Student's year-out work experience in Oz

Funkstard

Hi there, I'm a 3rd year Architecture student planning on taking a year out after this year to get work experience. A few of us are planning on going to Australia for 9 months or so, and I have a few questions to ask about the visa situation.

Basically, I don't want to use my year work/holiday visa as that means I can't go back to Australia and do the bould thing once I finish college. Is there another visa I can apply for? None of us will be qualified, but will have relevant work place skills in CAD/3d packages/model making etc. I presume not having a degree is a problem but would there be any way to sell ourselves as we do have necessary skills for the profession?

Bit of a specific question but hopefully somebody might know something. Australia seems to be still doing relatively well in the current economic craic so it's probably one of the only places I could gain worthwhile work experience.

Thanks for reading.

hussey

Basically, I don't want to use my year work/holiday visa as that means I can't go back to Australia and do the bould thing once I finish college. Is there another visa I can apply for? None of us will be qualified, but will have relevant work place skills in CAD/3d packages/model making etc. I presume not having a degree is a problem but would there be any way to sell ourselves as we do have necessary skills for the profession?

Sorry unless you want to work for free, you'll have to use your WHV.
If you want to work for free you can apply for a different type of visa, which allows you to work on a work experience type job for less than 3 months.
You can also try the trainee visa, but you'll need 12 months exp and a company will to employ you as a trainee....look like stuck with WHV
Another option is to use the WHV and when in Oz work 3 months doing farm work or construction for 3 months - this will give you a 2nd visa, so you can come back a few years later
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/specified-work.htm
Oh one more thing for a WHV you can only work for one company for a maximum of 6 months. So you will need at least two jobs in the 9months, and honestly I don't think you'll have much luck, and would advise to wait until college is finished.
(there is an option of business sponsorship, but this is highly unlikely - you can look into it, but will need a company to sponsor you outside Aus)

Bit of a specific question but hopefully somebody might know something. Australia seems to be still doing relatively well in the current economic craic so it's probably one of the only places I could gain worthwhile work experience.

Relatively well compated to other still does not mean good the entire industry has really slowed down here, companies seem to be in a wait and see stage, and are not hiring as many people as they used to.

Good luck

Diamondmaker

There are at least 3 ways to get here without using a WHV:

1. Gain sponsorship, this may have been a better option during a boom but its not entirely impossible but would be difficult considering you only want to stay a few months.

2. Come over and do a TAFE ( RTC / FAS type ) course. Find a relevant ( or not course ) that has few hours and you can stay as long as you study. This will actually gie you bonus points if you plan to apply in the future under a skilled migramt visa. Architect so far as I know is on the occpations in demand list which gives a great boost to independant migration without a WHV.

3. Regional COnst Visa, Adelaide is a pretty cool city with a Corl / Galway sort of size. As noone consider adelaide when mograting to Oz they have special rules that allow you work here under a regional scheme, this may alsoi be worth looking into.
PS the fruit picking extension Hussey refers to, can also be used by working in construction in a "regional" area. North Qld would be a very nice place to work for 6months in winter and Adelaide great fior summer.....:)

Never say never.............good luck.

Funkstard

Thanks for the replies, very helpful. About sponsorship, I thought it was something you could do after your WHV runs out and you want to stay on. Can you get sponsored without having any visa previously? ie. can you get into Australia with just having a company sponsor you?

I have a few contacts directly or indirectly with architects in Australia so this might be our best option.

hussey

Funkstard wrote: »

Thanks for the replies, very helpful. About sponsorship, I thought it was something you could do after your WHV runs out and you want to stay on. Can you get sponsored without having any visa previously? ie. can you get into Australia with just having a company sponsor you?

I have a few contacts directly or indirectly with architects in Australia so this might be our best option.

Yep, it is a business visa, nothing to do with WHV, you need to earn a minimum wage however etc for that area which you might not be elligble for, check out http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/skilled-workers/sbs/index.htm

Though honestly I can't see you getting this, but good luck anyway.

aiecquest

There are cheaper TAFE or VET (Vocational) courses at private colleges with student visa allowing work rights e.g. Business Marketing Certificate, half year in Sydney from AUD2500 (versus AUD5000 at state TAFE), M-Th a.m. intensive ~16 hours, then work, at vacation full time, and extandable visa

This is what Central European graduates and young professionals do for experience. Cheers Andrew