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All you really need for your working holiday year in Australia 2024. What is working holiday and which countries are eligible?
What is working holiday?
Welcome soon-to-be working holiday makers Australia also well known as OZ, Oz or just Down Under!
The Working Holiday Visa (WHV), also known as Working Travel Visa, is a special agreement divided in Subclass 417 and 462. It allows you to stay one full year in Australia with full permission to travel in the country and work wherever you like. One main characteristic is that you can enter and leave Australia whenever anytime restrictions to come back.
Your situation
Whether you are already traveling around the world or still at your hometown waiting on the sidelines, this guide is for everybody who want to start their working holiday in Australia!
I understand where you are right now, I’ve been there too! I will show you in a summarized step-by step absolutely beginner-friendly and compact way what you really need before your start of your working holiday also known as working travel visa in Australia.
As you click through my posts I will show you my personal examples what you can expect to earn, what jobs you can do and what things you might need to resolve before and many more!
Therefore, check all other blog posts from this working holiday guide series. It provides you with massive value and covers all topics about jobs, work, money, travels and much more!
Tip: Use the Table of Content to get to your question quickly!
Overview of your working holiday journey
Part 1 (this part) is all about visa requirements and eligibility for your working holiday (read before coming to Australia)
Part 2 is all about relevant work terms. I show you Australia’s minimum wage, what TFN, ABN, RSA etc. is and how to apply in order to work legally in Australia.
Part 3 is all about work and pay rates. I show you my payslips, what I earned, and you can too! I show you all special occasions where you can earn more money!
Part 4 is all about getting jobs. I show you all relevant ways and websites where you can find jobs and as well as typical backpacker jobs and pay rates!
Part 5 is all about your farm work and your working holiday extension!
Best time for you working holiday Australia
It’s very common to do working holiday/working travel as a gap year after or before school and university. Personally, I did it after traveling one year in South America. Before South America I did my Masters in Germany. So don’t worry about timing, it’s never too late!
You can also use is at a break/reorientation from your current job, or just to expand your horizon! Other people do working holiday to earn a lot of money or simply to learn English.
The flexibility to choose and combine different opportunities with a working holiday visa makes it an exciting option for individuals of all ages!
Basic requirements: Countries and age limit
Before further reading, please check if your country is on the list down below to even consider applying for a working holiday maker visa for Australia.
Next, it depends on your nationality, you need to apply either for a visa subclass 417 or 462. Below, you can see for which subclass you need to apply!
At the time of application, you must be between 18–30 years old. Exceptions are Canada, France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom (35 years see list below)
IMPORTANT: Your application is still valid as long you apply before 31 years (36 years for exception countries), in case you get granted later. So no worries if you apply at age 30! Basically, you can apply even one day before you turn 31 (36).
Passport holders from the following countries have a working holiday visa agreement with Australia and thus can apply (updated Mai 2024):
Apply for Subclass 417 (up to 35 years):
- Canada
- Denmark
- Italy
- France
- Republic of Ireland
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (including British National Overseas passport holders)
Apply for Subclass 417 (up to 30 years):
- Belgium
- Republic of Cyprus
- Estonia
- Finland
- Germany
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- Taiwan (other than an official or diplomatic passport)
Apply for Subclass 462 (up to 30 years):
- Argentina
- Austria
- Brazil
- Chile
- China, People’s Republic of
- Czech Republic
- Ecuador
- Greece
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Papua New Guinea (PNG)
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Türkiye
- Uruguay
- United States of America
- Vietnam
The subclasses distinguish themselves through further requirements we’re going to discuss in a bit.
Visa subclass 417 applications
Apply directly here if you are eligible for subclass 417. Create your ImmiAccount, attach documents and pay the application fee to keep the process starting. In 30 min you can be ready! And the results you may receive as fast as 5 min!
>>CREATE YOUR IMMI ACCOUNT HERETourist visa (Visitor visa subclass 600)
For those not eligible for a working holiday visa subclass 417 nor subclass 462 can still plan a trip to Australia!
The visitor visa lets you stay for up to 12 months, with prices starting from AUD190.00
Before applying, check out the processing time guide tool to get an idea of how long it’ll take: Just remember it’s only an estimate!
With this visa, you can chill with friends and family, go on a cruise, or simply enjoy some Aussie tourism like a real backpacker!
Just keep in mind you’ll need to prove that you’ve got enough cash for your stay, won’t be working Down Under, and apply from outside Australia.
Requirements and eligibility Working Holiday Visa (updated Mai 2024)
Here I will show you all requirements for both visa subclasses 417 and 462, before diving into special requirements for visa subclass 462 WHV.
Requirements for both subclasses
- Be Outside Australia!
First, you must be outside Australia to apply! You can also be outside your home country when applying, but then you maybe need to provide health examinations among other things.
- Previous entry and application
You can apply for the subclass visa 417 and 462 just ONCE. However, if you entered on a student visa before you can apply for working holiday. Like said before, you must leave the country before you apply, though!
For extension of your working holiday visa, you MUST NOT leave Australia, though. We will discuss working holiday extension here! (In progress)
Also, if you had a visa application cancelled or refused before, you cannot apply!
- Passport validity
- Visa fees and required funds
$635 Australian Dollar (AUD), updated. Mai 2024) ~ €386 (EURO), to convert to your national currency use www.xe.com for instance. If you pay with credit or debit card, there’s a surcharge of a few AUD. It’s normal and don’t worry about this anymore!
Your application will NOT BE PROCESSED at all until you pay the fees.
Have at least, AUD5000 in savings. You may need to upload it in your Immigration Account (ImmiAccount) once you start applying or show it on arrival. Thus, bring a copy from your bank account stating you have that amount.
They want to make sure you can support yourself and pay an onward ticket (leaving Australia). Don’t worry if you don’t have the money, just borrow it short term from friends/family/credit and then transfer it back once you are in Australia! No worries at all!
- Vaccinations
If you traveled or lived before in tropical regions and applying from there (like me in Colombia and Indonesia) you need to prove that you have a yellow fever vaccination. You might show a little vaccination book or similar on arrival in Australia to the immigration officer. Make sure to have it!
- Medical Examination and X-Ray
In your ImmiAccount you will see what is required and what is optional. Just put together all the required stuff!
Other requirements
- No accompanied children
- no substantial criminal record
- no huge outstanding amounts of debts you own Australian government
- main purpose is holiday
What else they MAY ask you after you applied for the Working Holiday Visa
Once you applied and log into your ImmiAccount you might need to upload more documents to continue with your application process. No worries, you will receive also an email from the immigration:
- Again, like said above of you need the proof of health and health examinations (see above). Especially if you lived abroad more than 3 months in a row (For example, I lived in Colombia and Indonesia more than 3 months, so I had to do the examinations). By the way, for my second working holiday visa I had to do the health examination again, even though I was in Australia already (Mildura)
- Police records (3 months old)
- Other biometrics (Fingerprints, proof of identity etc.), but rather unlikely
That’s why you don’t book a flight before your application is granted, especially if you lived or traveled somewhere before.
Once it says “Finalized” in your ImmiAccount, then you are ready to go and book your flight! That’s everything you really need to know before you apply!
Special requirements for subclass 462 applicants
Examples:
- USA: Have a High School qualification
- Spain: English test
- Argentina, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Turkey, Malaysia, Poland, or Uruguay: Have a tertiary (university) qualification or have completed at least two years of undergraduate university.
- Chile: I have a tertiary (university) qualification or have been approved to do a third year of undergraduate university.
- Thailand: I have a diploma or degree
Estimated total costs
| Expense | Cost (AUD) |
|---|---|
| Visa fee + credit card surcharge AUD1-3 | $635 |
| Required funds (AUD5000, but just short term) | $5000 |
| Travel insurance (I recommend SavetyWing with full coverage! All sports + electronic theft for $76.28) | $76.28 |
| New passport (cost varies by country) | Variable |
| Vaccinations (e.g., yellow fever, dengue optional) | Variable |
| International driving license | Variable |
| Flights (One way) | Variable |
| Health examinations and X-ray (check your ImmiAccount) | Variable |
| Cash reserve (emergency fund) | $100 |
What else to do before my trip?
Travel insurance
Make sure you have a proper travel insurance for your whole stay in Australia. You may need to show that you have a travel insurance for your full stay.
Check my blog post here to get an overview of some of the cheapest and best travel insurance for working holiday makers!
You can all book them online, anytime, anywhere! And they are all specialized for young travelers! Costs starts from $56.28! (updated Mai 2024)
Credit cards and first Australian bank account
It’s called Westpac and you just have to follow the process on their website.
To ensure that you receive your debit card without any delays or complications, take the time to research and confirm the address of the hostel where you will be staying. You can easily find this information online on hostelworld for instance.
By being proactive and prepared, you can avoid any potential issues and enjoy a smooth and hassle-free travel experience in Australia.
Anyway, if you prefer to wait till you are in Australia, just use WISE!
WISE is an international company which allows you to transfer money from your Australian to your standard bank account and the other way around.
The fees are the lowest in the market! Besides the Australian bank account, you will get a European IBAN/BIC and an UK and US bank account absolutely for free!
Click here to open an account right now!!
Technically speaking, you don’t need to bother with Australian banks at all. Though, I recommend to open and bank account once you’re in Australia. You can choose between Westpac, NAB, and Commonwealth Bank.
The Latter has the most branches in Australia.
Last but not least: Copy all important documents before you fly!
- Your required funds ($5000 AUD)
- Your insurance policy stating you are insured for your whole stay
- Passport copies
- Driver license
- Granted working holiday visa
- Yellow fever or other vaccinations
- Extra passport photos
- Onward ticket (Not relevant for Australia because you have the WHV)
- ESTA (if you fly through US and have an EU passport)
See you soon and happy travels!
Eduard from Clueless? Travel!
Overview of your working holiday journey
Part 1 is all about visa requirements and eligibility for your working holiday (read before coming to Australia)
Part 2 is all about relevant work terms. I show you Australia’s minimum wage, what TFN, ABN, RSA etc. is and how to apply in order to work legally in Australia.
Part 3 is all about work and pay rate. I show you my payslips, what I earned, and you can too! I show you all special occasions where you can earn more money!
Part 4 is all about getting jobs. I show you all relevant ways and websites where you can find jobs and as well as typical backpacker jobs and pay rates!
Part 5is all about your farm work and your working holiday visa extension!
What’s next in your journey?
For working holiday starters:
- Apply for the working holiday maker visa subclass 417 (usual approval time 1 min – 14 days) or 462 (usual approval time at least 14 days due to further requirements)
- Provide further details if necessary to get the application going (health examination etc.) in your immigration account (ImmiAccount)
- Get credit cards, especially a WISE account (Australian bank account) and check passport validity! (min. 2 weeks – 1 month before you plan to flight)
- Book your flights (AFTER received approval letter from immigration)
- Packing list 2024 (Coming soon)
- Get travel insurance before you fly (SavetyWing or Heymondo)
- Get an Onward ticket ALWAYS! (24-48h before your flight, evidence of leaving the country you enter). For working holiday Australia visa holders, it’s NOT necessary.
- Book your accommodation via hostelworld to get to know people quickly. I recommend the first two weeks at the same spot
- Job hunting and other bureaucratic stuff (once in Australia)
- Open up your US LLC to get your Freelancer business started!
- Sign up to my Newsletter to get a smarter traveler and stay up-to-date
thank you!
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