The Australian Sport/Work Exchange visa is a temporary visa that allows applicants to come to Australia for a temporary period under one of four streams:
- Exchange Stream: Allows applicants to work in a skilled position under a reciprocal staff exchange agreement, providing an opportunity to experience another culture, improve international relations, and expand knowledge and experience.
- Sport Stream: Allows for the improvement of the quality of sports in Australia through participation in competition with Australian residents, including playing or coaching for a sporting club for a season under contract or adjudicating or judging a sporting event or competition.
- Religious Worker Stream: Allows applicants to be full-time religious workers serving the religious needs of a religious institution within Australia.
- Domestic Worker (Executive) Stream: Allows applicants to work full time within the home of senior foreign executives.
Pathways
The Australian Sport/Work Exchange visa has three stages:
- Sponsorship: A government agency, organization, or foreign government agency applies to become a long-stay activity sponsor.
- Nomination: A nomination is lodged with the long-stay activity sponsor who nominates you to undertake a work or an activity.
- Visa Application: A visa application is then lodged. You are then applying for a Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity) visa 401.
Validity and Financial Requirements
This is a temporary visa that allows applicants to live in Australia for the period of the nominated position for a maximum period of two years. Applicants are allowed to work in their nominated occupation and entitled to bring eligible family members with them. Multiple entry in and out of Australia is allowed as many times as desired during the duration of the visa.
Obligations
Sponsorship is available to Australian organizations, foreign government agencies, sporting organizations, religious institutions, and foreign organizations. Sponsors must show that they have abided by Australian law and have a good business record, as well as comply with sponsorship obligations for this stream.
Nomination requirements differ depending on the intended nomination type, such as Religious Work, Domestic Work (Executive), Staff exchange, or Sporting activity. To be eligible to nominate visa applicants for a Temporary Work (Long Stay Activity) visa (subclass 401), you would be required to apply for approvals as, or if you have already been approved as, an exchange sponsor, a sport sponsor, or a religious worker sponsor. Please note that your nomination application can only be approved once your sponsorship is approved.