If you are looking into getting an Australian working visa, you will need to understand the process. The following information will tell you where to go and how to go about getting your visa.
Applying for an Australian working visa is a straightforward process. Later on in this article, I will expand on all the steps you will need to take, but the following is a brief overview of the process:
- You will need to download and fill out the visa application form
- You will need to download the checklist and make sure that you have all the required documents
- Go to your closest visa application centre and hand in your application
- Track the application online
- Wait up to ten days to hear whether it has been approved
- Fetch your visa from the application centre
Where to go to apply for your visa
Previously, the Australian visa application centre was based in Pretoria. Since April 2005 the Australian government facilitated a new application process whereby South Africans can apply for visas at four different application centres in the country. The centres are open between 8 am and 4 pm, and you can apply for your working visa in two periods every day: between 8 am and 12:30 pm, and 13:30 pm and 3 pm. The following are the four visa application centres:
- Johannesburg VAC
This centre is located at 9 Walters Avenue, 158 Jan Smuts, Rosebank, Johannesburg.
- Pretoria VAC
You will find this centre at 337 Veale Street, Brooklyn, Pretoria.
- Cape Town VAC
This centre is found at 47 on Strand, Strand Street, Cape Town. - Durban VAC
You will find this centre at 565 on the corner of Peter Mokaba Road and Crescent Street, Morningside, Durban.
You do not need to make an appointment to apply for your visa, you can simply arrive within the designated times at the closest application centre to you.
What to take
To apply for your Australian working visa, you will need to complete a visa application form which you can download from the VFS Global website. You will also need several photographs that are not more than six months old. You will also need a completed and signed checklist (you can also find this on the VFS Global website). You will need to take your passport and all the other documents listed on the checklist. You will also need to pay your visa fee in a bank issued check as well as your VFS administrative fee into the VFS account.
There are of course, several requirements for the documents you have to take with you. These requirements differ depending on the type of visa you are applying for. It is necessary to make sure you are aware of exactly what you need to have with you.
How long does it take?
Depending on the type of working visa you are applying for, the process could take up to ten days. To track your visa application, you can go to the VFS Global website and enter your receipt number and last name and you will be able view at what stage of the process your application is at. You can collect your visa from the application centre once it has been approved and processed.
Preparing in good time
It is also necessary to know that your visa process may be delayed and that the visa application centre has no obligation to process your application within your time frame. Therefore you should make sure you apply in good time so that you do not lose your flight or that the processing time does not go on too long, cutting into the time when you were supposed to have left for Australia.
You should also prepare by making copies of all your documents and keeping track of your application on the online tracking system. Your application is your responsibility and as the visa application centres receive many applications they are incredibly busy. Getting an Australian working visa is a fairly straightforward process as all the necessary forms and information is easily available on the VFS Global website. You should not have any trouble downloading the form and getting to your closest visa application centre.