How to get a Working Holiday Visa for Australia

Types of Visas for Australia

There are two types of Working Holiday Visas for Austrlaia, a 417 and a 462. Around the backpacker circles you will commonly hear “I’m 417” or “I’m 462” because the requirements for a 2nd and 3rd year are different for each type. Which Working Holiday Visa you apply for depends solely on the country you’re from. As an American, I went on a 462. If you’re European, you will be on a 417.

The Working Holiday visa currently costs $495AUD (due with application).

Click below to find more information on each visa from the Australian government.

462 Working Holiday visa information

417 Working HOliday visa information

How to get a 2nd & 3rd year visa

Extending your Working Holiday visa in Australia is extremely common. In fact, most backpackers do extend their stay, and it’s easy to do. It’s also very easy to get taken advantage of by employers as a backpacker working in Australia so I have a few helpful tips.

462 2nd year requirements

417 2nd year requirements

I met too many backpackers working on farms to get their 2nd or 3rd year visa. Don’t do that. There are so many other options for you. How do I know? Friends I worked with in New Zealand got a job managing a hostel in Ayr. This was a special type of hostel that appears all over Australia – it’s a hostel for backpacker slaves!!

This hostel was packed with backpackers from all over the world completing their 3 or 6 months work requirement to gain a 2nd or 3rd year visa. These poor kids worked sun up to sun down in the Australian heat, fires, monsoons. They not only had to spend their pay on the hostel dorm rooms, but also the shuttle that would take them to and from the farm. And if the backpackers could not to go into work, the hostel could kick them out, as they are under contract with the farms to get their workers. What’s worse, if farm work is canceled for the day due to weather, the day doesn’t count toward work requirement time.

To that end, unless you are planning on living in one of the big cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra etc) don’t work on a farm!! Go up North, go out West.

For example, I did my “farm work” waitressing at a resort in the Daintree Rainforest. That experience was great, but even so I had a feeling while I was there that I was being taken advantage of as an employee. When I left the rainforest and got my job working on the catamaran in Airlie Beach, I was shocked to discover I could have been doing this all along to count toward my time. I had an apartment in town, a full and regular paycheck and LOVED my job and the town I lived in. (My roommates worked on other boats and at a restaurant/hotel in town and also qualified for the 2nd/3rd year requirements.)

Therefore, my advice to you is to GO REMOTE. You can visit the big cities for sure, but when it comes to working, go to Broome, go to Airlie, go to Darwin, go to the Daintree, go to Uluru. ,

How to get an Australian Bank Account & Tax Number

You will need the following to open up a bank account in Australia on a Working Holiday visa.

Australian SIM card (Australian phone number)
Address where you are staying
Passport

Jordan and I opened our account with WestPac, however you can also go with ANZ, CommBank, and NAB.

Tax File Number

How to find work in Australia on a Working HOliday Visa

Finding work in Australia can be challenging. Here are a few good backpacker resources for finding work.

Backpacker Job Board Great for finding farm jobs and the occasional hospo work.
Backpacker Jobs Australia Facebook group
Gumtree Great for finding real work. If you combine the right area with the right kind of work to qualify for the 2nd year, you’re in business.
Working Holiday Jobs This is a great site for jobs and information. It does require a membership fee, but if you’re in it for the long term, I’d say it’s worth it.
You can also try Indeed and Seek if you’re in the city. Remember though, you won’t be able to stay most places for longer than 6mo on a WHV.
Face to face. My deckhand job in Airlie Beach was a tpyed up “help wanted” paper with no pictures that was taped to an abandoned building that stood between two restuarants I was passing out my resumes to. Get your boots on the ground y’all.

Buying a Van in Australia

Buying transpo is a great idea in Australia if you want to get around. Remember, Auralia is big. It takes a day or more driving between big cities. The weather is tough and the wildlife dangerous. All in all, totally worth it.