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It’s never fun to run low on funds when traveling, especially when you plan to be on the road much longer than your budget may allow. While working opportunities in other countries may be limited due to lengthy or costly visa requirements, there’s a relatively easy way to extend your Australian vacation with a paycheck.
Australia’s Working Holiday visa is intended for people coming to the country on vacation, but allows them to supplement their trip while there. It’s possible to use the visa to work the majority of the time in country, or just as easily, mix travel and work. Many backpackers lend a hand picking fruit, and are able to follow the fruit season while traveling around the country.
Some of the requirements for the visa are:
• You are outside Australia when you apply.
• You have not entered the country on a Working Holiday visa before.
• You are between 18 and 30 years old when applying.
• You must apply no more than 12 months before you intend to travel to Australia.
• You can’t bring any dependent children with you.
The cost for the visa is $230 AUD ($175 USD). It is possible to extend the visa for a second year if you work in specialized industries (such as fishing, mining and picking fruit) in regional Australia for three months of your time.
“It’s an ace visa for backpackers,” says Daisy Lamont, a U.S. citizen who visited Australia on a Working Holiday visa and worked as a kayaking and hiking guide in Tasmania. “I would definitely recommend it for people who are going on holiday to Australia. The process is simple as well. I applied online and received it the next day.”
November 13th, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Its a great trip. VisaFirst.com also provide free membership to their working holiday centre in australia to help finding work and other stuff when you book your working holiday visa for Australia through them.
You’ll find that to work in bars ans restaurants etc you need to have done a 1 day course too which you can do on arrival.
Also good way to meet other backpackers
November 14th, 2009 at 8:27 pm
Any suggestions for those of us, over 30 who will be traveling with our kids? Obviously, we’d switch off working so that one of us would be with the kiddos.
November 14th, 2009 at 9:02 pm
Sounds expensive. Am I wrong, or is there no guarantee of employment?
November 15th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Nicolai, you’re not wrong–like most places, there is no guarantee of employment. People interested in working can use a variety of sources to find open positions. But according to the folks I talked with who chose to go the Working Holiday visa route, it wasn’t difficult for them to find work.
November 16th, 2009 at 11:02 am
My question is, can one use this visa just to travel and not ever bother with the pesky “working” part? Or is there some kind of check to make sure you’re looking for employment while you’re there?
November 16th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Great idea, wonder why they have an age restriction. People who are considering relocating to Australia could take advantage of the VISA. It will give them time to make sure they want to make the move.