Lots of people decide to take advantage of Australian working holiday visas when they take their Australia gap year. If you are under 30, over 18 and not afraid to travel to the other side of the world to find a better life for a year then an Australian working holiday Visa is for you.Is
It can be pretty daunting to make the move though, so it does require a bit of planning before you do it. To make matters a lot easier we have some really exciting arrival pack, and working holiday Visa jobs that can really help make your move down under a smooth and simple experience.
Take our Sydney conneXion, whilst it does have a Australia jobs finding service which does come in very handy, it is also an exceptionally good way to meet people and have a great laugh with the new bunch of people on your first week in Sydney.
If you would like help with planning what to do with your Australia working holiday visas, or want some advice about great trip ideas feel free to contact us or check out the trips below.
Australia working holiday visas programs.
Sydney ConneXion Work & Travel£499
This is the ultimate beginning to an epic adventure in Australia. The Sydney conneXion is all about having an amazing first week, meeting new friends and doing some incredible adventures fully guided in one of the coolest cities in the world. Whilst you're out having fun we take care of all the hassle enabling you to get set up with a job with a 12 month membership access of the best backpacker job network in Australia. Everything is taken care for you so no worries about arriving in Australia this can turn into one of the most daunting yet exciting things you will ever do!
Whitsundays Sailing Course Australia£1699
Whitsundays sailing course Australia Want to get paid to do a job you love? Sailing on luxury yachts over the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays in Australia? This is the ultimate Australia gap year programme training you to qualify as a salty sea dog, and work on boats all over the world. After this 23 day internship you have exceptionally good chances of being paid up to $500 a week too!
Work in Australia For Backpackers£209
Perfect for first-time travellers, this package includes advice and practical help with everything from visas to airport transfer, accommodation to finding a job. Stay and work in Sydney or explore the country with new friends.
Australia Divemaster£3499
Become a Divemaster in Byron Bay! Living the life as a Divemaster in Australia in one of the coolest towns in Australia, Byron Bay! Diving everyday at Julian rocks, one of the best dive sites in Australia. You will be living in the thick of the action as you discover why Byron Bay is one of the most fun towns in Australia.
Learn to Earn In The Australian Outback£529
Experience the Australian outback and get paid to work up to 12 months on a real Australian Ranch! This is an unique opportunity to experience a new way of life in the Australian Outback! Including fun activities like riding horses, motor bikes, quad bikes, 4 x 4 and tractors. So if you are not afraid to get your hands dirty, sign up and start earning down under.
Australia Surf Dude Surf Development Course£1899
Doing the surf development course is an amazing experience. You will spend a couple of months developing your surf skills on some great Australia breaks. Everybody at the camp is so enthusiastic that you will have a good time and enjoy the surfers life style. Our professional surf instructors help you to push your surf abilities and you will become a real surf dude. Together with beach parties, BBQ's, sun and your new friends, this will be an awesome experience!
Xtreme Reporter£249
Learn, earn and travel by reporting. One accessible online course from any destination while you´re discovering. Investigate new places and learn how to creatively tell the world. Get the opportunity of the lifetime to get advice from a professional mind. No qualifications required yet experience gained. Travel and writing... what more do you need?
Australia working holiday visas all you need to know.
The first thing to consider with an Australian working holiday visa is whether you are up for it?
Every year about 25,000 British people undertake a working holiday Visa in Australia. Interestingly there are about 35,000 Australians who come over to the UK on the reciprocal tier 5 youth mobility scheme ( the UK equivalent of the Australian working holiday visa).
Without question every single one of them has doubts in their mind before they start, what will it be like in Australia? Will they enjoy it, will they find work and will it end well?
Whilst it isn’t right for everyone, the vast majority find this to be a completely life changing decision. And it is, it is a completely unique opportunity to do something completely different whilst you are still young (if you’re over 30 you cannot get a VISA) and check out what it is like to live on the other side of the world for a while.
What an Australian working holiday Visa is not is a green card style work VISA.
It means you cannot get a “proper job” as you are limited to working for a couple of months with one employer, but what it can do is enable you to supplement your income as you work and travel through Australia. This is a great thing to do, because Australia is so big it takes a lot of time to see it all. In fact most people do not manage to get around the entire continent, the vast majority stick to the well populated and backpacker centric East coast, with big cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Cairns and Brisbane offering great Australia work opportunities.
Whilst we mention you cannot get a proper job, we should clarify there are virtually no limits as to what kind of work you can undertake, providing you have the right skills, but there is a time limit for how long you can work for one employer.
In general people tend to gravitate towards hospitality, harvest work and tourism, however there are many opportunities in finance education healthcare and other industries, and if you already have skills in those areas it is a bonus. If you are not skilled, it still not a problem, with the Australian economy being fairly buoyant, no financial crisis and year-on-year growth there are plenty of opportunities to find work out there.
A little history behind the Australia working holiday visa.
It started in the 70s, Australia wanted to promote international understanding by enabling young people to experience the culture of another country. It was not a great success immediately, under 2000 visas were actually issued, a tiny fraction of the 115,000 visas issued each year these days.
These days it is a big deal to the Australian economy, as some estimates put the annual spend of working holiday visa makers at AU$1.3 billion per annum.
Time limits associated with working holiday visas.
Whilst traditionally you can only apply for a working holiday visa once, and this was valid for one year. Now any Visa holder who has spent a minimum of three works working in fruit picking or agricultural work in regional Australia are able to apply for a second Australian working holiday Visa thereby extending their trip to 2 years.
So what of the entitlements of the working holiday Visa?
Typically the Australia working holiday Visa allows you to stay up to 12 months from the date of first entry into Australia. This is an important thing to think about, it does not mean it is valid for 12 months from when the VISA is issued, but it actually becomes active when you enter Australia for the first time. There are limits as to how long the VISA is valid for, and currently you must enter Australia within a year of it being issued.
So that means if you are planning on taking a working holiday Visa gap year in Australia, you can actually apply for one of the programs now like the Sydney conneXion, and organise your visa paperwork even if you are not planning on travelling for one year.
If you have an Australian working holiday Visa, you are able to leave the country as many times as you wish within that year. This is handy if you want to go explore New Zealand, checkout Fiji or even spent some time in Bali on a break between working. There are plenty of low-cost airlines like Virgin Blue that will get you in and out of Australia relatively cheaply.
If you are working in Australia on a working holiday visa, you are entitled to the same rates of pay and exactly the same conditions as Australian residents and citizens. So this means you can expect to earn decent money providing you get a decent job.
Are you eligible for a working holiday Visa?
So you might be wondering if I’m eligible for a working holiday Visa. The chances I yes if you are aged between 18 to 30 (you can still apply when you are 30 years old but it is game over we are afraid if you are 31).
Currently eligible passports holders from selected countries with at least one year to renew their passports can apply for a working holiday Visa
Check out the list of countries with working holiday agreements with Australia.
- Argentina
- Indonesia
- Bangladesh
- Belgium
- Canada
- Chile
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong Hong Kong SAR
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- South Korea
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
- United States
As a further condition anyone wanting to apply must be up to show that they have enough money for return or onward airfare as well as enough money to fund the first part of their stay. Whilst advice varies as to the amount, in general it is considered to be around AU$5000. This is really at the discretion of the immigration officers, as its quite subjective to how long you intend to stay.
To make your application, you must be outside of Australia at the time.
The Australian government stresses that work should be to supplement your travels, as it is about working in travelling not working in general. That means the main purpose of your visit should be tourism, and you should not work for the same employer for more than six months.
If you’re intending to do a course of study whilst you are in Australia you cannot do this for more than four months, and you should also be able to demonstrate that you are in good health as well.
Further information on Australia working holiday visas can be found on this link.
Finally if you have any questions about working holiday visas, just get in touch with us as we are experts with Australia working holiday programs, and we even have an office in Sydney.
Sydney ConneXion Work & Travel£499
This is the ultimate beginning to an epic adventure in Australia. The Sydney conneXion is all about having an amazing first week, meeting new friends and doing some incredible adventures fully guided in one of the coolest cities in the world. Whilst you're out having fun we take care of all the hassle enabling you to get set up with a job with a 12 month membership access of the best backpacker job network in Australia. Everything is taken care for you so no worries about arriving in Australia this can turn into one of the most daunting yet exciting things you will ever do!
Whitsundays Sailing Course Australia£1699
Whitsundays sailing course Australia Want to get paid to do a job you love? Sailing on luxury yachts over the Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays in Australia? This is the ultimate Australia gap year programme training you to qualify as a salty sea dog, and work on boats all over the world. After this 23 day internship you have exceptionally good chances of being paid up to $500 a week too!
Work in Australia For Backpackers£209
Perfect for first-time travellers, this package includes advice and practical help with everything from visas to airport transfer, accommodation to finding a job. Stay and work in Sydney or explore the country with new friends.
Australia Divemaster£3499
Become a Divemaster in Byron Bay! Living the life as a Divemaster in Australia in one of the coolest towns in Australia, Byron Bay! Diving everyday at Julian rocks, one of the best dive sites in Australia. You will be living in the thick of the action as you discover why Byron Bay is one of the most fun towns in Australia.
Learn to Earn In The Australian Outback£529
Experience the Australian outback and get paid to work up to 12 months on a real Australian Ranch! This is an unique opportunity to experience a new way of life in the Australian Outback! Including fun activities like riding horses, motor bikes, quad bikes, 4 x 4 and tractors. So if you are not afraid to get your hands dirty, sign up and start earning down under.
Australia Surf Dude Surf Development Course£1899
Doing the surf development course is an amazing experience. You will spend a couple of months developing your surf skills on some great Australia breaks. Everybody at the camp is so enthusiastic that you will have a good time and enjoy the surfers life style. Our professional surf instructors help you to push your surf abilities and you will become a real surf dude. Together with beach parties, BBQ's, sun and your new friends, this will be an awesome experience!
Xtreme Reporter£249
Learn, earn and travel by reporting. One accessible online course from any destination while you´re discovering. Investigate new places and learn how to creatively tell the world. Get the opportunity of the lifetime to get advice from a professional mind. No qualifications required yet experience gained. Travel and writing... what more do you need?