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Heard lots of stories about Oz but haven't made the plunge just yet? To do "the Australia thing" is very popular all year round because of its climate. No matter what time of year it is, you will always find the sun. To be allowed into the country, and work, you need to get a working holiday visa. Here's what you need to get one:

Visa application form (1190) which is available at your local Australian Embassy
Your passport showing it is valid for the duration of your stay and a postal order/cheque for €94*
Medical cert (plus a chest x-ray) from your doctor to if you plan to work in the health care
Bank statement showing you have €3,200 or over in your account

Once you have everything you need and have filled out the application just pop it in an envelope, send it to your local Australian Embassy and wait for the visa to come in the post. It can take anything from 4-8 weeks so be patient.

You must use the visa within 12 months from the date of issue. If you don't the visa will be invalid and the chances of getting another once will be slim. The working visa is then valid for twelve months from the day you enter Australia.

If, for any reason, you stay after your visa has expired. you can get a bridging visa for 28 days (this is a visa which extends your present one-year visa giving you sufficient time to organise a way out of Australia).

It is illegal to stay in Australia once your visa/bridging visa has expired. If you do, on leaving Australia you will receive a 3 year ban on your passport. If you want to legally extend your stay in Australia you have 2 options:

1. Get sponsored by your employer. This is where your employer pays a fee to get an extension put on your visa. A sponsorship is quite difficult to obtain and are mainly offered with good jobs.
2. Apply for residency. This is usually applied from your country of residence and then once you get it you can return to Oz.