Long-Term Employment In Nursing And Engineering In Australia

While many working holiday visa holders are happy to enjoy the availability of casual work in Australia, you should grab the opportunity to gain overseas work experience and long-term employment in your chosen field, such as nursing or engineering.

Nurses and Engineers continue to be in high demand in Australia and some forward planning will help ensure you hit the ground running in Australia…

Nursing

Nurses have to become registered in Australia to be able to work. The registration process is a bit of a paper chase to say the least and can take several weeks, to months, to be processed. So if you have friends who are thinking of coming to Australia, then it’s advisable to get this done before they arrive.

The Nursing & Midwifery Board of Australia is the registration body. The registration requirements changed on 10th February 2014, and you can access the latest information at
www.nursingmidwiferyboard.gov.au/Registration-and-Endorsement/International/criteria-nurses.aspx

Nurses can contact hospitals in Australia directly for employment opportunities, just look for Hospital directories online; these are usually listed by state e.g. www.myhospitals.gov.au/browse/nsw/sydney

There are also many nursing agencies in Australia that will have ready casual work for nurses with registration. Dedicated nursing recruitment companies can also assist you to find placements, consider making contact from home before you travel, you might end up with a job on arrival.

Engineering

Anyone under 31 years of age who has completed an engineering qualification in the last two years should look at the Recognised Graduate visa (476 visas).
This visa allows an 18 months stay in Australia with unlimited work rights. This visa allows work in any industry. Unlike the working holiday visa, you can add family members to the 476 visa. The main aim of the visa is to give engineering graduates a chance to find work experience in their field.

While the working holiday visa has a six-month work limitation, the 476 work rights are unlimited. This makes a 476 visa holder much more attractive to a prospective employer and in turn, can often lead to options for sponsorship or, perhaps assist in gaining eligibility to apply for an independent skilled visa at a later stage.

Although the aim is for graduates to find work in their field, there is no requirement to have a job offer or any obligation to work in engineering.
To be eligible for the 476 visa you need to be under 31-years-old when applying and have completed a degree, masters or post-graduate diploma in engineering from an eligible university.

Your qualification must contain a major sequence of study or specialisation in an engineering discipline. Specialisations include but are not limited to: Civil or Structural, Chemical, Environmental, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Mechanical, Production and Plant Engineering.

There is a long list of UK, Irish and other Universities and technical colleges on the eligibility list. Check out the list of eligible universities at www.immi.gov.au/skilled/general-skilled-migration/476/recognised-institutions

The visa costs a mere $360, probably the cheapest 18 months visa available in Australia. As family members can join the visa application, a partner can be included here for an extra fee of $180.

If you have not yet had a working holiday visa, it may be a good plan to take out the recognised graduate visa, and keep your working holiday visa options for later years. Don’t forget the age limit for the working holiday visa is also 31 years of age.

By John Mc Quaid, registered Migration Agent and Director at Arrive Australia Migration Services.
www.arriveaustralia.com.au