Weird Visa Help, which visa first?

[Igoshoutplenty]

Hi everyone,

I’m hoping I can get some advice on getting different visas one after the other. 

I work at sea, and generally I’m away for 3 months followed by 3 months off. I want to set up in Australia for as long as I can while I’m not working. 
I won’t need the right to work in Australia, so what’s my best bet for visas? 
 

The options seem to be:

eVisitor - allowing me to stay for 3 months at a time, for a 12 month period

Tourist stream - for up to 12 months (does anyone know if this would allow me to come and go from aus during the 12 months?)

First working holiday - 12 months
 

Any advice on the best order to apply for these visas, and the likelihood of being granted one after having the other?

I'm 28, so it might make sense to get the working holiday first.

In theory this looks like I could stay for up to 3 years, but I’m wondering if the reality is very different!

Thanks!

 

 

 

 

[Marisawright]

Definitely, if you're able to get a Working Holiday Visa, go for that first.  It's relatively easy and quick, and lets you come and go freely for a full year.  You say you don't need to work, but if you were able to do the short period of regional work required, you could get a second full year. 

After that, you'd be reliant on tourist visas.  The difficulty you might face with the tourist visas is that if you're returning multiple times each year and applying for them year after year, Immigration will eventually you're trying to settle in Australia by an underhand route, and you'll eventually get refused. 

[Igoshoutplenty]

Thanks Marisa, 

I imagine it’s not very likely I’d be granted a 12 month tourist stream visa after my working visa, otherwise people would just try that after their first year to avoid the regional work. I wonder what the chances are of it working the other way around are though. 
 

I’m not at all opposed to doing the regional work either, especially if I can find something at sea or at least boat related that qualifies. 

[Marisawright]

9 hours ago, Igoshoutplenty said:

I imagine it’s not very likely I’d be granted a 12 month tourist stream visa after my working visa, otherwise people would just try that after their first year to avoid the regional work.

Well, no they wouldn't, because they wouldn't be allowed to work on a 12 month tourist visa.   It's not unusual to get a 3 month tourist visa after a WHV - I've known a few people do it, because they ended up working too much during the WHV and they want some extra time to visit the places they missed.   I think your problem would arise if you developed a pattern of frequently and repeatedly getting visas. 

[Igoshoutplenty]

Ah yeah, I didn't think about the right to work issue. 

In theory I would only be applying for the 2 visas, albeit 2 12 month ones, so hopefully that would be fine. I guess the safest bet is to just fit my regional work in in between my 'real' job, then apply for the 2nd WHV.

I don't suppose anyone knows about any routes to permanent residency for people who continue to work abroad? It seems without either family or a job in Australia it would be very difficult. 

[Ferrets]

1 hour ago, Igoshoutplenty said:

Ah yeah, I didn't think about the right to work issue. 

In theory I would only be applying for the 2 visas, albeit 2 12 month ones, so hopefully that would be fine. I guess the safest bet is to just fit my regional work in in between my 'real' job, then apply for the 2nd WHV.

I don't suppose anyone knows about any routes to permanent residency for people who continue to work abroad? It seems without either family or a job in Australia it would be very difficult. 

Think the best route would be a skilled visa for PR, then come and go.  Being out of the country might impact citizenship timelines and in the future you might need an RRV if the travel component expires.

There are also potential tax implications from gaining PR and working overseas.  I got around that by going via an onshore agency so I got paid in AUD, but it was messy from the agency end.

Might be worth an initial consult with one of the MARA agents who post on your potential strategy.

Good luck!

Edited June 18, 2020 by Ferrets

[Marisawright]

4 hours ago, Igoshoutplenty said:

 routes to permanent residency for people who continue to work abroad? It seems without either family or a job in Australia it would be very difficult. 

Having a job in Australia won't get you permanent residency, and neither will having a family there (unless you're an elderly parent).  

To get permanent residency, you need to be qualified and experienced in a job that's on the skilled occupation lists.   If you are, then you just apply.  You haven't said what your occupation is, but it might pay to have a consultation with a migration agent, to see whether your skills and experience fit any of the categories on the list.  

If you can get permanent residency, then you can come and go as you please. If you're absent from the country for extended periods every year, that could make it difficult to qualify for citizenship, but it wouldn't affect your permanent residency.  You'd need to apply for a RRV (resident return visa) every five years, but if you maintain a permanent home in Australia, that shouildn't be a problem.