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Work permit for international students
International student in Australia and feeling the financial squeeze??? You might want to pick up a little job on the side of your studies, just to add a few dollars to your weekly budget. Here's how you get a work permit.
Australian student visas come with a no-work condition - meaning you are not allowed to take up paid work while staying in Australia.
However, once you have started your studies, it is fairly easy to get a work permit, which will allow you to work 20 hours per week during the semester and unlimited hours during university breaks.
All it takes is filling out a form and paying AU$55.
Applying online
You may be eligible to apply for your work permit through the Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs's (DIMIA) website.
The application can be made on this page.
Prior to applying you need two things: a credit card and an electronic confirmation from your university that you have commenced your studies.
To obtain this confirmation, you will need to go to the student centre of your university and tell them you need an electronic confirmation of course commencement.
When this has been done, you need to wait for minimum of one hour before taking the next step - filling out the actual application.
Nitty-gritty details
You will need to provide details such as name/address/birthdate, passport number and visa number, and a few other things when applying for the permit.
On the last page of the application, you will be asked to enter your credit card details so that DIMIA can get its hands on AU$55 of your hard-earned money.
After submitting the online application, you should receive a confirmation e-mail with a reference number. Take note of this number as it is necessary for checking the status of your application.
According to DIMIA, your application should be processed in about one hour. However, things may well go a lot faster... In my case, it took two minutes!
If you are granted a work permit, you need to make your way to your nearest DIMIA office to pick up a new visa tag for your passport.
Applying offline
If you wish to apply in writing, you will need to obtain or print Form 157P [PDF].
If you go for this option, DIMIA will need about 30 days to process your application - so if you're eligible, I suggest you apply online!
Posted by Marius Berg Askildsen
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