The Australian government today (June 2) announced that Singaporeans between the age of 18 and 30 will be welcomed to apply for Working Holiday visas from Aug 1, 2017 onward. Visa holders of Subclass 462 Working Holiday visa will be allowed to work in Australia up to a year.
The requirements for Subclass 462 Working Holiday is as follow:
1) Between the age of 18 and 30
2) Hold a polytechnic diploma or university degree, or have completed the equivalent of two years of full-time tertiary study at a polytechnic or university
3) IELTS test of 4.5 (you may apply for IELTS test with British Council)
4) Specific work list (see here)
5) Available for full-time short term (3 months) job
You may apply for Working Holiday here.
There is only a quota of 500 each year for each country under this visa.
The Working Holiday visa is a good stepping stone for young Singaporeans who wish to emigrate to Australia, with many nationalities like Japanese and Koreans taking the opportunity to find local employers to sponsor their permanent residency.
The Australia government today also announced a new six-year visa for Singaporeans to enter the country on a 3-month period basis.
For Singaporeans interested in emigrating to Australia, Sydney and Melbourne are the two major cities with a stronger economy and better job opportunities than Singapore. Some Singaporeans prefer warmer weathers and choose Brisbane or Gold Coast, but the most populous Asian community and also the most cosmopolitan area where racism is unheard of is Sydney. However, Singaporeans’ presence in Australia is still very minimal when compared to other nationalities.
Singaporean males can also avoid National Service reservist training if they work overseas. There is also no need to pay taxes or CPF in Singapore, and first-year foreign workers in Australia enjoy a first-year tax break for the first $18,200.