Travel into Australia
Currently, Australia’s borders are closed. Only Australian citizens, residents and immediate family members can travel to Australia.
International travel, including both tourists and international students, is assumed to remain largely closed off until a vaccine is available in 2021.
Once the COVID situation has been resolved, then the following Visa options will apply:
Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)
An Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) provides authorisation to travel to and enter Australia and is electronically linked to your passport.
It is for short term stays for tourism or business visitor activities.
Conditions of an ETA are:
It is your responsibility to know what your visa allows you to do while in Australia.
After your ETA is granted, you are able to enter and leave Australia as many times as you need to during a 12 month period, from the date the ETA is granted or until the expiry date of your passport, whichever is earlier.
You can stay in Australia for a maximum of three months on each visit.
You must not study for more than three months.
You must be free from tuberculosis.
You must not have any criminal convictions for which you have been sentenced for a total combined period of 12 months or more, whether or not you served a sentence/s.
It is illegal to work on an ETA. Whilst on an ETA you have no right to work in Australia. You can only undertake business visitor activities such as the undertaking of business enquiries and contractual negotiations or attending conferences.
To apply for an ETA online through this website, you must hold a passport from one of the following countries or regions:
- Brunei - Darussalam
- Canada
- Hong Kong (SAR PRC)
- Japan
- Malaysia
- Singapore
- Korea, Rep of (South)
- United States.
The Cost of the ETA is $20 AUD https://www.eta.homeaffairs.gov.au/ETAS3/etas
Tourist Visa
You can come to Australia on a tourist visa, and while you’re here, take part in any scuba diving lessons. Professional Scuba diving isn’t taught through, or in conjunction with universities here, so a study visa cannot be achieved solely through scuba diving courses. However, a tourist visa will allow you to enter the country for up to a 3-month, 6-month, or 12-month duration depending on your country.
The most common tourist visa is the Visitor Visa (subclass 600) : https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder/visit
Some Pros of this visa include that it’s relatively fast to obtain, it’s easy to qualify, and it’s relatively cheap. Really the only disadvantage for this visa is that you cannot pick up any work while in the country so you will need to have all your funds arranged prior to entering Australia.
Some details on the Visitor Visa
Cost: $145AUD
Processing Time: up to 4-5 months
Able to extend visa duration without leaving Australia: NO
Start your application for this visa now: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/visitor-600/tourist-stream-overseas#HowTo
Working Holiday Visas
There are two main types of typical working holiday visa in Australia. There is the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) and the Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462). They are both very similar visas; the main differences are just dependent on where you’re from.
A fundamental breakdown is that most European countries would need to apply for a Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417), and Asian and American countries would need to apply for a Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462).
The main advantage of this visa is that you have work rights and can earn a bit of money while you’re here. Both of these visas do limit you to working for the same employer for a maximum of 6 months during the year. Disadvantages are that they are a bit harder to qualify for, and the application fee is slightly more.
Some details on both types of Working Holiday visas
Cost: $485AUD
Processing Time: 2-3 months
Able to extend visa duration without leaving Australia: YES (up to 3 years in total)
Start your application for the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) now: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/work-holiday-417/first-working-holiday-417#HowTo
Start your application for the Work & Holiday Visa (subclass 462) now: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/work-holiday-462/first-work-holiday-462#HowTo
**Please note that neither of these visas allows you to enter to work full-time past the 6-month timeframe with the same employer. To stay and work long-term in Australian visa as a dive instructor, you need an eligible company to sponsor your visa. You can find more information about the requirements for this here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/employer-nomination-scheme-186