your skills, qualifications and work experience.
Lastly, it will be wise to highlight how your experience matches the needs of the position that you are applying for. Some jobs may also require that the applicant provides the contact details of their professional reference from a previous employer or colleagues.
Moreover, there are certain positions that might have extra certification or registration in Australia depending on the profession example the medical profession or teaching profession.
It is important that one be in possession of a visa that will permit one to legally practice in Australia. Now, it is high time to inspect some of the employment visas that exist for immigrants intending to work in the country.
Employment Visa Requirements for Australia
There are several types of the Australian employment visa that are offered depend on the level of qualification and the type of profession. It enables immigrant’s work legally in Australia while benefiting from the favorable employment opportunities of the country.
In this article, I have highlighted three main visas for skilled workers as follows.
1. Skilled Independent Visa (Subclass 189)
The Skilled Independent Visa is suitable for the applicant who has certain skills marketable in Australia but does not have an employer with whom to associate. This visa permits one to reside in Australia, and look for employment within the country indefinitely. To be eligible to apply, you will need to lodge an Expression of Interest through the SkillSelect system.
According to the system used, applicants are ranked depending on their skills, working experience, age and their English language proficiency. To be invited to apply for the visa only those with high scores are selected for the program. The Subclass 189 visa lets you practise your trade in any particular trade in any area of Australia. This particular visa presents great moves to mobile workers who seek employment in numerous sectors or fields as well as migrants who plan to move to several areas.
2. Employer Nomination Scheme (Subclass 186)
The Employer Nomination Scheme (ENS) enable the employer to recruit the skilled worker from overseas where the expertise is rare to find in Australia. This visa grants people the right of residence as a permanent resident in the United States. You therefore need to have a job offer from an Australian employer and meet some important prerequisites for the job.
The ENS is generally used by employers who wish to recruit employees in shortage occupations, including professionals, managers or skilled workers, especially in fields such as engineering, healthcare or information technology.
3. Temporary Skill Shortage Visa (Subclass 482)
The Temporary Skill Shortage (TSS) visa enables Australian employers to obtain skilled workers for a period of time in the export market. It is available for the applicant whose occupation is on the Short Term Skilled Occupations List (STSOL) or Medium and Long-term Strategic Skills List (MLSLists). The TSS visa has three streams: These are in the form of: the short-term visa, the medium-term visa and the employment agreement visa.
Generally, the visa can stay valid for up to 4 years based on the stream an applicant is applying. A company must sponsor an applicant and prove there is no competent Australian for a particular position in a company.
Additional Considerations
Of course, there are other issues to consider besides the visa type; however, for the purpose of this article, it is essential to analyse them briefly. This includes recognizing the Australian culture at the workplace, especially as it relates to tolerance for teamwork, punctuality, and communication. Flexibility is also important because in the Australian workplace employers seek employees who can assimilate into a diverse and ever changing working environment.
The other important element of consideration is awareness of the labour laws that exists in Australia. Every foreign worker should acquaint himself/herself with the rights of an employee such as wages, hours of work and conditions of work. One fact is that Australia has very tight labor policies which guarantee immigrant workers against unfair treatment or exploitation within the country and this makes it safe for them to seek jobs in.
Salary Scale for Immigrants
Australia also pays workers a fairly good salary since they have a good salary scale for employees, irrespective of the country they come from. Therefore, the salary expected to be earned will depend on the profession, the qualification, as well as the region of work.
One of the key advantages of working in Australia as an immigrant is the relatively high salary scale:
- Average full-time adult weekly wage in Australia: nearly about 1,750 Australian dollars which is nearly equal to 1,200 US dollars.
- Highly skilled professionals (e.g., medical specialists, IT experts, senior managers): more than AU$ 200,000 (or US$ 140,000) per year
- Entry-level or unskilled positions: beginning at the AU$ 20.33 per hour which is equivalent to US$ 14.00 per hour.
Table For Salary Scale for Immigrants In Australia
Occupation |
Average Annual Salary (AUD) |
IT Professionals |
$80,000 – $130,000 |
Engineers |
$70,000 – $120,000 |
Healthcare Workers |
$60,000 – $100,000 |
Teachers |
$60,000 – $90,000 |
Tradespeople |
$50,000 – $80,000 |
Hospitality Workers |
$40,000 – $60,000 |