# starting an apprenticeship in australia



## jambonsambo

Hi there ,

This might be an absolute impossibility but I was wondering if it would be possible to trave to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa and then to begin an apprenticeship or trade out there once you have gotten sponsorship from an employer or someone willing to take you on . The area I am thinking of is painting and decorating which has totally dried up here(ireland) exscuse the pun . 

Any info is much appreciated .


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## Dexter

Hey,

No, you need to be Australian Permanent Resident to be eligible to participate in apprenticeship or traineeship programs. 

As a working holiday visa holder you can look for a sponsor employer though.


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## Wanderer

As Dexter indicates, though I've not checked it is likely you would need PR to get a full apprenticeship and there are hardly enough apprenticeships to go around for all in Australia that would be interested anyway.
An employer sponsorship visa is usually for already skilled people though if you have a look under students there are vocational training visas but again more for someone to extend existing skills.
The only other area that would have anything anywher near similar to what you are considering is the student visa itself and there are a number of different trade courses that are possible, TAFE training and then post training work being seen as an alternative to the standard apprenticeship.
That is however not so cheap as you obviously have course fees in addition to living expenses to cover.
As a student you are allowed to work for 20 hours a week whilst studying but getting work is another matter and then in the trade area you are training in which would be ideal, another matter again.
But have a look at what's available and if it looks feasible to you, you may want tio give it a go.
On a WHV, there's always the option of doing regional seasonal work to be eligible to apply for a second WHV and so working for two years and saving hard you could perhaps get a fair bit saved to finance some study.
The final catch will come at the end of your study and finding a suitable employer will be as much dependent on economic conditions as it will be on what skill level and work experience you have achieved during the study for I can imagine a lot of smaller trades related employers being a bit more dubious about taking someone on who essentially just has college training as against say training an apprentice themselves.
But develop a plan and be prepared to diligently apply yourself and the old saying is you'll never ever know unless you give it a go or nothing risked, nothing gained.
Students - Visas & Immigration 
Once you've done a course, it is the 485 visa that you would need to apply for to get some additional experience
Skilled - Graduate (Temporary) visa (subclass 485)
And whilst it is OK to have a plan, there can be changes in regulations along the way.
Recently in Australia there has been an upsurge in many international students for student visas had been marketed to them in their home countries as a sure fire way to get permanent residency and on the government recognising this had some enormous potential unemployment problems, regulations have recently been ammended and the 485 visa being in place is part of that.
But considering a suitable trade have a look at what approved TAFE courses there are, get some finance together with your WHVs and the worse that can happen to you I suppose is that you get to have five or so years in Australia and get trade training while you're here.

If I was going to consider something like that, I'd look at the trade area I was interested in and then once having done my initial WHV work to secure the second one I'd look to locate myself in a region _[ perhaps even a regional centre as against a capital city ]_where there was good opportunity for appropriate work and also a TAFE handy and so by establishing yourself in such an area.
1. you can become resident for taxation purposes and so less tax to be paid - Australian Taxation Office Homepage
2. once you have established yourself working for one employer _[ a six months limit under a WHV ]_ seeing as you can also do the same with the same employer under the second WHV, if you strike up a good worker reputation, the employer may help you locate anothr for a second 12 months.
3. if you have gotten work that'll compliment the training you intend to take, it is going to give you a much better chance of getting work with the same employers whilst a student, between study periods and when on the 485.
4. being settled a bit, you'll be part of a community and you may even meet a local and who knows with the luck of the Irish, you could end up with a partner and a partner visa.

So something of a plan you may want to consider and get back if you have more to ask.


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