Australia Work Visas

I wish some Australia Work Visa had been available for me when I went on my first trip to Australia.

Back then Germans couldn't get the popular working holiday visa for Australia. Today they can.

You can travel Australia for up to one year (or more!) and pay for your trip by working here!

Read on to see if you are eligible for a work visa, how to get your visa and how to find a job!

Who can get Australia Work Visas?

There are many different kinds of Australian work visas. Some are for holiday makers, some are for people who want to move here permanently.

The most popular Australian work visa, and the easiest to get, is the Australian working holiday visa. It allows you to work in Australia for 12 months.

To apply for this particular Australia Work Visa you need to be between 18 and 30 years old.

(What about people over 30? Can they get an Australian working holiday visa?)

If you are 18 to 30 years old, check if you are from one of the countries eligible for this visa:

• Eligible for the Australian Working Holiday Visa subclass 417, are working holiday makers from: Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
• Eligible for the slightly different Australian Work And Holiday Visa subclass 462, are tertiary educated people from Chile, Thailand, Turkey and the US.

Are you from one of those countries? Great. It means you can visit Australia for a full year and you are allowed to work here.

What you can and can't do
under this Australia Work Visa

Apart from the 12 months limit there is only one other restriction: the work has to be of a temporary or casual nature. Under this Australia work visa you are allowed to stay with each employer for a maximum of six months.

Obviously that limits the range of jobs available to you. But presumably you travel to Australia to see as much as possible of it, so you wouldn't stay in any one place for too long anyway...

You are also allowed to study in Australia for up to four months.

If you can prove that you did seasonal work in regional Australia (e.g. fruit picking) for at least three months during your first visit, then you can get a second 12 months Australia Working Holiday Visa. (This does NOT apply to the Australia Work and Holiday Visa!)

Two full years in Australia, and you can pay for your trip by working here! It doesn't get much better than that...

Read more about how to find work and travel Australia, and also here: Finding work with the Working Holiday visa in Australia.

How Do I apply For The Australia Work Visa?

If you checked the requirements and believe you are eligible you can apply for your Working Holiday Visa online. (Please note that you must not apply more than 12 months before your intended date of travel.)

If you are granted an electronic visa you don't require a label in your passport. You will receive a written notification in the mail. Keep it for future reference as it also contains the conditions of your visa.

When you arrive in Australia visit the nearest immigration department office to have the label placed in your passport. (You need it to prove to employers that you are indeed allowed to work in Australia.)

To apply on paper download and print Form 1150: Application for a Working Holiday Visa [pdf]. Please note that applicable charges need to be paid before or as the application is lodged.

If you want to apply for your second Australia Work Visa you have to prove that you did seasonal work in regional Australia for at least three months. An easy way to do that is to have your employers fill out Form 1263 - Working Holiday Visa: Employment Verification [pdf] and to include the form with your next application.

Certified copies of pay slips, group certificates, tax returns or references by your employers can also be used as proof.

Not sure what exactly qualifies as regional or as seasonal? The government website has all the info you need.