How Do I Prove I Have a Valid Special Category Australian Visa?

Question

As a New Zealand citizen entering Australia, I am automatically granted a Special Category Visa that allows me to live and work in Australia indefinitely.

When I enter Australia I have the option to use the Smart Gate system which automatically grants a Special Category Visa on entry. This is paperless, ie my passport is not marked with a visa stamp.

When proving to potential employers that I do indeed have the legal right to work in Australia, all I can present is my passport, which is unmarked and as clean as the day it was issued.

As it seems to be done electronically these days, is there any web site or Immigration Office I can visit that will let me get some sort of certificate that proves my visa and therefore my legal right to apply for work?

Answer 1

Kiwi here, just started my third job in Australia, have been in and out several times since, and lived in Melbourne and now Sydney. Yep, all you do is present your passport. Recruiters, HR Departments etc know that NZ citizens are legally entitled to work in Australia - even if they don't know the name of the visa, it's pretty common knowledge.

At the border I was also concerned on my first arrival, went to the desk instead of the Smartgate to ask. After all the paperwork of the UK, Canada and other countries, it felt really weird, but you literally just walk in and are legally entitled to work.

You will still need to register for Medicare/Healthcare, Super, and a TFN number, however.

Answer 2

Australia has moved away from physical visa stamps. Whilst it's still possible to get a stamp for some visas there is an additional fee for doing do, and I wouldn't be surprised if even this option disappears soon. (Beyond the end of this month they will no longer stamps passports on entry/exit, even when asked!)

In order to handle queries like yours, there is now on online site as well as an app that you can use to view details of a Visa, and even have those details emailed to a 3rd party - such as a potential employer.

The site is known as Visa Entitlement Verification Online/VEVO, and can be accessed at https://www.border.gov.au/Busi/Visa