Advice and Resources for A Working Holiday in Australia

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Australia

Planning Tips

Australia is amazing for obvious reasons: beautiful beaches, vibrant cities, and exotic wildlife. But really, it’s amazing because of the opportunities the give travelers to stay long-term and make money! My partner and I took up this opportunity and spent 2019 in Australia on working holiday visas (WHV). We spent about half the time doing regional work in Shepparton, VIC to qualify for a second-year visa. Then we spent the second half living and working in Sydney. After spending endless hours researching all things WHV, I had a long list of bookmarks. So I created this guide to help consolidate some relevant information and resources for anyone else starting the amazing journey of a working holiday in Australia.

If you came here for pretty pictures, turn back now. This post is pure text and online resources for those who love planning.

Reasons to Consider a Working Holiday in Australia

  • Ever wanted to learn how to surf? See a kangaroo? Selfie with a quokka? Camp in the outback? Use this year-long holiday to check off some serious bucket list items!

  • The country is HUGE. There are so many beautiful landscapes across the country (it’s the 6th biggest in the world). If you want to truly experience all it has to offer, a full year is just scratching the surface (which is why they offer a second-year visa, too!)

  • Travel in Australia can be expensive. Working along the way can help fund some serious adventure!

  • Being a part of an expat community is a unique life experience that not many people get to do. You’ll make friends from all over the world! Hello, future couch-surfing opportunities...

  • Dating someone from a different country? Not in the mood for a Green Card marriage? Sick of loving someone long distance? Pursuing a year or two in Australia together can give you the time you need with that special someone.

  • Working visas are multi-entry, which means you can leave the country and come back no-problem. At some point during your 1-2 years down under, take short trips to far-off destinations that are now in your backyard: New Zealand, Indonesia, French Polynesia, Thailand, or Vietnam, just to name a few!

  • Just graduated but you have no idea what to do with your life? Maybe you just left high school and aren’t ready to commit to college yet. Or maybe you just finished your degree but don’t know what to do with your life yet. Escaping to Australia is a great way to buy yourself some time before making any big life decisions: hello gap year!

  • Sick of your 9-to-5 in a dreary grey city? Is the grind wearing you out? Put in your two weeks and book a flight, baby! Now is the time to LIVE!!! Pick a sunny city, find modest accommodation, and just work.

  • Plain and simple: it’s quite a grand adventure.


Applying for the Visa Grant

Before you start the application process, visit the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website to explore your visa options (https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-finder). They offer a lot of different types of visas to fit your specific needs. 

If you’re a traveler planning to stay in Australia for only 1-2 years and looking for casual work, then a Working Holiday/Work and Holiday visa is a good choice. These visas are intended to allow you to “do short-term work in Australia to help pay for your holiday.” Both of these visas are technically classified as “Visitor Visas,” not “Working Visas.” This basically means you can’t stay at any one job for more than 6 months.

Which Subclass Should I Apply For?

In general, most travelers fall under either the Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462) or the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417). You must be 18-30 years old to qualify for either. They’re basically the same thing, but your passport will determine which one is right for you.

Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462)

  • Argentina

  • Austria

  • Chile

  • China, People's Republic of

  • Czech Republic

  • Hungary

  • Indonesia

  • Israel

  • Luxembourg

  • Malaysia

  • Peru

  • Poland

  • Portugal

  • San Marino

  • Singapore

  • Slovak Republic

  • Slovenia

  • Spain

  • Thailand

  • Turkey

  • Uruguay

  • United States of America

  • Vietnam

Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417)

  • Belgium

  • Canada

  • Republic of Cyprus

  • Denmark

  • Estonia

  • Finland

  • France

  • Germany

  • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (including British National Overseas passport holders)

  • Republic of Ireland

  • Italy

  • Japan

  • Republic of Korea

  • Malta

  • Netherlands

  • Norway

  • Sweden

  • Taiwan (other than an official or diplomatic passport)

  • The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Application Checklist

Before you apply, visit the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs website and find your specific visa. Read through the entire webpage on how to apply, and what you need for your application. Prepare everything you need before you begin the online application. As an American citizen I applied for the Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 426), and these are the things that I needed to prepare:

  • Scan copy of the first page of your passport

  • Scan a copy of your birth certificate

  • Scan a passport sized photo (taken recently)

  • Proof of education (request a copy of your high school diploma, or a college transcript, or your college diploma, etc.)

  • A bank statement proving sufficient funds (AUD$5,000 or USD$3,520)

These were the main components that needed to be prepared before starting my application. But there may be other things you need to provide depending on what country you’re from, or varying special circumstances. 

Make a folder on your desktop, or in Google Drive, or on a flash drive (or floppy disk even), and put everything you need in that folder. Clearly name each file, so you can easily access and upload your documents to your application. 

First, you must create an ImmiAccount on the application website. All your information will be saved in your application draft on your account. This account is where you will receive any messages regarding your application, and hopefully your visa grant! Don’t worry, you’ll also receive an email anytime there is activity on your ImmiAccount - so keep an eye on your inbox.

What to Do When You Land in Australia

Nothing feels quite the same as landing in Australia with a whole year of unknown adventures in front of you. But before the fun can begin, there are a few critical steps to take in order to set yourself up for success.

Get a SIM Card

You absolutely need to do this ASAP. Hell, grab a SIM card in the airport after you land in the country. You’ll need it to set up online banking when you get a local bank account. The job agencies will also need to be able to contact you on an Australian phone number. Don’t let an opportunity slip away from you because you don’t always have access to WiFi. 

Any carrier will do. Like cell service back home, every plan has its pros and cons. Telstra has great coverage, but it’s a bit pricier than other carriers. Dodo has great budget options ($15 a month for 20GB if data). We use the 30GB recharge plan from Optus for $35 every 28 days. You can monitor your data usage on their app, and recharge when you run out.

Open a Local Bank Account

We chose Commonwealth based on some recommendations. They have locations everywhere and they’re really visitor-friendly. Our Commonwealth banker was extremely helpful getting us set up and answered all our questions. We have an account that has a monthly fee of $4, unless the monthly deposit is $2000 or more (if you’re working regularly, you’ll likely make enough to waive the fee).

Get Your Tax File Number (TFN)

Go online to request a TFN on the Australian Taxation Office website. Submit your current address on the form, and the documents will mailed to you in around 3 weeks with your unique (and lifelong) tax file number. Give this number to your bank, and to your employer. Come July/August, you’ll get a “group certificate” from your employer - pester them until they give you one! Then file your tax returns online, or go see a tax agent to do it for ya. Cash money.

Check out this helpful link for more info on getting your TFN.

Create a MyGov Account

Go online to my.gov.au and create an account. DO NOT SET UP 2-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION WITH A PHONE NUMBER. It will make things very difficult for you once you leave Australia, and try to access your MyGov account for tax returns. Your MyGov account links to your Australian Tax Office (ATO) account, which is how you file your tax returns after July 1st. 

Create Superannuation Savings Account

In Australia, your employer is obliged to contribute to your superannuation fund. Think of it like a pension, or social security fund. Obviously because backpackers won’t be retiring in Australia, we won’t be using it later in life. After you leave the country, you can claim around 30-35% back. If you don’t set up your own account, your employer is legally obliged to set one up for you. This might sound convenient, but if you have more than one job, you might end up with more than one super account - which makes it more difficult to track down all the information you need to eventually claim back your funds when you leave. We made this mistake, and are still working on getting our payments.

Here are some super funds we used and/or heard of:

Make sure you create an online account with your super fund and see all your login information. You’ll need your Member number and other details from your account when you’re ready to apply for the refund. When you’re ready to file for your Departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP), read up on the official ATO website here. Once you leave Australia for good, you can make the application here.

Finding Accommodation

This is a tricky one. We did some research before landing in Australia, just to get an idea of what the price of a typical room rental is in our desired area. 

Room Rentals

As a couple with two incomes, we were willing to pay a little extra for privacy. We opted for a room rental in both locations we settled in. Access to our own kitchen, bathroom, and general living space was something we really wanted. Renting a room completely varies depending on where you are. We paid AU$300 per week in Shepparton for a great room in a huge family home (with a pool), and paid AU$400 per week for a very small, 2-bedroom 4-person flat in Manly.

Places to find room rentals:

We used a combination of websites to find options, but we always toured the place and met the other tenants before deciding. It’s a good idea to check out a handful of different options before deciding. Here’s a useful checklist of questions that you might want to ask when viewing potential rental options:

  • How much is rent per week (per person)?

  • Is there a deposit/bond? How much is it? Will it act as my last week’s rent?

  • How long/short term is this rental available for? Is there a minimum or maximum stay requirement?

  • When can I move in?

  • Is furniture included, or do I have to bring my own? Check the cleanliness/comfort of the mattress if there is one.

  • How many other roommates are there?

  • What are my private spaces vs. communal shared spaces?

  • Is there a washing machine I can use? Is there a dryer, or clotheslines?

  • What are the kitchen amenities? Stove, fridge, freezer, oven, microwave, dishwasher? If the fridge is shared, how is it organized (one shelf per person, or labeled items)? Are there dishes/cookware or do I need to bring my own? Are there shared spices/dish soap/towels/basic cooking needs?

  • Is the bathroom a shared space? Check the water pressure, the hot water, the sink area, and look for mold.

  • Does the front door lock? Does my bedroom lock? What are the security measures?

  • Is there WiFi? Is it included in weekly rent?

  • Is there air conditioning? Is it included in weekly rent?

  • Are there any other costs (utility bills) that are not included in weekly rent?

  • Is there an outdoor space? Do I have access to a grill? (This is Australia we’re talking about here…)

  • Is there somewhere to safely store my bike?

  • What is the car parking situation? Do I have my own space? Shared driveway or garage? Park on the street? Permit parking?

  • Where is the nearest grocery store? Is it easy to get downtown from here?

  • How far is the location from where I work? Is it easy to get downtown from here?

  • What are nearby public transportation options?

These are just some of the things we asked about when looking for a place to live. Some of these might not be necessary to actually ask out loud, but you may want to think about them when deciding between options. Obviously some of these might not influence your decision, and there may be other things you’ll want to ask about depending on your situation!

Campsites and Caravan Sites

Another option is living in a nearby caravan park. There are parks scattered all over Australia, and backpackers often flock to them when moving around. Depending on the park, the options range from basic tent sites, RV hookups, rentable (non-movable) trailer homes, small cabins, or house-shares. They’re great hubs for meeting other travelers, but the environment isn’t quite so glamorous. A lot of people like them, but a lot of people have complaints about noise, lack of privacy, unpleasant neighbors, or quick turnover. Luckily, they’re the easiest option if you need to find a place to stay ASAP. Plus, they’re affordable. Some places have a minimum stay requirement, but you can usually leave whenever you want. Caravan parks can be a great answer, or even just a midway place to stay while you look for a more permanent option.

SCAM ALERT: Be wary, a lot of caravan parks partner with local employers and rope travelers into bad situations. Some caravan park owners will threaten to withhold your paycheck, payslips, or confirmation of your 88 days if you want to leave. We’ve heard horror stories of people getting trapped into horrible working/living conditions because they were afraid of “wasting” their completed days of regional work, all because of seedy partnerships between accommodation owners and employers. Be careful and never agree to anything that sounds scammy.

We tended to use campsites and caravan parks more frequently when we were traveling from place to place. We loved the opportunity to spend time outdoors and take in some of Australia’s landscapes. If you’re exploring Australia via camper or #vanlife, we totally recommend scoping out some camping apps to help you find spots to stay.

Apps for finding campsites:

Hostels

Hostels are a great option for accommodation as well. We found them most useful when first arriving to a new location. It’s easy to meet other travelers, get some helpful advice, and find local opportunities. They’re really fun, but unless you want to pay the price for a private room, you’ll likely have very little personal space, privacy, or general peace and quiet (completely dependent on the hostel). 

If you’re planning to stay long-term, ask to make an arrangement with management about working for a discount. A lot of hostels will offer you the chance to work 4-8 hours per week either cleaning or staffing reception in exchange for a discount on your weekly rate. Some may even offer you a more permanent job, but be careful of being taken advantage of by working more than what you’re being paid/discounted. Hostel jobs are usually hard to come by, especially in places where people are using them as 88 days of regional work.


Finding a Job

The biggest obstacle of a Working Holiday Visa is that you can only work for any one employer for a maximum of 6 months. Because of this, many employers will try to avoid hiring working holiday makers - especially during low season. Plus, most jobs will only offer you casual contracts, which means the hours and pay can vary week to week. The best option is to find a seasonal job during peak season, work as much as you can, and then spend some time traveling.



Jobs to Look For:

  • Food + drink service jobs

  • Retail positions on high streets

  • Hospitality jobs (hotels, hostels, etc.)

  • Nanny/opere positions

  • Farm jobs

  • Construction jobs

  • Trade work (if you’re qualified) 

Where to Find a Job:

It’s very unlikely that you’ll land an office job. Typical 9-5 full-time jobs are very hard to get as a working holiday maker. It’s not impossible, but it’s extremely rare. By some stroke of luck, I landed a manager position at a startup kids rec center in Sydney that allowed me to work full time on decent pay. 

For a while, I also juggled an unpaid internship for a couple days a week. If you have the time and can afford it, an internship abroad is a great experience to add to your C.V. Plus, it’ll open your perspective and broaden your horizons on future opportunities in your field. It’s much easier to get an unpaid position in an office while on a working holiday visa, rather than a paid position. Not ideal, but if you can hustle, it might be worth it.

Qualifying for a Second Year Visa

If you loved year one and you want to spend another year in the Land Down Under - whether that’s immediately following the first, or at some point down the road - you’ll need to do a bit of qualifying before you leave the country.

During your first year visa, you must complete 3 months of “specified visa work.” There is a lot packed into this one requirement.

You’re free to do the work whenever you want. Some people do it all in one go for 3 consecutive calendar months (February 4 - May 4), and some people do a few weeks spread across the year. Either works, as long as your total working period adds up to 88 days. The counting can be a bit tricky though. If you work a typical full-time schedule for the same employer for 3 consecutive months, you qualify. If you work 6 months of part time work, you qualify. If you work one month full time, two months part time, you qualify. Basically, there are a lot of different ways to do it. For a detailed explanation plus examples, check out the Immigration website. Pay attention to the caveats of counting your days off. Sometimes, your weekends can count towards the final 88 days.

Specified work is categorized as:

  • plant and animal cultivation

  • fishing and pearling

  • tree farming and felling

  • tourism and hospitality (not an option for subclass 417, sorry mate)

A lot of people do harvest work for their 88 days. There are lots of helpful websites online to help you figure out what regions are best during different harvest seasons. Keep in mind, summer can be extremely hot and difficult to work in depending on the local climate. Do some research!

This is an awesome website detailing the harvest seasons around the country. Remember, one harvest may not provide enough work to fulfill 88 days. You may have to work in more than one area harvesting different types of produce depending on what you choose to do. Some farms may offer alternative jobs when there is nothing to harvest (i.e. tree clipping, trimming, thinning, irrigation, etc.)

Although it’s outlawed in most other countries, Australia still allows piece-rate for harvest workers. That means you’re paid a certain price for every bin you fill - NOT hourly wages, like other jobs. Sometimes, it’s not difficult to fill enough units to make a decent paycheck. But sometimes, if the harvest isn’t as good, or the weather is really extreme, you may find it difficult to make a decent paycheck. This isn’t always true, but don’t expect to be making a lot of money during your 88 days of work. If you’re lucky, you might find a farm that pays hourly for its workers. Maybe you can score a position that does pay hourly (tractor driving, irrigation maintenance, supervisor, etc.). Either way, plan to be living frugally.

Fun fact: solar farms qualify as specified work as well! Plus, solar farms pay their workers handsomely... so if you’re interested in sustainable energy production, hit up some solar farms!

What We Did

Once we decided to go to Australia on WHV’s, I immediately started researching. I learned as much as I could about the second-year visa requirements, and decided to do our 88 days of regional work right when we arrived. That way, we could enjoy the rest of our year without worrying about whether we needed to split and find farm work in a pinch. It made it much easier to enjoy our time. We didn’t end up staying for the second year, but it was still a great experience.

First I researched what crop seasons start in February, which was our intended arrival to Australia. There are plenty of online resources that show you what crop work is needed in Australia, in each region. Arriving in February meant it would be the middle of summer, so I narrowed my search to the milder climates. We ended up settling on apples in regional Victoria.

Then I researched some ways to find jobs. I started emailing recruitment agencies and specific farms before we even flew to Australia. I learned about MADEC, and discovered their office in Shepparton. I looked for reviews, and found generally decent experiences, so that settled it. I booked out flights to Melbourne and an AirBnB for the first few nights in Shepparton. When we arrived in Melbourne, we took the train directly to Shepparton, and immediately visited the MADEC office.

We completed our training, got our MADEC cards (a requirement for farm working in the area), and got our names down on the list for jobs. We spent the next few days getting bikes, finding more permanent accommodation, and hunting down job opportunities. We talked to literally everyone. We arrived in Shepparton on a Friday, and were working by that Tuesday.

We started as pickers on an apple farm at the very beginning of the season. Our beloved contractor (genuinely the best, we got so lucky) arranged carpool for us. At 5:30am on our first day, a nice French backpacker picked us up in her car and drove us to the farm. We had no idea what we were in for, so I started asking her about her experience. She was promoted to tractor driver because she insisted she was going to leave if she had to keep picking. That doesn’t normally work, but for some reason (I assume because it was the beginning of the season and there weren’t many workers yet), they gave her a tractor driving job.

The next two days were grueling work. Picking apples is difficult to get used to, but we worked hard and paid attention to our supervisor’s advice and guidance. He was a friendly guy from Malaysia, and we chatted him up every time he came over. I always mentioned my interest in tractor driving - usually in a light-hearted, upbeat, joking but take-me-seriously kind of way. It helps that we had a lot of common interests, but at the end of the second day, he told us to stay late for an hour so he could train us on the tractors. They were looking for two more drivers on a nearby farm, and he gave our info to the farm manager.

That same day we learned the basics on a tractor. We learned quickly and took the job seriously. The next day, we transferred to a new farm and dove right in. The first few days on the tractor were awkward and trying. Other experienced drivers and farm managers judged us for not being perfect, but we just clenched our jaws and learned how to be better. We picked up the tricks and learned how to make magic on a tractor.

We spent the next 15 weeks rotating around farms, working with different groups of pickers, and working under different farm managers. Some of the people we worked with were the most horrible people I’ve ever met in my life. But the majority were genuinely cool people with great stories to tell.

Sometimes during seasonal work, there are gaps between picking periods. During this time, you usually just get dropped. Contractors will tell you, “sorry, no work,” and you’re forced to stick around with no pay until the farm moves onto the next batch of crops. However, there is usually work around the farm that still needs to be done: strip picking, tree tying, and other general maintenance jobs. This is why it’s important to have a good relationship with your contractor. If any farms need people to do miscellaneous work during these lulls, the contractor supplies the workers. It’s usually hourly pay too. As tractor drivers, we were considered “skilled workers,” which meant they would always keep us around doing busy work just in order to retain us for the whole season. We usually spent these busy days tying young trees to support wires, or putting empty bins in the next block of crops.

All in all, we got VERY lucky. But we also put in a lot of groundwork doing research, talking to people, and just working hard. Sadly, we ended our regional work on a sour note because of a nasty farm manager. Other than that, we had a relatively good time driving tractors for four months.


Our Best Advice for Completing Regional Work

  • Research crop seasons and locations before going to Australia. Plan your trip around the seasonal work you want to do so you don’t waste time trying to get oriented with what jobs happen when and where.

  • Arrive BEFORE the season starts. If you show up halfway through the season, farms might not need any more workers, and you definitely won’t get any of the good jobs.

  • Talk to everyone. As soon as you arrive, spend your first week going to farms and talking with managers, owners, tractor drivers - literally ANYONE who will speak with you. Be polite and authentic, never rude or pushy. Ask them if they know of any good jobs going, like tractor driving, factory jobs, or packing jobs. Try to avoid picking jobs, but sometimes getting your foot in the door is the best way to get a better job. We found farm jobs through a recommendation from a local who sold us bikes, then asked for advice from the tractor driver who was assigned to carpool with us on our first day picking apples, then chatted with our block supervisor during the first few days of picking, then got transferred to another farm because he thought we’d be a good pair of tractor drivers. Boom, hourly jobs. Talk to EVERYONE.

  • Be dedicated and enthusiastic. If you show up and do your job well, you’ll be treated with respect and enjoy your experience much more than if you whine and complain the whole time. 

  • Keep your own record of all the hours you work, every single day you work, and double check your paycheck with your records. Contractors make mistakes, or “mistakes,” and you are responsible for your own bookkeeping. Save all your pay slips.

  • Maintain a good relationship with your contractor. Always offer to help them out if they need it - by transferring to another farm, carpooling with new workers, or any other way they might need help (legally speaking). They pay you. They write off on your worked days. They can get you jobs between picking periods to keep you working and getting paid. Thank them when they treat you well.



Takeaways

  1. WHV are a great way to take a break from regular life at home and spend an extended amount of time in Australia to work, travel, or just gain new life experiences.

  2. Take time to thoughtfully set up your affairs: like your bank account, your TFN, your MyGov account (and linked ATO account), and your super fund account. SAVE ALL YOUR INFORMATION. Scan every single piece of paperwork and back it up to the cloud. Download all your bank statements and make sure your addresses are accurate. Keep track of your employer’s official name, ABN, and address. All these little details might seem easy to let slip now, but better bookkeeper you are, the easier your life will be when you’re trying to get money back from your tax returns or DASP.

  3. If you think you might want to stay another year in Australia, do your regional work sooner rather than later. It’s not easy to find consistent work, and it will probably take longer than you think to accumulate 88 days of work. It’s better to do more than you need to than be denied your second-year visa because you were one day short.

  4. When in doubt, ask other travelers for advice. I learned a LOT from Facebook groups, hostel staff, and fellow backpackers  Go into any of the may “Australia Backpackers” Facebook groups and just search sone keywords. Read comments on related posts. Or go talk to some other travelers in a hostel common room. Ask the front desk for recommendations. The best opportunities usually come through word of mouth.

  5. Save all your pay slips. Hard copies, and digitally backed up copies as well. You need them for tax purposes and for a second-year visa, should you decide to apply for one.

  6. Have fun! We spent so much time working and focusing on technical aspects of our visas, that we often forgot to enjoy ourselves. Some of our best memories were during our weekends off, or between jobs. Make an Australia Bucket List, and try to check items off the list as often as you can. The year will fly by, and you don’t want to regret working too much!


These are some of the links that I found useful both before and during my working holiday. Some are official websites, some are blogs posts with valuable advice, and others and just saved links I’m glad I had. Hello new bookmark folder!

Visa Research and Application

Getting Your Affairs in Order

Accommodation and Travel

Finding a Job


Regional Work

Facebook Groups

Best of luck!

We had an absolute blast during our year in Australia. There’s no “right way” to do it, but I hope these tips prove helpful for you if you’re headed out for a year in the land down under.

 

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Australia, Planning, TipsMarijane Soilis