Working in Oz/ NZ

Jimbeam3678 · 11 May 2008 at 22:10

Since my other thread was an epic FAIL

I thought i'd reword my questions.

Has anyone gone and done it?? Is it worth going through a agency to set up your visa/bank account and find you a job etc??

Is it as good as it sounds ??

Was meant to do this when I was 21 but I bottled it. I'm now nearly 30 so from my understanding its sort of now or never , because you can't get a visa after your 30.

Anybody with any experience please take 5 just to tell me of your experience

Thanks

paulhuk2 · 11 May 2008 at 22:45

You can get the visa yourself on the internet, just make sure you are granted the working visa before you arrive in Aus as you won't be granted it once you're in the country. NZ is significantly easier to get, you can get the visa while in country.

Bank accounts are easy enough to set up, you shouldn't have a problem there. I had a PO Box which I used for all mail regarding banking/jobs/etc. There's zillions of agencies in all major cities for getting temp/seasonal work.

It's as good as you make it

I spent more time travelling than working so I had a great time, I imagine I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if the only reason to go was to work.

Doonhamer · 11 May 2008 at 22:51

Is that right about the age limit for the Visa?

Sankari · 11 May 2008 at 23:20

Working Holiday Makers
For people aged between 18 and 30 from arrangement countries to have an extended holiday supplemented by short-term employment.

Details here.

Jimbeam3678 · 12 May 2008 at 00:11

paulhuk2 said:
You can get the visa yourself on the internet, just make sure you are granted the working visa before you arrive in Aus as you won't be granted it once you're in the country. NZ is significantly easier to get, you can get the visa while in country.

Bank accounts are easy enough to set up, you shouldn't have a problem there. I had a PO Box which I used for all mail regarding banking/jobs/etc. There's zillions of agencies in all major cities for getting temp/seasonal work.

It's as good as you make it I spent more time travelling than working so I had a great time, I imagine I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if the only reason to go was to work.

So would you recommend it ?? Are you on msn , would really like to have a quick chat with people who have done this first hand

JBuk · 12 May 2008 at 00:16

paulhuk2 said:
You can get the visa yourself on the internet, just make sure you are granted the working visa before you arrive in Aus as you won't be granted it once you're in the country. NZ is significantly easier to get, you can get the visa while in country.

Bank accounts are easy enough to set up, you shouldn't have a problem there. I had a PO Box which I used for all mail regarding banking/jobs/etc. There's zillions of agencies in all major cities for getting temp/seasonal work.

It's as good as you make it I spent more time travelling than working so I had a great time, I imagine I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if the only reason to go was to work.

did you go solo?

wish i had done it when i was younger, now i`m too old for that visa

was in NZ in Jan for 3 weeks and done a 3 week trip of HK, Sydney, Cairns & Bangkok 2 years ago I so wish I could have been there fo longer

Jimbeam3678 · 12 May 2008 at 00:19

JBuk said:
did you go solo?

wish i had done it when i was younger, now i`m too old for that visa

was in NZ in Jan for 3 weeks and done a 3 week trip of HK, Sydney, Cairns & Bangkok 2 years ago I so wish I could have been there fo longer

Exactly why I want to do it now , its been in my head/blood since I was 18 so guessing that its still here now 12 years on , nothing to keep me here in uk so think i'm gonna go for it , before I have regrets

varial · 12 May 2008 at 03:27

I have been away since june last year and in NZ at the moment, these would be my quick recomendations.

You can get your australian visa online which is really simple and as some one else said just make sure you get it befor you arrive. If your working setting up a bank acount is easy, just walk in and ask. You will also need a Tax number which is pritty simple to get but took me 2 weeks to arrive. (without this you cant get paid so bare that in mind!) over all i spent 2 weeks enjoying life in perth and sorting the above out befor i started working.

I found work within an hour of looking, Perth is short staffed on a lot of things but from what i could see mainly hospitality. I got a job without interview or any thing at the first place i looked for $24AUD an hour. not bad!

I have been recomending Perth as my first stop for people going to australia if they want to work and save some money up befor going other places because of the above. With all the money i had saved up over the 4 months i went travelling around the whole of australia which was great and finnished in Sydney with my Girlfriend who i met on the way! (sweeeeeet!!!!).

Just to finnish with my australia stuff, because i had now left australia and gone to NZ i could claim all my tax back! (i cant re-enter australia as a worker now though, my visa is viod) I used a website who do all the hardwork for you and after 3 weeks of wiating got over $4000 back in my acount. woop woop!

In NZ we live with my girlfriends friends in christchurch. I found NZ a lot harder to get work in and getting things sorted compared to australia!

First, because i was in the country on a visiting permit i needed to apply for my working visa... this cost $100 i think. not to bad i thought as i payed about the same for my australian visa. But then... I gt an email saying because im allready in the country i need a Medical?

To cut a long storey short i ended up paying $200 for this medical xray and other things which took 2 weeks to be sent off, signed, blah blah blah.

Then onto tax code.... again, harder... i needed to get a letter from a buisness saying i have been offered work! Then finding work was extreamly hard compared to Perth and in the end i worked for $12NZD an hour but didnt get payed for 4 weeks as the tax code took so long to send off for and get back in a letter which didnt turn up the first time!!

I have proberly made this way to long and complicated for you, if you have any more speific questions just let me know and ill try to explain better!

Sam

Vandle · 12 May 2008 at 04:53

divaboy said:
Exactly why I want to do it now , its been in my head/blood since I was 18 so guessing that its still here now 12 years on , nothing to keep me here in uk so think i'm gonna go for it , before I have regrets

I did exactly the same thing when I was 29.
Ive been here for 2 years now and havent regretted one single moment.

As said above go with the working holiday visa , travel a bit and decide where you want to be ( I travelled for 8 months) - there is loads of work all over the country but it depends on what you want to achieve.
If its the whole backpacker holiday thing then it doesnt matter just go and do whatever you like but have a little study of the countries weather patterns and follow the sun!
For example Melbourne is the best place Ive ever been to but its getting a little chilly this time of the year , meanwhile the northern parts of the country are basking in 35 degree sun.
I travelled the whole country and spent the profits of the house I sold before I left and had a blast. If you are travelling I'd stick to the coast , all thats in the middle are some backward towns and a huge rock that while impressive is not life changing nor is it worth the expense and time getting to. If you are on a tight budget then go Queensland -> NSW -> Victoria although circumnavigating the entire coastline is a hell of an achievement (and allows you to make smug posts like this).

If you are planning on staying for longer than a year its different.
The working holiday visa only lets you work for the same employer for 3 months - fine if its casual work but not if you have a skilled profession and you're looking to stay here for a few years.
I was in this position and went to an employment agency and told them I wanted a job with a sponsorship (provided and paid for by the company).
This gives you a 457 visa that lets you stay for up to 4 years (supposedly with the same employer but Ive managed to get mine transfered).

It all depends on your skills and qualifications. I work in construction management so it was really easy to gain employment.

I'd be more than happy to help over msn or email but my email in my trust is out of date. Ive tried to change it but got some stupid message saying its been banned - which is a bit odd if I can continue to post.
I'll check back to this thread later on.

Jimbeam3678 · 12 May 2008 at 07:35

Wow thanks varial & Vandle for the informative posts

So you would defin recommend it then

I work in IT support so I think , i'd have to work in a bar or something which isn't problem as such. This is just a quick post as I 'm heading out for work.

HOw much money do yo need to start off. I know the minimum is 2k but I mean realistically how much did you both go over with ??

I'll post a bit more and hopefully grab a conversation over MSN with you at some point.

Thanks again , anyone else who has done/doing the same please post your experiences here i'd love to hear them :cool:

Vanilla · 12 May 2008 at 07:57

I'm also about to do this. I was going to go for a prem resident Visa in either NZ or Australia.

This can take 6-8 months and requires all sortes such as education and experience proof and certification, medicals, etc.

I'm in contact with people from my current company in NZ and there may be a position out there for me soon. What i'll probably do is go for a 1 year working Visa and then get that changed to resident once out there

This British Expat forum is good for info http://britishexpats.com/forum/

Vanilla · 12 May 2008 at 08:02

divaboy said:
HOw much money do yo need to start off. I know the minimum is 2k but I mean realistically how much did you both go over with ??

I'll post a bit more and hopefully grab a conversation over MSN with you at some point.

OK, based on NZD you will need

You will need, by estimation:

$2000 to live on for a couple of months
$1000 for a car (depends if you need one)
$2000 for rent, rent downpayment / deposit

SO at least £2000 hard cash. The 2k mark seems about right.

Remember it may take a while to find a job, get a tax code, etc so you need to be able to stand on your own two feet for a couple of months.

Vandle · 12 May 2008 at 08:16

divaboy said:
Wow thanks varial & Vandle for the informative posts

So you would defin recommend it then

I work in IT support so I think , i'd have to work in a bar or something which isn't problem as such. This is just a quick post as I 'm heading out for work.

HOw much money do yo need to start off. I know the minimum is 2k but I mean realistically how much did you both go over with ??

I'll post a bit more and hopefully grab a conversation over MSN with you at some point.

Thanks again , anyone else who has done/doing the same please post your experiences here i'd love to hear them

As part of the visa application I think I remember ticking the box saying I had at least 2,000 in the bank. I was never asked to prove this , I only had a one way plane ticket too (although when i applied for the visa I hadnt booked the ticket - you get 12 months to use it).

I took 10k but I hadnt (and still dont) plan on going back to England so my situation may be a little different.
If you want to just travel and have fun you'll need a lot , if you want to work then you wont. Some backpackers come with nothing - buget on $180 a week for accomodation in a dorm.

Its the land of opportunity mate! Dont limit yourself to bar work!
The country is expanding quickly and there are not enough skilled workers to fill the roles. If its a high demand job you can almost name your price.
The role Im doing now I would never get in England - guys my age just dont get the opportunity.
If you are confident and ambitious you can go a long way.

I said earlier I didnt have any regrets , well I have one.
I should have came over when I was 25....

Andy100 · 12 May 2008 at 08:29

Just a little correction.

The working holiday visa has now been changed to allow you to work for a single employer for 6 months rather than 3, making it even easier to find work

Plenty of work in IT at the moment too.

varial · 12 May 2008 at 08:56

As said you can work upto 6 months now with the working visa which is great.

I worked in a bar as its easy to get into but like above, they are shouting out for most things!

I didnt take much, £300 infact ,but i stayed with a friend for the first couple of months, i wasnt asked to prove any thing either. I made all my travelling money in the first 4 months of working in perth. im still living off it now (well, my tax back!) pritty awsome seen as i havnt worked since last september and have been all around australia and new zealand (both south and north island) done countless activities (bunie jumps, skydives, scuba diving, paragliding, white water rafting, canyoning, 4x4 to name a few!) and in 3 weeks im going to rarotonga for a week with my girlfriend!

I just dont want togo home

Vanilla · 12 May 2008 at 08:58

varial said:
I just dont want togo home

What did you think about NZ with regards to holidaying and then working?

varial · 12 May 2008 at 09:05

Vanilla said:
What did you think about NZ with regards to holidaying and then working?

i think i understand what you mean!

Well i worked in australia and loved it, then travelled around australia and loved it even more! then i came to NZ and travelled around the south island and then seeked work which was a pain in the bum and i didnt like it one bit. seen as i got my tax back from australia i have opted to live of that for the last couple of months.

I wouldnt recomend NZ as a place to live and work, but its an AWSOME place to travel around... looking back, i wish i had come over here for 1 month and seen both islands and then headed back to australia and saved up lots of money to go home with! but thats just me and everyone is differen!

Jimbeam3678 · 12 May 2008 at 17:08

Lots of helpful info , which is great.

Since the age cut off is 30 for a working visa, does this mean I can apply for it when I'm 30 and then when i'm over there I can turn 31 and still be ok ??

thanks for the expat link wil be studying that!

Trojan · 12 May 2008 at 17:59

I'm hoping to go over to Australia at the beginning of next year so will definitely be keeping an eye on this thread. Some very useful info looks to have been posted already.

My situation is a little different though in that I've got an Australian girlfriend who's currently living over here in England, but will be going back to Oz next year. If all goes well and I'm still seeing her, then I'll be going over there with her. My initial thoughts are to get a 12 month working holiday visa to start with and see how things go over the course of the year. If things are working out and I can see myself living there permanently then I'll either look at getting a 2nd working holiday visa to extend my stay to 2 years, or apply for a permanent visa depending on the current situation.

I do have a couple of questions though, if anyone is able to answer:

1) If you want to apply for a 2nd working holiday visa when the 1st one expires, can you do so from Australia without having to leave the country? Or are you basically kicked out after 12 months and have to apply again from the UK?
2) I work in IT in a 3rd line Wintel server support role and would like to get something similar over in Oz. How hard would it be getting such a job with a company willing to sponsor me?

Cheers

Jimbeam3678 · 12 May 2008 at 18:29

Trojan said:
2) I work in IT in a 3rd line Wintel server support role and would like to get something similar over in Oz. How hard would it be getting such a job with a company willing to sponsor me?

Cheers

Good question I work in a simlar role ,maybe more 2 nd line though.

What sort of accommodation can you realistically afford to stay in?

Expats forum is full of useful stuff thanks for the link