[Perphekt]

I'm thinking about moving to Australia in the near future but I'm not exactly the most desirable immigrant. I'm not a skilled worker (All I have is my High School Diploma) so I know that my options are limited, but I found out about the Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) which allows me to live and work for up to two years in Australia.

But with airfare both ways and getting set up in an apartment with security deposit and with furniture its on the verge of being cost prohibited considering that I'll only be making around 2,000 a month for the two years, so I was wondering is there another longer term visa, or will there be new options of extending my stay after having lived and worked in Australia for two years?

I'd really like to do this and if I can stay for 5 years or so it will be pretty easy, but if they kick me out after only two years I don't know if I can make it work.

P.S. While looking for apartments online I noticed they all have a "Bond" listed under rent prices equal to one months rent, I was wondering what that is. Is it a one time thing or does it come up multiple times?

 

[Maz25]

The working holiday visa can only be renewed once, on the assumption that you have carried out work in the agricultural, mining or construction industry in a regional area. On the assumption that you manage to renew the visa and stay in Australia for 2 years, once that visa runs out, you WILL have to leave unless you are able to secure a new visa that entitles you to stay in Australia.

You might like to use that time to try and find an employer who is willing to sponsor you on a 457 visa. This visa would entitle you to live and work for that employer only for up to 4 years and is additionally renewable. The 457 visa however does not lead to citizenship and if you were to lose your job for whatever reason, you would have only 28 days to find a new sponsor or leave the country.

If you move on a WHV, you will most likely end up staying in hostels. Apartments in Australia are expensive and unlike in most countries, you typically have to attend a home open and submit your application along with a lot of other people and the landlord will then choose who he wishes to rent out his apartment to. Unless you can prove that you have a stable job and/or funds to pay for the apartment for the duration of the tenancy, I think you would have your work cut out trying to secure an apartment. Most new migrants end up having to pay up to 3 months rent upfront to even stand a chance of getting a rented property.

A bond is a security deposit. It is held for the duration of the tenancy (typically 6-12 months) and is refundable once you move out, provided that you have complied with T&Cs on your lease (e.g. some agreements require you to have the carpets professionally cleaned when you move out) and the apartment has been returned in a good condition, i.e no damage, broken furniture, etc. Each time you move, you will have to pay a bond, which as I say is refundable.

 

[Guest]

Unless you have skills or substantial experience in a needed occupation you will have difficulty getting a 457 employer sponsor. Even those with sills struggle. Which means you will be going home after your WHV, possibly second WHV if you do the regional work because there is no visa which allows unskilled and/or unqualified people to stay. Australia has enough of its own citizens that match that profile!

 

[Gollywobbler]

I'm thinking about moving to Australia in the near future but I'm not exactly the most desirable immigrant. I'm not a skilled worker (All I have is my High School Diploma) so I know that my options are limited, but I found out about the Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) which allows me to live and work for up to two years in Australia.

But with airfare both ways and getting set up in an apartment with security deposit and with furniture its on the verge of being cost prohibited considering that I'll only be making around 2,000 a month for the two years, so I was wondering is there another longer term visa, or will there be new options of extending my stay after having lived and worked in Australia for two years?

I'd really like to do this and if I can stay for 5 years or so it will be pretty easy, but if they kick me out after only two years I don't know if I can make it work.

P.S. While looking for apartments online I noticed they all have a "Bond" listed under rent prices equal to one months rent, I was wondering what that is. Is it a one time thing or does it come up multiple times?

Hello there

I note that you are talking about the sc 417 Working Holiday Visa. Are you a Citizen of one of the countries eligible for a sc 417, please?

http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/countries.htm

Even if you are eligible for a sc 417 (which would enable you to stay in Australia for 24 months rather than 12 months) I agree with Shel. This idea is NOT, by itself, a passport to permanent migration. The youngsters on WH Visas are only allowed to work for each employer for a maximum of six months at a time. I've seen numerous posts by university graduates, complaining that they have a degree in something like (some sort of ) Computer Wizardry but they are unable to get the sorts of jobs where their academic training has any relevance at all. Many of them complain that in the cities, the only work they can find is casual work in the hospitality industry, much of it only part-time, such as waiting at tables or working behind a bar. Employers in the higher echelons of endeavour have no interest in hiring a member of staff who will only be allowed to stay for six months.

So if you go out to Oz on a WHV with no real skills and experience behind you then the chances are that you will not get a chance to learn any migration-eligible skills whilst you are out in Australia.

This rather bleak scenario would only leave two possible options:

1. You might be lucky and find an Aussie Partner to settle down with long-term; or

2. You might consider becoming an International Student in Oz at the end of the 24 months on a WHV. The International Student idea no longer provides a definite chance of being able to remain in Australia long term but it does have the potential advantage that I have mentioned in my numbered paragraph 1 above.

I also agree with Maz25. A backpacker is most unlikely to be able to earn enough money for an apartment. Most backpackers sleep in hostels recommended by the Lonely Planet Guide:

Australia Travel Information and Travel Guide - Lonely Planet

I've seen a LOT of posts from WHV holders on the LPG's Thorn Tree Forum, so I would suggest scouring that forum:

Australia - Lonely Planet travel forum

Cheers

Gill