Fact Sheet 52a - Occupational Trainee Visa Program

The Occupational Trainee visa is designed for people wishing to complete structured and supervised workplace-based training programs or academic research in Australia on a temporary basis. The training must provide people with additional or enhanced skills in their present occupations, tertiary studies or fields of expertise. The training programs or research should be for a minimum of 30 hours a week. At least 70 per cent of the training needs to be workplace-based.

Applying for an Occupational Trainee visa

Applying for an Occupational Trainee visa is a two-stage process:

• nominators lodge a nomination for occupational training (not required for Australian Commonwealth organisations)
• applicants lodge an application.

For faster processing, nominations should be lodged directly with the Adelaide Occupational Trainee Processing Centre. Alternatively, nominations can be lodged at any other DIAC office in Australia, and will be receipted in the office where they are lodged and forwarded by departmental staff to the Adelaide office for processing.

Applicants

Applicants need an Australian nominating organisation to provide an occupational training program and meet one of the following requirements:

• have been working in their current occupation for at least the past 12 months
• have recently graduated from or undertaking a tertiary qualification and seeking occupational training in this or a closely related field.

Applicants cannot work outside their training program but may study part-time as long as it does not affect their training program.

Students in Australia

Holders of student visas can apply for an Occupational Trainee visa if:

• they have successfully completed studies at diploma level or higher and wish to undertake supervised training in a closely related field for a period of up to 12 months
  or
• they wish to undertake a period of supervised work experience required for professional registration, after completing their mandatory educational qualification.

Students overseas

Students from outside Australia can apply for an Occupational Trainee visa and need to provide evidence that the training is required as part of their course.
Example: A letter from their university.

Nominators

The organisation providing the training can nominate an occupational trainee if it:

• is an established organisation that is actively operating in Australia; and
• has suitably qualified staff to provide the training.

Nominators are to provide a detailed training program that will enhance the existing skills of the nominee. The program is to include a skills audit of the nominee, learning outcomes and how these are assessed, objectives, tasks and timeframes.

Organisations providing training must comply with the relevant industrial relations legislation and awards. Information on Commonwealth industrial relations legislation is available from the Workplace Infoline.
Telephone: 1300 363 264

Family member eligibility

Certain family members can apply to accompany and stay with the occupational trainee in Australia, including:

• the trainee's spouse
• the trainee’s or the trainee’s spouse’s dependent child.

Dependents are allowed to work for up to 20 hours a week while they are in Australia.

Health and character requirements

Applicants and eligible family members must satisfy health and character requirements.

Statistics

In 2007-2008, a total of 5437 (4090 from outside Australia, 1347 from Australia) Occupational Trainee visas were granted.

The major source countries for occupational trainees in 2007-2008 were Germany (550); France (518); PRC (418); India (445); United Kingdom (379), United States (256); Netherlands (219) and Malaysia (204).

More information

More detailed information about Occupational Trainee visas, including links to visa application and nomination forms is located on the department’s website.
See: Visa Options

 

Further information is available on the department's web site.
See: www.immi.gov.au

The department also operates a national telephone service inquiry line.
Telephone: 131 881
Hours of operation: Monday to Friday from 9am to 4pm (recorded information available outside these hours) for the cost of a local call anywhere in Australia.

Fact Sheet 52a. Produced by the National Communications Branch, Department of Immigration and Citizenship, Canberra.
Revised 1 December 2008

© Commonwealth of Australia 2008.