WORKING HOLIDAY VISA

Want to spend some time backpacking in Australia but don't have enough funds? Want to be allowed in Australia for up to two years? Want to get some work experience while enjoying a completely different experience in Australia? We have the solution for you and it's called Working Holiday Visa.

WE DO OUR BEST TO ENSURE THAT THE INFORMATION WE PROVIDE IS ACCURATE AND UP TO DATE. HOWEVER, CAIRNS UNLIMITED IS NOT AN AUTHORITY ON IMMIGRATION LAW, AND CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE IF REGULATIONS CHANGE.

WORKING HOLIDAY VISA- work your way around Australia.. for up to two years!

The conditions of an Australian Tourist Visa allow you to remain in our wonderful country for up to three months at a time, during a twelve month period. But you are strictly prohibited from working! Of course, this doesn't stop any enterprising young souls from finding some fruit picking work or bar work while they're travelling, but your options of making money are much greater if you have a Working Holiday Visa.

The Working Holiday Program provides an opportunity for young people between 18 and 30 to spend UP TO TWO YEARS exploring Australia, with the option of engaging in casual, what the Immigration Department defines as 'incidental' employment. This means that you can't (or shouldn't) come here on a WHV and take on full time employment for two years. The maximum limit is six months with any particular employer.

Australia currently offers Working Holiday agreements to citizens of Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, anyone over the age of 30 must have sponsorship in order to be able to work in Australia.


STOP PRESS: In October 2007, the Australian Governement entered into a Work and Holiday visa arrangement with the United States. American citizens between the ages of 18 and 30 are now eligible for a twelve month 'Work and Holiday' visa for Australia, although some extra conditions may apply. For example, an applicant must "show evidence of enrolment in a course of study at an accredited post secondary institution, or of holding qualifications from a post secondary institution."

Note: It is a little known fact that backpackers who pay tax while working in Australia under a Working Holiday Visa can claim back much of what they paid, even after they have left the country! In some cases, this can be thousands of dollars. Contact us at Cairns Unlimited, and we can help you reclaim what you are owed.

WHERE CAN I FIND WORK AROUND TROPICAL NORTH QUEENSLAND

Tropical North Queensland is a great destination for backpackers holding a Working Holiday Visa and looking for casual work. The larger urban centres of CAIRNS and TOWNSVILLE are great places to find casual work in the tourism and hospitality industry, although this can be quite seasonal, with winter being the busy tourist season.

Speaking of 'seasonal', you may have noticed that Queensland is packed with banana, tomato and sugarcane plantations, and farmers can always do with an extra hand - mostly during the harvesting season.

At Cairns Unlimited, we hope you make the most of your time in Tropical North Queensland, so we have summarized the areas and times of the year where it's more likely that you will find work, so you spend less time researching where to go and more time having a bloody awesome working vacations.

TULLY is considered one of the most reliable work venues in Australia all year round. The area around Tully is very prolific, with farms of pumpkins, melons, sugarcane and bananas, which is actually Tully's main industry. You can find work in Tully all year round picking bananas and pawpaws.

AYR and HOME HILL offer harvesting work during the months of November and December. Backpackers looking for work are always welcome.

INNISFAIL remains a popular destination for backpackers seeking employment in the fruit picking industry. The main industry of the area is predominantly banana, although other crops, such as tea, papaws and other exotic fruits are also present. Backpackers looking for work in the Innisfail area, should make their way there between May and December, when the harvesting of bananas is taking place.

BOWEN and the surrounding area are well known about the backpackers for its realiable fruit picking work. The area is reach in tomato and mango plantations.

	Bananas	Mangoes	Tomatoes
Tully	All year	-	-
Ayr	-	Nov - Dec	-
Innisfail	All year	-	-
Bowen	-	Nov - Dec	Jul - Nov

Although anybody with a reasonable level of fitness can do harvesting work, it still requires a lot of effort. So you don't end up in excruciating pain, you should start doing some sit-ups, squats and back exercise at least a couple of weeks before you start working, so your muscles are ready for it. Don't forget a hat and sunscreen and old clothes, preferably long pants and a lightweight long sleeve shirt as well as a pair of working shoes. And always take a bottle of water with you, and take care to stay hydrated during the day. And although it is hard work, you will likely end your Working Holiday with new friends and lifelong memories of your time fruit picking in Tropical North Queensland.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: WORKING HOLIDAY VISA

HOW CAN I APPLY FOR A VISA?
Requesting a Working Holiday Visa is easy: you only need to lodge a written application at any overseas visa office or make an application over the Internet to the Immigration Departent at www.immi.gov.au NOTE: All Working Holiday Visa applications must be made overseas, they will not be granted in Australia.

DO I HAVE TO REMAIN IN AUSTRALIA THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE TERM OF MY WORKING HOLIDAY VISA?
No. Your Working Holiday Visa is valid for twelve months from the moment you first entry Australia, but you can leave Australia and re-enter the country as often as you want. Remember that the time you spent out of Australia within those twelve months still count as part of your time allowed in the country.

WHAT SORT OF WORK AM I ALLOWED TO DO?
As long as it is temporary or casual work, there are not restrictions in the type of work you do.

ARE THERE OTHER CONDITIONS?
There are a few requirements that you have to fulfill with your Working Holiday Visa. You must not work in the same position for more than six months without prior permission. Remember that your main reason for visiting Australia is travel, and working is only meant to help you with some pocket money while you are here. Working beyond those six months that the visa allows could lead to the inmediate cancellation of your Working Holiday Visa and you may even be required to leave Australia.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXTEND MY VISA?
Yes as long as you meet two requirements: that you have been working as a seasonal worker (picking fruit, nuts and other crops, pruning and trimming vines and trees, general maintenance crop work and other work associated with packing or processing the harvest); and that the work you have done has taken place in regional Australia (that means outside of Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, the NSW Central Coast, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne or the ACT). However, when you apply for a second Working Holiday Visa, which allows you another twelve months in Australia, with a total of 24 months altogether, you will have to demonstrate that you still meet the original requirements of a WHV.

CAN I UNDERTAKE STUDIES ON MY WORKING HOLIDAY VISA?
Yes. Working Holiday Visa holders may study or train for up to three months.

DO I NEED TRAVEL/HEALTH INSURANCE?
Although travel insurance is not essential - since Australian Health Services are of high standard - we alway recommend that when travelling, in Australia or anywhere else, you have TRAVEL INSURANCE.

CAN I CHANGE TO ANOTHER TYPE OF VISA?
If while you are in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa you want to change your visa status, it is possible. The outcome will depend on a number of factors, including your country of origin and your personal circumstances. Every individual case is different, so we recommend that you speak to the Immigration Department about your personal situation. You can visit them at www.immi.gov.au

WHAT DO I NEED IN ORDER TO WORK IN AUSTRALIA?
While not compulsory, we strongly advise you to apply for a Tax File Number. Without a tax File Number, you can still work, but the amount of tax witheld from your pay will be significantly higher. You can get hold of one at or by calling the Australian Tax Office on (02) 6216 1111.

Your employer may also require you to open a bank account. To open a bank account you will only need your passport and a postal address. Over the years, we have discovered that internet banking is the best way to go, so you can check your bank details independently of where you are.

WHAT ARE WAGES LIKE?
The majority of Working Holiday makers find themselves involved either in the bar and hospitality industry, or seasonal fruit and vegetable harvesting. A 40 hour week in a bar or cafe should earn you between $600 and $700. Don't expect much in the way of tips. Fruit harvesting wages are lower, more like $12 to $15 per hour, but a hard worker can make much more than this if they are being paid for the quantiy they pick rather than an hourly rate.

Remember that fruit and vegetable work is weather dependent; while you could earn a couple of hundred dollars in a day, the next two days may be ruined by rain. It's something to consider.
... and don't forget that you will have to pay tax on your wages.

WHAT IS SUPERANNUATION (ALSO KNOWN AS SUPER)?
An employer is required by law to contribute an 8% superannuation payment on top of your wage into a superannuation fund. You don't need to do anything, they will do it for you. If you work for many different employers, you may end up with lots of different super funds but you may combine them together into only one. You won't have access to this money until you retire, at 65.

HOW MUCH TAX WILL I PAY?
Bear in mind that every worker in Australia must pay taxes. As a Working Holiday Visa holder, your initial tax rate will be 29%. Every time you work for a different employer, you will have to fill in a tax declaration form that your employer will give you when you finish working. If you don't file a tax return at the end of the financial year or before leaving the country, you could end up with a considerable fine.

You can claim some of those taxes back by filling in an Income Tax Return. Remember that the financial year finishes at the end of June and the submission deadline is the last day of October. No problem if you are planning to leave the country before the end of the financial year, you can submit it then any time. To submit the Income Tax Return yourself, you will need to obtain a Tax Pack from the Tax Office or at newsagencies at tax time. Attach your group certificate or statement of earnings, which your employer should have provided when you finished working for them. If you'd rather have an agent submit your return, you will have to pay a small fee but it may be worth it. If you have already left the country by the time your refund is processed, you will receive your cheque at the address you have specified.

WHAT ELSE CAN I CLAIM?
You can also claim part of the 10% GST tax back. Unfortunately the GST that you can claim back only applies to the goods you may be taking with you, and only if those goods cost $300 or more, tax inclusive, bought from the same store and no more than 30 days before leaving Australia. If you are planning to claim this back, don't forget to keep the Tax Invoice from the store where you bought them. At the airport, look for the TRS booth in the departure terminal, situated just after the passport control. For more information, call Customs on 1300 363 236.

WHERE SHOULD I LOOK FOR WORK?
It is very easy to find casual work in Australia. Recruitment agencies, classifieds and websites will be extremely useful when looking for a temporary job. Check out our CLASSIFIEDS section, and also the Classified ads in local newspapers.

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