The Visa Guide

The Australian Government Employment portal provides links to many government employment resources.

Australian residents can also register with Job Network, which is a network of private, community and government organisations, contracted by the Commonwealth Government to help people find employment.

There are a number of services available through Job Network, including:

• Job Matching to help unemployed people find a job
• Job Search Training to help eligible job seekers improve their job search techniques
• Intensive Assistance which provides help to job seekers who are long-term unemployed or otherwise disadvantaged and who are receiving a social security allowance
• the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme which is a self-employment program which helps people put their business ideas into practice
• Referral for overseas skills recognition

Migrants subject to the two-year waiting period have access to free Job Matching services throughout the Job Network. They do not, however, have access to Job Search Training or Intensive Assistance.

All job seekers can also use the free Job Network Access self-help facilities in Centrelink offices, which include telephones, photocopiers, fax machines, computers and daily newspapers.

Before you apply to migrate or remain permanently in Australia, you should find out if there are any special requirements or conditions for your occupation. Some occupations require registration or a special licence with a government authority and/or membership of a professional or industry association. Your professional skills/qualifications also need to be formally recognised by the appropriate Australian authority before you are allowed to work in some jobs.

To find out how to gain recognition of your:

• Educational qualifications, contact the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition
• Trades qualifications (such as in the fields of engineering, catering, electrical and construction), contact Trades Recognition Australia(TRA)

Employment and working conditions are strictly legislated in Australia through the Workplace Relations Act 1996. It allows for the following ways of determining working conditions:

• Many jobs are covered by a federal or state award. Awards are legally binding on the employer, and cover such working conditions as minimum rates of pay, allowances, overtime, penalty rates, hours of work, and leave for holidays, long service or sickness.
• Some workplaces are covered by Certified Agreements (CAs). These are collective agreements about wages and conditions of employment that may be made directly between an employer and a group of employees or unions representing them. This is used in place of an award.
• An Australian Workplace Agreement (AWA) is an individual agreement between an employer and an employee about the employee's wages and conditions of employment. Like the CA, an AWA is used in place of an award.