I wonder if anyone can advise me...

I am currently travelling around Asia and have already arranged and have in place a 1 year working visa ifor Australia. I will start work in Australia in January, and will arrive to live and work in Melbourne then. However, I was originally going to be arriving in Australia to look for work mid December and have a flight booked, from Malaysia to Australia, for then. My plan has altered since- I will now go travelling in New Zealand before arriving in Australia to work. I have looked into flights from Australia (Melbourne) to New Zealand (Christchurch) and there is no way I can make the journey from Malaysia to Australia to New Zealand without staying in the airport overnight...

I really don't want my visa to kicj in in Dec, when I arrive to imediately depart! So, my queries are: a) can I stay in the airport overnight without activating my visa? b) if not, should I apply for a tourist visa and then reapply for a working visa once in New Zealand? c) As a British citizen, can I apply for the visa from New Zealand?

Or can anyone offer alternative advice? I've got myself in a pickle here!!

Thanks in advance

Emilia

Just a thought but if you transit at an airport you dont actually go through immigration which seems reasonable that it wont validate your WHV. Just logical thought rather than anything meaningful legal advice.

Do a search as I remember reading recently that once you land in Oz even if only then moving on it validates your visa. I could be wrong but do a search this question was asked not long ago.
Good Luck
A
xx

a. No

b & c. Get some professional advice on your options.

a is an interesting point then Jeremy. I would've assumed (but didn't know for sure, so I didn't post) that transitting - and so not going through Immigration - would mean that your visa would not be validated. Or is it not possible to stay airside while transitting Aus airports? I've done it in other airports but not in Aussie ones.

Airside transit is possible (in some instances) but I doubt you can do so if the onward flight leaves the next day. But maybe ask the airline or airport authority?