Have you ever had the inkling to travel and work in Australia for a year? Here's some info on how to do just that:
First thing is to distinguish the two types of working/holiday visas. The first is called the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) which is what people from Canada and most of Europe and Asia can apply for. This visa is good for one year with the option to renew for a second. In order to get the second year, you have to do at least three months of work in regional Australia (basically farm work).
The Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462) is for people from the US and other countries scattered around. This visa is good for one year and does not allow for a second year renewal.
With the exception of the second year renewal, both visas are the exact same. As of date, they each cost $440 AUD.
You have to be at least 18 but younger than 31 to apply for either visa. You must be able to prove you have access to at least $5000 AUD on arrival, although I wasn't checked and have never heard of anyone being checked. That said, Australia is expensive and if you can't find a job, $5000 AUD is not going to last long so it's a good idea to have the money. If coming from the US, you must have graduated high school. Other countries require a university degree. There's also a "good character" requirement which basically means you can't have any kind of criminal record.
When I applied for my WaHV, after completing the application, it took about 45 minutes to be approved. From the time it gets accepted, you have one year to enter Australia which essentially activates the visa. Once you enter the country, the visa is good for one year from the date of arrival. For US citizens, the visa is all done electronically so no visa page needs to be added to your passport.
Once the visa is approved, you'll want to look at flights. If you intend to be in Australia for the entire length of the visa, getting a one way ticket will give you more flexibility on a leave date and you'll have some extra money. Thinking about what time of year you want to arrive is important. I knew I wanted to find work soon after I arrived and so I chose November. This is around the time Christmas casuals get hired (although I played around for about a month and by that time everyone had already gotten the jobs). The start of the year is another good time to arrive as a lot of businesses will be looking for new staff.
Speaking of job searching, let's clear something up. When I was doing all of my research before coming to Australia, almost everything I read made it sound like you can walk into any cafe and be hired on the spot. This is not true...at all. I applied to job after job and didn't even get rejection letters from companies. Most just never responded. I tried going into places and also applying online and nothing came of it. Whilst I was staying in the hostel, almost everyone there on a working visa was having the same struggle as me. This is coming from Adelaide as well. If you were to base yourself in Sydney or Melbourne, there's a lot more people and competition for jobs is even higher. On top of that, it makes more sense for an owner to hire a local who will stick around. Backpackers have the reputation of quickly leaving without notice which isn't the best for a business. Yes, it is possible to find work but you need to have experience, a little luck, and not go in thinking it will be a breeze which I kind of did.
After the visa is approved, here are some logistical things you'll need to get sorted once you arrive in Australia:
- Tax File Number: This is sort of the equivalent of a US social security number. It's mainly used for tax purposes. You have to be in Australia to apply for one and they only send it to you via snail mail. Because of this, you'll need an address they can send it to. I was able to use a friend's address but I've heard people can put down a hostel's address (where you'll likely start out in) if they ask permission beforehand. This isn't something you have to do but if you don't provide a tax file number to an employer within 30 days, you get taxed almost 50%. That's a lot of money.
*A note on taxes: There's a new law likely coming into effect next year that will require all people on a WHV/WaHV to be taxed 32.5% of every dollar earned. That's a lot of money and there's really no way around it (legally). Until that happens, people on WHV/WaHV are considered residents for tax purposes which means they qualify for the tax free threshold. That means you can claim back all your tax payments if you make under $18,200/year.
- Mobile Phone: If applying for jobs, you're going to need a mobile number. I've written about using your phone abroad previously and getting a local SIM card is the cheapest. After doing some comparisons, I went with Amaysim which runs on the Optus network here in Australia. It's great if you stay in the big cities but won't cover you that well if you're in the middle of the Outback. Amaysim is cheap and you get a lot with it so I highly recommend. Telstra was my second choice.
- Living Situation: Unless you already know someone in Australia, chances are you'll start your experience in a hostel. Hostels are fine for a while but they get old fast. Once you've found a city/town you want to base yourself in, start looking for share houses. Gumtree and Flatmates were the two I had success with. Staying in a house share will be cheaper and more comfortable than long term in a hostel.
- Finding a Job: You can actually start this process before arriving but a lot of jobs in the hospitality industry (which is likely your best option) do trials in lieu of interviews. You obviously need to be in the country to do a trial shift. Gumtree, Indeed, and Seek, are all sites I found job listings. Be warned of "backpacker" jobs. Almost all of them are commission based with you harassing people in the streets to buy/sign up for something. Going into establishments to hand in resumes isn't a bad idea for small/local places but most businesses only take applications online.
- Certifications: Australians love their certifications. A big one to consider if you think you'll be getting a job that involves serving alcohol is a Responsible Service of Alcohol (RSA). This can be done online before arriving and will make you look better over someone who doesn't have one. If I remember correctly, New South Wales has different requirements so that would be a good thing to look into if you might be working in Sydney.
- Open a Bank Account: You'll need to put all that money you make somewhere. There's lots of options for banks but I found NAB to be the best. They don't charge for opening accounts and have very minimal fees on things.
I think that's most of the main things you'll need to do. Yes, it is a fair amount but it's entirely worth it. If you've ever thought about doing a working holiday visa in Australia, do it! I can't recommend it enough.
That's all for now. Bye.
