Australia is one of the best place to live in the world that so many visitors, especially working holiday visa holders, want to stay longer after their visa expiry date. Friendly people, fair climate, better employment opportunity, they all add up to the reasons why people choose to stay. However, there are only a few visa and migration options available if you wish to stay longer. We are going to dive into them one by one.

Extending the Working holiday visa

You can apply for a second working holiday visa, which will grant you another 12 months of stay in Australia. This is one of the most sought options for those who wish to extend their stay, but there are a few requirements you have to fulfill before you are eligible for the second working holiday visa.

1. you have not previously entered Australia on a Work and Holiday (Temporary) visa (subclass 462)
2. have completed three months of specified work in regional Australia while on your first Working Holiday visa.

The specified work field includes one of these :

1. plant and animal cultivation
2. fishing and pearling
3. tree farming and felling
4. mining
5. construction

General Skill Migration

General Skill Migration will lead you to a permanent residence, but it takes a long processing time (2 – 3 years). If you have a job listed in Skill Occupation List, you can get your Permanent Residence within 6 months. The Skill Occupation List (SOL) changes from time to time, but there are a few that have been sought for few years now, for example accounting, I.T., nursing, etc. That is the only drawback.

Partner Migration

If you are in a relationship with an Australian citizen or permanent resident, they can sponsor you. You would either need to be married or to have lived together for 12 months to apply on defacto grounds. You will also need to stay with your spouse for 2 years. But, if you break up during this time, your partner visa application will be refused and you will need to look at other option.

Business Sponsorship

Many working holiday makers have been sponsored through the 457 visa program over the years. The 457 subclass visa would allow you to stay in Australia for up to 4 years, but you could only work for your sponsoring employer. Only skilled positions can be sponsored, and there are minimum salary levels for the position as well.

Tourist visa

This visa option will grant you a short stay in Australia from 3 months up to a year. One can opt for this short period alternative for various reasons, such as waiting for convocation before going back to home country, health purpose, or other small details. Note that you are not allowed to work under any circumstances with this visa.

Student visa

This is the other alternative if you wish to extend your stay in Australia. By enrolling in a college or university in Australia, you gain a few perks, for example:

1. work up to 20 hours/week and full time during your holiday
2. include your spouse in your student visa application
3. extra skill set and Australian qualification to assist you in your future career
4. transition to permanent residence, for example through partner visas, skilled visas or business sponsorship
5. stay as long as your course duration which can be up to 4 years

If you are looking for some cheap course in Australia which are CRICOS registered, contact us, or find us in our live chat. We will be glad to answer any question regarding enrolling a course and any migration question you have.