So you have a work holiday visa for Australia and you’re planning a visit to soak up the relaxed Australian lifestyle for a year.
Or maybe you don’t have a visa yet, but you need to know the best way to apply for and be granted one.
Where do you start?
How To Work And Travel In Australia
If you have a passport and you are between 18 and 30 you can apply for a 12 month working and holiday visa in Australia, provided you are from the countries listed here:
You will also need to ensure to meet these points:
- No previous working holiday visa in Australia. You can apply for up to 3 working holiday visas in Australia, but you must have done at least 3 months work in regional Australia on the first visa.
- Can pay the cost: A$650
- Age 18-30 (sometimes 35*)
- Tertiary education requirements (a degree or at least 2 years of university)
- Good level of English
- Enough money (At least A$5000)
- Support letter (example here)
- Health requirements (example here)
- Character requirement (example here)
- No previous visa cancelled or refused
- Australian standards statement
- Apply ahead of time, from outside the country
- Insurance
*The age limit has been extended to people with passports from Argentina, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, Chile, Israel, USA and Malaysia.
Work And Holiday VISA Australia
For a work and holiday VISA in Australia, you can apply directly through IMMI or through an agency.
Applying through IMMI is straightforward and takes 1 to 45 days for processing. You will usually receive an answer within the first 2 weeks.
Extending your visa
If you have worked at least 88 days in Australia, you can apply for a year extension to your VISA.
Helpful resources:
Looking for work
There are short-term work opportunities for travellers in Australia.
Here are some good resources below as a starting point:
https://www.backpackerjobboard.com.au
https://www.workaboutaustralia.com.au
Traveller jobS Australia
There are many different jobs you can do as a traveller in Australia, including hospitality, fruit picking, driving and transport (tour guides, drivers, moving vehicles), administration support and temp work.
Accommodation in Australia
There are a variety of accommodation options when on a working holiday in Australia. From backpacker hostels to housesitting, some of these may be best suited below:
Hostels
A hotel/hostel is a good option if you don’t have any other accommodation lined up in advance.
These range in price and quality from city to city but as a place to lay your head, are a good option early on in your trip. They could also be good for meeting like-minded people and job contacts. Some offer work for your stay options.
Wake Up Hostels in Byron Bay, Sydney and Bondi are clean and top-quality hostels, with lots of helpful resources, information and perks.
House Sharing
Moving into an established share house, or renting a house with a group of travellers could be a good option, when working in an area for an extended period. You can find these on Flatemates or Realestate.com.au
House Sitting
Aussie House Sitters is a great resource for short term house or pet sitting options.
Work Away
Work Away is another popular resource for volunteering while travelling in Australia, in exchange for food and accommodation.
Study and Travel in Australia
Studying and travelling in Australia is another option for a fun experience.
Studying full time, or work based training is more expensive and ranges from A$1,600 unless you have an exemption.
You’ll need to meet these requirements for a student VISA.
- You are able to stay in Australia for the length of your course.
- You must be enrolled full-time in a recognised Australian school.
- You must be 6 years or over.
Conclusion
By following these steps it’s pretty straightforward to travel in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa. Working while travelling also helps connect with the culture and meet new locals and travellers
It really is worth supplementing your holiday and staying longer to enjoy the unique experiences in Australia!
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