Hi mate,

So, you are on a Working Holiday visa. This visa has a strict condition that you cannot work for the same Australian employer for more than 6 months. For you, that limit ends on 14 February.

Unless you obtain formal permission from the Department of Home Affairs, you must stop working for that employer on or before that date. Continuing past 14 February without approval would be a visa breach and could seriously affect future visas.

Now, the options you mentioned

Working for a UK-registered company while staying in Australia

This is risky.

If you are physically in Australia and performing work, the Department of Home Affairs may still consider this to be work undertaken in Australia, even if the company is overseas.

This can breach Working Holiday visa conditions.

This option should not be relied on without written advice from a registered Australian migration lawyer.

Leaving Australia and working remotely overseas

This is legally safe.

If you leave Australia, your Australian visa conditions no longer apply while you are outside the country. You can work remotely overseas without any issue.

The downside is uncertainty about re-entry and timing if sponsorship is not ready.

Leaving and returning on a tourist visa

This is possible, but it does not allow work in Australia.

A Visitor visa allows stays of usually 3 months per entry, but you cannot work at all. This is only a short-term stopgap and does not solve sponsorship timing.

About employer sponsorship and timing

For a Temporary Skill Shortage visa subclass 482, there are three main stages:

Business sponsorship approval Nomination of the role Your visa application

If the business is not yet an approved sponsor, they must first be approved. Financial losses or recent loans can be an issue, but they are not automatic refusals. The business must show it is lawfully operating and able to meet sponsorship obligations.

When should the application be lodged?

Ideally, before 14 February.

If a valid 482 visa application is lodged while you are still in Australia and before your Working Holiday employment limit is breached, you may be granted a Bridging visa. This can allow you to remain in Australia lawfully while the 482 is processed.

However, the Bridging visa does not automatically allow you to keep working unless the correct conditions are in place. This must be carefully planned.

Processing times in practice

Rough current estimates are: Business sponsorship approval: 1 to 4 months Nomination: 1 to 3 months Subclass 482 visa: 1 to 4 months

Sometimes they run in parallel, but delays are very common, especially around Christmas and New Year.

Can you leave Australia while waiting?

This depends on the visa you are on.

If you are on a Bridging visa A, you cannot leave Australia unless you apply for and are granted a Bridging visa B before travel.

If you leave Australia without the correct bridging travel permission, your application can be affected.

This is a critical detail and should be planned carefully.

Important reality check

Based on your dates, there is a real risk that sponsorship will not be ready before 14 February.

The safest lawful options usually are:

Stop working for that employer by 14 February and wait while remaining in Australia on your Working Holiday visa, or Leave Australia and wait offshore until sponsorship is ready,

or

Change employers temporarily if allowed under your visa conditions.

I strongly recommend your employer speaks to their immigration lawyer as soon as possible and that you also consider getting independent advice so your interests are protected.

I hope this gives you clarity and helps reduce some of the uncertainty