The ultimate guide to the Australia Working Holiday Visa, including basic information needed to apply and some helpful tips for living over here. (UPDATED 2023)

Australia, the “Land Down Under”, is a land of picturesque beaches, lush rainforests and vast deserts.

Home to intriguing accents, famous landmarks, exotic animals, lazy surf towns and ancient aboriginal mysteries.

It’s no surprise that so many people travel to Australia, this giant isolated island with endless different geographies and cultures spread out over its surface.

What is the Australia Working Holiday Visa?

Luckily, Australia realizes the benefits of travelers visiting Australia and contributing to the economy. So it offers a beautiful thing called a Working Holiday Visa.

This visa allows foreigners to live, work, and travel in Australia for up to one year.

And if you still can’t get enough, you can apply for a second year working holiday visa.

(There is now a third-year working holiday visa available, but I’ve only had personal experience with the first and second years so I’ll be focusing on those).

First I’ll explain visa requirements and how to apply for your Working Holiday Visa (WHV).

Then I’ll give some helpful tips for living and working in Australia on the visa.

I’ll also explain how to apply for a Second Year Working Holiday Visa and explain the “farm work” that needs to be done for this.

Most of this information can be found on the Australia Immigration website.

But sometimes it’s more helpful to read about it from a person who has been through the process themselves.

Please note:

Even if you are just visiting Australia, you still need a visitor visa.

I recommend visiting iVisa.com for more info about visa requirements and to get your visa online.

Travel Insurance for Australia

Before we get into it, I just want to emphasize how important it is to buy travel insurance before traveling abroad.

It is definitely worth it, especially in a country like Australia where you’ll be doing adventurous things like surfing big waves or riding ATVs in the jungle or hiking in the bush.

I personally love Squaremouth Insurance for comparing different plans.

They have a really helpful live chat, and they reimbursed me 100% for my previous emergency medical expenses while traveling. So I highly recommend them!

Read my Budget Traveler’s Guide To Travel Insurance for more info on this topic.

First Year Australia Working Holiday Visa

Here is everything you need to know about the first year Working Holiday Visa.

Two Types Of Working Holiday Visas

It’s important to figure out which visa you need based on your nationality.

Here is a quick summary of the two visas.

Subclass 417 – Working Holiday Visa

This visa includes people from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Canada, the United Kingdom, and many other European countries.

You can find the full list of eligible countries on this page, by clicking on the category, “Hold This Passport”.

Subclass 462 – Work And Holiday Visa

This visa includes people from the USA, like myself, China, Singapore, as well as some other countries in South America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Here is the full list of eligible countries, also under the category “Hold This Passport”.

This visa is also technically called “Work And Holiday”, rather than “Working Holiday”. But it’s the number of the visa rather than the name that matters the most.

Requirements for Each Working Holiday Visa

The two visas are essentially the same, the main difference being the type of regional work that counts for your 88 days, should you desire a second-year visa. I’ll discuss more of this later.

When considering how to get a working holiday visa in Australia, you have to make sure you meet all the requirements.

Some 462 visas also have a few extra requirements that 417 do not, all depending on which country you come from.

Some of these requirements include proof of education and proof of English language skills.

Just be sure to read the pages I linked to above, very carefully, as they sometimes list extra requirements just for one specific country.

Basic visa requirements that apply to both 417 and 462 visas are:

• You must be between the ages of 18 and 30.
• You must have at least $5,000 AUD saved and be able to provide a bank statement with proof of funds. This proves you can support yourself while in Australia, and be able to buy a plane ticket home if necessary.
• You must not have had a previous Australian visa cancelled or denied, and you must meet the character and health requirements, which are explained in detail on the Immigration website (here are the links again for 417 and 462).
• You must have a valid passport from one of the eligible counties, which does not expire during the time you plan to be in Australia.
• You must not have any dependent children coming with you to Australia.

If you meet these requirements, it’s time to consider how to apply for an Australia working holiday visa.

How To Apply For An Australia Working Holiday Visa

You can begin your Australia visa application online by creating an ImmiAccount.

The whole visa application process is done online.

You don’t even need to mail in your passport for a physical visa, as the visa is recorded electronically with your passport number.

On the day your visa is granted, you have exactly one year to enter the country and begin your working holiday.

How Much Is An Australia Working Holiday Visa?

The cost of the visa is $510 Australian Dollars, for both 417 and 462.

You pay when you submit your visa application.

While On The Working Holiday Visa in Australia

Once your visa is granted, you can buy your airfare to Australia.

Check Skyscanner for affordable flights, and consider flying during the winter months (June – August) for cheaper flights.

Keep in mind that it may be harder to find a job during the off-season.

But this would be a good time to do some traveling around the country or maybe live in the north where it’s warmer.

Visa Rules and Restrictions

There are a few rules that you have to remember while you’re on the Australia Working Holiday Visa.

• You can only work the same job for a maximum of 6 months.
• You can only study for up to 4 months.
• You can travel in and out of Australia as often as you want, but your year doesn’t pause when you leave the country.
• You must uphold good character while living in Australia, and not become involved in any violence that threatens the Australian community.
• You cannot get access to Medicare as it’s for residents and citizens of Australia only and doesn’t apply to backpackers. Consider buying overseas health insurance.
• If you are working a paid job you must also pay taxes, which you can claim back at the end of the year. Here is a helpful website for figuring out how your tax return works.

Useful Tips For Living In Australia

Once you arrive in Australia on your working holiday visa, there are a few things you should tick off your to-do list.

These steps will help you get settled and ready to work, live, and travel in Australia.

1. Get an Australian bank account.

If you plan on working in Australia, you should set up a basic bank account.

Travelers often use Commonwealth, ANZ or Nab as they are pretty straightforward and easily accessible around the country.

All you need to sign up for an account is your passport and an Australian address.

2. Set Up A Superannuation Account.

You may also need to set up a Superannuation account if you plan on working, which your employer will discuss with you before starting a new job.

This is essentially a retirement fund, and a small amount of each payslip from work will go towards your Super Account.

As a backpacker, you can claim this money back at the end of your year, since you won’t be retiring in Australia.

You must claim your Super within 6 months of your visa expiring, otherwise, it will be claimed by the Australian Taxation Office and you’ll never see it again.

This website has more information about how to claim your Super money after your time in Australia has ended.

3. Apply for a Tax File Number (TFN).

Everyone working on the books in Australia is required to have a TFN.

You can easily apply for one online once you arrive in Australia.

The whole process takes less than 10 minutes. This website includes the link for the TFN Application, as well as more official information about your TFN.

4. Apply for an Australian Business Number (ABN)

You’ll only need an ABN if you plan on doing contract work rather than casual or full-time employment.

You can easily apply for an ABN through this website.

5. Find A Job

To find work in Australia, which you’ll most likely need to do if you want to afford living here, the best way is to hand out resumes in person.

A face to face conversation is always a more effective way to sell yourself to employers. You’ll find Aussies are very friendly and open to chatting!

(Update Your Resume)

Also, make sure your resume is updated to Australian standards.

This means having detailed descriptions of relevant job experience, listing your skills and assets, and having good references.

I found this information incredibly useful, seeing as how resumes in the USA are supposed to be short and sweet. Australians prefer a bit more detail.

Some helpful websites for job-hunting in Australia include GumTree, Indeed, Seek, and Backpacker Job Board.

6. Obtain a Responsible Service of Alcohol Certificate (RSA)

If you plan on working in a bar or restaurant as many backpackers do, you will most likely need an RSA.

You can take a quick course online, which tests your knowledge of serving alcohol in a responsible manner through multiple choice questions and audio/video assessments.

The price of the course varies depending on which states you want the certificate to be valid in.

An RSA can be as expensive as $150 for New South Wales, and as cheap as $24 for most other states.

This website is a popular and reliable option for obtaining your RSA quickly and easily.

Other certifications may be required for a job in Australia, such as a White Card, First Aid, Working With Children, Police Check, teaching licenses, etc, so always do your research when job hunting.

7. Find Somewhere To Live

Hostels

When backpackers first arrive in Australia, most tend to stay in hostels at the start.

This is an easy way to live in a social environment and decide your next plan of action.

Most decent hostels in Australia cost about $20 – $30 a night for a dorm room. So living in a hostel long term is not very affordable unless you can score a work for accommodation deal.

HostelWorld is always a great resource for finding the right hostel with good peer reviews.

Work Exchange

To save money on accommodation in Australia, consider doing a work exchange.

Whether it’s working in reception in a hostel, or helping a local family with housekeeping and childcare, you’re sure to have an interesting cultural experience.

Worldpackers and Workaway both have lots of cool work exchange options in Australia.

You can even use my promo code GABBY for a discount on a Worldpackers membership.

Click here to read my Ultimate Guide To Work Exchange

Apartments and Sharehouses

If you’re looking to rent an apartment, GumTree has available room postings.

Also, Flatmates is an awesome website for finding roommates to share a place with.

You can also check this Real Estate website for nice places to rent. Or browse university Facebook groups for the town or city you want to live in.

The cost of rent will depend on where you want to live and how many people you want to live with.

It will obviously be more expensive to live in bigger cities, and more expensive to live on your own.

I highly recommend living with Aussie flatmates, as it’s a great way to meet locals and immerse yourself into the Aussie lifestyle.

Check out “Things you need to know before moving into a shared house” from Ecoloads for some other helpful tips on moving and living with others.

Second Year Australia Working Holiday Visa

If you fall in love with Australia during your first year, which you most likely will, you can apply for a second year Working Holiday Visa.

So now the question: how to get a working holiday visa for a SECOND YEAR?

The basic requirements for this visa are exactly the same as the first year.

You must not owe any public debt from your first year, and you must still be age 30 or under.

The cost of the second year visa is even the same as the first, $450. 

Click here for the Australia Immigration’s official page about the second year visa for 417, and here for 462.

However, there is one major difference between your first and second year visa applications.

3 Months Of Regional Work

The most important part of applying for a second year WHV is that during your first year visa, you must complete 88 days or three months of specified work in rural Australia.

The government wants to ensure that backpackers give back to the economy in some way if they want to continue enjoying this beautiful country.

This is where the two different types of visas is important.

417

If you hold this visa you must do farm work, or more specifically plant/animal cultivation, mining, construction, fishing and pearling, or tree farming and felling.

You can do your work in any state, but the zip code must fall under the government’s list of post codes that count as “rural”.

Find more information about what type of work and what zip codes are required for you here.

462

If you hold this visa, you can also do plant/animal cultivation in a rural area of any state.

You can do fishing and pearling, or tree farming and felling in Northern Australia only.

You can also work in hospitality and tourism, in Northern Australia only. You cannot work in mining or construction.

Northern Australia refers to any area of the country above the Tropic of Capricorn.

Always double-check that the zip code is eligible. Use this website for checking zip codes and finding more details about eligible work.

How To Count Your 88 Days 

For both 417 and 462 visas, your 88 days can be completed all at once or split up.

If you’re working part-time, say a few days a week, you can only count your working days.

If you work full-time hours, such as Monday to Friday for a total of 40 hours a week, every day counts, even rest days.

So it can be shorter to just do all your regional work consecutively so every single day counts.

Paperwork is important.

Ensure you can get pay slips, contracts, and any other sort of necessary paperwork for your second-year visa when doing your farm work.

Any work for accommodation or volunteer jobs do not count, as you must have written proof that you got paid to work.

Research farm work jobs before accepting!!

When looking for farm work, you can also try the websites listed earlier for job searching.

But before you take any job, double-check that your employer will sign you off for your 88 days.

Do plenty of research on a farm or a hospitality job before taking a position, and read reviews left by other travelers.

Plenty of employers try to take advantage of backpackers and not pay them properly, so always be careful.

Where To Find Other Backpackers and Farm Work Jobs

A great place to find advice from other backpackers is the various Facebook groups, like Australia Backpackers 2022, Australian Backpackers, and Backpacker Jobs In Australia. You can also sometimes find job postings here as well.

Backpacker Job Board is great for any sort of jobs all over Australia, and you can limit your search to “Second Year Visa Jobs” if you want.

For farm work, harvest websites like Harvest Trail outline which crops need workers at which times of the year.

If you want to read about my personal experience with farm work, check out my article: “Life As A Fruit Picker In Australia”

Why You Should Get An Australia Working Holiday Visa

The Working Holiday Visa Australia program is such an amazing opportunity. I urge every adventurous person in their 20s to give it a try.

All the information I just listed may seem overwhelming.

But once you actually do all these steps you’ll find it’s incredibly easy and straightforward.

Living and working in Australia is the best.

It is an expensive country, but if you have a bit of income and are smart with money it’s actually pretty affordable to live here.

And working in Australia can be quite fun. I’ve mainly done hospitality jobs, which are great because you get to meet lots of hilarious and personable Aussies.

If you work manual labor jobs, you’ll be super impressed with the pay. Especially if you work overtime or on night shifts!

If you choose to emphasize the “Holiday” aspect of a WHV rather than the “Working” aspect, you’ll get to explore a giant, diverse and stunning country.

There is so much natural beauty here and endless opportunities for adventure, so the WHV is a great way to spend a full year (or two) exploring Australia.

☼ ☼ ☼

If you’re interested in reading about my own amazing experiences in Australia, check out:

 10 Best Things To Do In Tropical North Queensland

25 Best Things To Do In Sydney: Free, Cheap, and Expensive

15 Best Day Trips From Sydney

Sydney to Melbourne Road Trip: The Ultimate Travel Guide

22 Fun Things To Do In Brisbane

14 Amazing Stops Along the Great Ocean Road