Blooregard Q Kazoo

Hi,

I'm looking to move to Sydney in the next 8 weeks or so, my plan is to come out on a holiday visa and either find a company willing to sponsor me or go freelance and apply via an agency who will take 10% of my earnings to sort out my visa.

Below is an email I got from a mate who's a journalist and I was wondering if anyone who's done it this way could agree or disagree with what he says.



It depends, to be honest - getting residency with a degree and skill in a required profession can be quite easy if you're under 30/35. Getting a company to sponsor you for a working visa can be easy/difficult, but if you come out here on a holiday visa and find a company to hire you while you're out is the easiest way. Failing that, find a company to hire you on a freelance basis and providing they'll pay you more than $50k, there are agencies which "employ" you, take 10% of your earnings and then sort out your visa for you.

esperanza

I can't comment on the likelihood/ease of getting a visa, but do make sure that you have enough money to support yourself in the event that you do not get a job for a while.
Also I believe that there are restrictions on working on a tourist visa - in fact I don't think you're allowed to at all. Or do you mean a working holiday visa? Even that has restrictions, so your earning potential might be limited.

A lot of people do say that it is much easier to get a job once you are in Oz, so from that angle your plan might be a good one. It is also said that they prefer you to already have a visa.... so it might not be straightforward to find an employer willing to take you on without a visa......

Good luck with it though!

Blooregard Q Kazoo

Thanks for the reply, I've checked that my skills, computer programmer, are sought after by the Australian government so hopefully I can secure a visa without too much hardship. Money-wise, I intend to wire around £5k to my Aus bank account which should last a few months.

I intend to book my return flights for a few months after departure so if it doesn't work out then I can return home, and if it does work out then I can change my return date.

esperanza

Best of luck with it then, hope it all works out for you!

JAJ

Don't be surprised if employers express zero interest in you if you are not a permanent resident. Also bear in mind that if you arrive as a tourist and Immigration think you are planning to even look for work, you could be refused entry.

Get professional advice, but there may be restrictions on switching to work visa from tourist status onshore.

Why on earth don't you see if you are eligible for a migration visa? Start at http://www.immi.gov.au and http://www.acs.org.au