Working Overseas - Australia

[pfeds]

It seems that the UK and Australia have a tax treaty:

http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/pdfs/uk-australia-dtc.pdf

What I would prefer to do for now is work (offshore) in Australia and be paid into the UK company. This would be preferable at the moment as I've only done 4 weeks work this year but racked up a huge amount of expenses, so for the next three months it would be beneficial to use my UK company.

If I'm working offshore then do I still need a visa? I seem to be limited to what visa I can get in Australia as I'm too old to get a Working Holiday Visa. A Skilled Worker Visa (156 or 157?) takes 18 months to process and costs 2500 ASD. The alternative is to get sponsored by a company (456 visa of the top of my head). My partner here has a company so theoretically she could sponsor me for the visa assuming I can then work for other companies.

There seem to be so many alternatives and I'm a bit baffled at the moment. I've never done anything like this before so I'm a duck out of water.

[DiscoStu]

456 Visa doesn't cost £2500 - at least it never used to.

Do a search, but there used to be companies that would pay for your visa and pimp you out. No idea if they still do that or if it's still legal, but your situation is far from unique...

http://www.lester.com.au/

HTH

[Moscow Mule]

456 Visa doesn't cost £2500 - at least it never used to.

Do a search, but there used to be companies that would pay for your visa and pimp you out. No idea if they still do that or if it's still legal, but your situation is far from unique...

[pfeds]

Strewth, that's a lot of information fellas. I'll need to let all that sink in over a Fosters. Far out!

[singhr]

my mate was in this jam a few years ago and ended up having to marry a Sheila to be allowed to stay. As a married man I can advise you that £2,500 is peanuts compared to that

[TimberWolf]

Would also need to affect Aussie accent.

Fair dinkum?

(where ? stands for upward intonation)

[mace]

Buy cheap lager, erase your memory of any knowledge of football (apart from rools) and replace with cricket, acquire a lot of sexist and racist views and refer to the customs official as mate.

[swamp]

c) Buy a one way ticket and try to evade detection. If detected, claim amnesia after having previously burnt/hidden passport and other identity documents?

Would also need to affect Aussie accent.

[TimberWolf]

So you're (a British citizen) in Australia and you haven't got a work visa...?

Your options are:

a) pick fruit somewhere for cash
b) lie on the beach for three months (on your tourist visa) and go home when your money runs out

c) Buy a one way ticket and try to evade detection. If detected, claim amnesia after having previously burnt/hidden passport and other identity documents?

[swamp]

So you're (a British citizen) in Australia and you haven't got a work visa...?

Your options are:

a) pick fruit somewhere for cash
b) lie on the beach for three months (on your tourist visa) and go home when your money runs out

[pfeds]

I've had a few radical changes in my life this year that have resulted in me ending up in Perth, Australia. I've looked into getting a work visa but it will take 18 months unless I get sponsorship from a company (which will likely mean permanent work), and will cost $2500. It's still possible that I return to England within the next 6 months so I don't want to commit too much to an expensive visa until I'm settled.

I've heard it's possible to continue to use the UK Ltd company although this may only be for 183 days(?). I assume this would mean a visa is unnecessary as technically everything is being handled in the UK? There seem to be a number of possibilities but I have no idea what the best thing to do is.

Can anyone shed any light? Thanks.