Job seekers often ask Sportspeople for tips on finding work when relocating to Australia or New Zealand.

When posting a role with Sportspeople the employer has the option of selecting the “... legally entitled to work in Australia/New Zealand” footnote. This is open for some interpretation as a person with a Work Visa (e.g. a UK citizen visiting Australia with a Visa) is of course, legally entitled to work in Australia or New Zealand.

As a rule of thumb you will find the vast majority of roles advertised in Sport, Fitness and Aquatics will generally require the person to be a permanent resident of Australia or New Zealand to work on a permanent full-time/part-time basis. This means that having a Work/Holiday Visa (which generally allows you to work for the one employer for a maximum period of six months) probably will not be sufficient to make you eligible to work for these employers. Additionally, Australia and New Zealand have an over-supply of job candidates in this sector, making it difficult for the employer to present a “legitimate workforce/skilled labour shortage” argument.

The more senior the role the more possibilities exist for Visa sponsorship by the employer. So, if you are applying say for a Pool Lifeguard or Fitness Instructor or Coordinator level in the sport sector, the chances are there will be plenty of candidates in Australia for the employer to recruit. On the other hand, if you are at the CEO level, High Performance Director and so on, there are much better prospects for you to be considered and for some sponsorship of your Visa.

It is also worthwhile to visit the Australian Immigration and Citizenship website or the New Zealand Immigration and Citizenship website, which provide all sorts of information for people moving permanently or returning from overseas and wish to work or study in Australia or New Zealand.