A Guide to Obtaining a Work Permit in Perth
Highly sought after and desirable as a destination for those looking to work and live abroad, Perth in Western Australia is a major contributor to the country’s exports and offers employment opportunities in abundance for skilled migrant workers. It’s not as easy as just up and moving across, however. A work permit is a legal pre-requisite and one must be obtained from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection. The type of visa you apply for as well as the application process will vary according to your particular circumstances, so read on to learn more about the various routes to a Perth work permit so that you can decide which is right for you.
Employer Sponsored Visas
An Australian Employer Sponsored Visa is available in either temporary or permanent form. Often, you will upgrade to a permanent visa after having held the temporary version for a minimum of two years. If you are planning to move to Perth on a Employer Sponsored Visa, you will first need to find an approved company to sponsor you.
Regional Sponsored Visas
An Australian Regional Sponsored Visa is essentially a regionally based variant of the afore-mentioned Employer Sponsored Visa. This involves seeking sponsorship from an employer based in a specific region where there is a shortage of skilled workers.
SkillSelect Visas
The SkillSelect scheme is a government initiative which aims to provide regions of Australia which are short of skilled workers with migrant workers relative to the particular skills shortages within that region. Both temporary and permanent visa options are available via this application route.
Featuring a points-based application process, the SkillSelect program allows you to seek nomination from a state or a territory. The other option is to get sponsorship from an Australian relative, or you can apply without either of these. It’s important to note, however, that those who apply with a nomination or sponsorship will get more points. The first step is to send an expression of interest and sit the points test. Provided you are eligible you will then be issued with an invitation to apply for the visa.
If you are contemplating obtaining a visa to work in Perth via the SkillSelect route, it’s worth checking out the list of occupations which are in demand for Western Australia to see if a skills shortage could help you to obtain state-based nomination. Should you be granted a work visa via SkillSelect, it’s important to bear in mind that you will be required to stay within your nominated region for the first two years. As such, it’s important that you conduct plenty of research and decide beforehand that this is definitely the state for you!
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