Australia’s the ‘lucky country’. Known for our sunny skies, natural wonders and laidback lifestyle, it’s no wonder people want to come and visit Down Under on holiday, or even make Australia their home. A great way to do just that is on an Australian Working Holiday Visa – a temporary visa that’s especially for 18 to 30 year olds who want to travel around Australia while supporting themselves with short-term or casual jobs.
It’s the opportunity to see this beautiful country – from the hustle and bustle of Sydney to the pristine beauty of the Great Barrier Reef and the red plains of the outback – and meet fellow travellers and Aussie locals along the way. Below is a handy guide on what to expect when coming to Australia on an Australian Working Holiday Visa.
And a friendly warning: chances are you’re going to fall in love with this place!
What an Australian Working Holiday Visa lets you do
Australian Working Holiday Visas are amazingly flexible. Once you arrive in Australia you’re able to choose the types of jobs you take, work hours you do and places you visit as the mood takes you for up to 12 months.
Picture this: you land in Sydney, finding work in a café that funds your exploration of the city, so you take a ferry ride to see the iconic Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge up close.
From there, you start making your way to Melbourne and as you travel through the bush you see emus running and kangaroos hopping – true blue Aussie animals in their natural habitat!
Once you’re in Melbourne you discover the hidden laneways as you walk to your job working in a trendy bar.
After a little while your feet start to itch so you travel down the Great Ocean Road to see the breathtaking ocean-bound pillars that form the iconic Twelve Apostles, before going further west towards Adelaide and Perth. Because you can!
Here are the details of what an Australian Working Holiday Visa lets you do:
- Live in Australia for up to a year
- Work with a single employer for up to six months
- Study in Australia for up to four months
- Come and go from Australia as much as you’d like while your visa is valid
It’s up to you how you explore Australia on a Working Holiday Visa!
How to qualify for an Australian Working Holiday Visa
Australian Working Holiday Visas are actually relatively easy to get – the Aussie government loves having visitors that add to Australia’s ever-strong economy!
To qualify for an Australian Working Holiday Visa, you need to:
- Be between 18 and 30 years old
- Be travelling here without any dependents (i.e. children or family members who rely on you for financial and other support)
- Hold a passport from a country that’s participating in Australia’s Working Holiday Visa program (e.g. Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, most of Europe and more)
Want to stay in Australia for more than a year? No worries!
People travelling to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa have the option to extend their stay through a second Working Holiday Visa.
Best of all, you can choose whether to stay in Australia for two years continuously or come back another time for the second year. Plus, you’re allowed to do exactly the same things that your first Australian Working Holiday Visa let you do.
How to qualify for a second Australian Working Holiday Visa
All you have to do to qualify for a second Australian Working Holiday Visa is complete three months of ‘specified work’ within regional areas that the Australian government has approved, within the 12-month period of your first Australian Working Holiday Visa.
The ‘specified work’ just needs to be in one of the following areas:
- Plant and animal cultivation (e.g. harvesting or packing fruit an d vegetables, shearing sheep or other farm work)
- Fishing and pearling
- Tree farming and felling (e.g. cutting down trees or helping to transport the logs)
- Mining (e.g. working in a coal or metal ore mine, or within the oil and gas industry)
- Construction (e.g. working on a building site or for a civil engineering project)
Considering you’re more than likely going to want to go off the beaten track and visit the Australian outback while you’re here, this is a great way to keep your options open in case you want to stay and discover even more of what Australia has to offer.
Make Australia your forever home with a bit of planning
Let’s be honest: you’ve seen the pictures of Australia and you know how beautiful it is. Once you add in the experience of living and breathing the Australian way of life, there’s pretty good odds that you’re not going to want to go back to your home country.
In fact, 90% of people who visit Australia on a Working Holiday Visa want to stay and make Australia their new home.
Unfortunately, of that 90% only around 20% are successful in staying here because the rest simply don’t have the materials they need in order to qualify for one of the permanent Australian visas.
For example, they don’t have the necessary documents (such as their birth certificate, police check and a work history that spans 5–10 years) or they haven’t done a skills assessment.
Don’t waste this opportunity to ‘test out’ Australia
An Australian Working Holiday Visa is an amazing opportunity to ‘try before you buy’ and experience the lifestyle that Australia is world famous for.
If there’s even an inkling of a chance that you might want to stay longer than an Australian Working Holiday Visa will allow, it’s best to talk to an expert about what you need to do in order to qualify for a permanent visa.
The reality is that it’s far easier to apply for another type of Australian visa while you’re in Australia than it is to use the Australian Working Holiday Visa, go home and then reapply.
Prepare so you have the choice – you don’t have to complete the process if you decide you want to go back to your home country.
Pro tip: work in your skill area to stay in Australia
If you want the option of applying for a permanent Australian visa while you’re here, work in a job that matches your skill set because this experience counts toward being able to stay.
As part of applying for a permanent Australian visa, you have to undergo a skills assessment that weighs your skills and qualifications against the occupation that you’ve nominated as part of your application.
Therefore, if you’ve been working in that area within Australia over the past 6–12 months then you’re off to a great start!
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This article was written by Darrell Todd from thinkingaustralia. Darrell is Australian and has the inside scoop on Down Under. Affectionately known as Billabong Billy, he’s passionate about Australia and over the past 25 years has been helping thousands of people come to Australia to work, study, holiday or live.
You’ll also want to see: Top 5 Places to Visit in Australia – Things to Consider when visiting Australia
Photos: Richard Rydge, Lenny K Photography, Michael McDonough, Les Haines.
