Australia Work Holiday Visas

[Clayman]

So, ive been a punk kid my whole life. unapologetic suburban style. thanks to my grandmother i got to attend art college for 4 years for free, and have already been laid off twice by both local major newspapers. i rent an apartment in the yuppie neighborhood and do office bitchwork to live off of and try and resist buying shit we dont need. me and the lady are fed the fuck up with all of it. this box we're shoved into with all our belongings, like a big cabinet with a welcome mat. so we're applying for work visas in australia, selling all our things and finding a new home for the cat.

we're not entirely gonna rough the whole trip, as to get the visa's we're working with a service that will find us menial jobs and places to stay along the way. but i dont intend to fall back into this same bullshit lifestyle, so we're gonna be minimal, drunk, happy and poor. gonna hitch alot, and if we meet the right people, maybe even learn to hop some trains. nothing but our clothes, some random shit and our cameras so we can work on a sci-fi book with our friends back home. basically hobolife meets backpacking culture is what we're aiming for. but who knows what'll happen, thats the best part.

any advice? cautions or awesome spots?

(i've got thousands in credit debt and hundreds in parking tickets, we dont intend to come back this way for a long time if ever)

 

[L.C.]

i have racked up my share of b.s. here.i always dreamed of buying a boat and sail to austrailia. how do you go about getting a work visa? idon't know if i qualify due to felonys. either way i feel the same. good luck to you.use the search to find out info you need i'm sure most if not all of its there. you know anything about renouncing citizenship?

 

[Clayman]

we're probably wasting money in the end, but its a good safty net to set up. to get the visa you have to have someone want you to come. and so basically you pay the agency a fee to 'invite' you to come. and then when you get there they give you a buncha resources for job postings all over the continent, same for temp renting and a buncha hostel discounts. you can ever take a course with them that should certify you to serve alcohol (odd local laws). we're paying the 650 or so it'll cost with money from selling my tv and xbox and other stuff. im done with it.

the felony thing? thats could be a problem for getting a visa. a big one i'd imagine. i've was picked up in a mass arrest in St Paul last year for Felony Rioting and some crossing state lines bullshit. but i was a working journalist so i got cut loose after a day and a half in the middle of the night. no charges were filed, but as i understand, the case is open? either way, i hope it doesnt screw me. i dont feel like stowing away on a subaru container ship this year.

also, its really easy to get irish citizenship if you have one parent, grandparent, or great grandparent who was a citizen. my dad did it for some shady business shit.

 

[L.C.]

thanks for the info. welcome to the club. i had a pipe dream about modifying a cargo container.making a ventilation system;loading up on food books batteries a bed cd player cause a radio probably won't work ,and a shit-ton of booze. keep me updated on your progress. it really intrests me ,it having always been a dream of mine. good luck.

 

[Matt Derrick]

i too am really interested in going to australia... is it 650 just to get the invite?

 

[ani x]

hey,

you dont NEED to be 'invited' by a company or workplace to get a year work visa for oz. i'm sure it would add undeniable credibility to your application for the visa, but none of my friends have ever gone through this process to get a work visa here. (i've never met anyone who has, either.)

you can apply online for the work visa (there's some sort of fee - not sure of the amount) pretty easily, and can (as far as i know) get it extended once yer in the country if you can show that you've worked some shit job that meets their criteria for a few months.

i would really suggest not paying a bunch of money for this invite thing. jobs are easy enough to find here as it is, if yer willing to work harvests or other temp. jobs, and cash in hand work isn't too hard to find either.

 

[nitepeepole]

yeah...jobs are easy to get there. i was a waiter at 6 different places in sydney. they either hire you that day for a trial or they dont. also...i got a job licking envelopes at some pr firm even tho i was illegal and they sed...just use a friends tax file #. so...its not as formal for crappy jobs as it in the us. i went to three fucking interviews for a job at hollywood video.

 

[Critical Rupture]

Work visa kinda depends on where you are from. I'm talking working holiday visa, not that ACTUALLY having a job visa type shit.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_holiday_visa#Australia

 

[socialjustice911]

thanks for putting this up i appreciate it!!