Law

Obtain a Work Visa for Australia

The Australia work visa is open to all foreigners who meet the minimum legal requirements for the issuance of this type of document. Our immigration lawyer in Australia provides the necessary legal support to those who want to relocate here for employment purposes.

There are multiple categories of work visas, and they are divided based on the level of skills required for a job position, the type of employment contract signed with a local employer, the duration of the work activity and so on.

Main categories of work visas

As a general rule, the Australia work visa can be obtained as a document for short-term stay work activity, for temporary employment or for permanent employment, when we refer to the duration of the work relations. Highly skilled employees can apply for various visas for skilled employment, which generally refer to work activities where extensive expertise is required, or for innovation visas.

Regardless of the type of work visa you are interested in, our Australia immigration lawyer can help you with in-depth legal advice on the visa application process and on the documents you have to prepare. Please address our lawyer for more information, as each type of Australia work visa will have its own specific application conditions.

Our lawyers can assist you on how to obtain Australian citizenship as well, if you want to permanently relocate here. You should know that citizenship in Australia can also be granted if you are married to an Australian citizen.

Obtain a work visa for Australia for short-term stays


As mentioned above, immigration to Australia is also possible for short-term employment opportunities. Some of the main visas are:

  • Temporary Activity visa (Subclass 408);
  • Temporary Work (Short Stay Specialist) visa (Subclass 400);
  • Temporary Work (International Relations) visa (Subclass 403);
  • Work and Holiday (Subclass 462);
  • Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417).


These visas have different requirements and they can address to different age groups (this is the case of the work holiday program, for instance) and this is why we recommend you get legal advice from our Australia migration lawyer.

The Australia work visa for permanent residency

The legislation for immigration in Australia also prescribes visas for employment purposes that grant the right to permanent residency.

Having a permanent residence permit in Australia provides a set of advantages and rights, but the Australia work visa for permanent residency can be obtained only by certain categories of foreigners; you can rely on our Australia immigration lawyer for assistance on how to become a permanent resident.

According to the Department of Home Affairs, visas for permanent residency are divided between the following categories: regional, skilled migration and business investment visas, as well as visas for highly skilled employment. Depending on the visa type that is of interest for the applicant, one may need to have a sponsor, as it is the case of the Employer Nomination Scheme visa or the Skilled Nominated visa.

In order to obtain the Australia work visa the applicant should satisfy conditions such as the minimum/maximum age, the ability to speak English or another foreign language, having specific skills, being able to stay at a single job for a given period of time without the possibility of changing it, meet certain health requirements and having a good character, to name some of the numerous variables.

Obtain a work visa for Australia for global talent

Global talent refers to those individuals who have highly developed skills in various fields and who can carry out their activities in various jurisdictions. Global talent is of high importance for all the states of the world and this is why numerous countries have created visa programs to attract professionals in key economic sectors.

These programs are set to attract persons who have excellent knowledge in specific jobs or in niche occupations, but they also take into consideration foreign businessmen willing to invest in startups in Australia.

Currently, global talent can migrate to Australia by applying for the National Innovation Visa (Subclass 858), which replaced the previous global talent visa program. The visa grants the right to permanent residency in Australia and some of its highlights are:

  • applicants must pay a processing fee that starts from AUD 4,985;
  • once granted, it offers the right of free travel to and from Australia for a period of 5 years;
  • in order to apply for it, foreigners must make an Expression of Interest followed by an invitation to apply (for those whose initial application is accepted), and one the invitation is made, the foreigners have 60 days to complete and submit the formal application;
  • the formal application is made by submitting the Nomination for National Innovation Visa (Form 1000), which is a mandatory document to be included in the file;
  • it is addressed to 4 categories of applicants – researchers, entrepreneurs, innovative investors, athletes/creatives.


There are multiple advantages of being the holder of the Subclass 858 visa, besides the right to permanent residency in Australia, employment and freedom of movement. Visa holders have the right to enroll in the country’s public health system and they may also sponsor their close family members to relocate here.

Immigration to Australia for close family members is, however, bound by certain eligibility criteria. Our immigration lawyer in Australia can provide legal assistance in this case. We also mention that this visa type opens the possibility of acquiring Australian citizenship through the naturalization pathway, given that it offers permanent residency rights.

For more information on how to obtain a work visa, we invite you to contact our immigration lawyer in Australia, who can help you throughout this process. Our team is also ready to answer your questions if you wish to apply for the Australia investment visa, instead of the visa for work purposes.