Working Holiday Visa

Hello everyone!

I am 24 years old and working as a management consultant in London for the past almost 2 years.

I wanted to get a working holiday visa to Australia for a long time now and I think the end of this year might be the time for me. I am not sure I like what I do as well, so living in Australia for a while and trying different types of jobs might be the ideal break and reflection for me.

I would love to know your own experiences with the working holiday visa and how easy it was to get a job when you went there. Also, if you are planning to go there, we could even meet and explore together!

Looking forward to your stories and tips!

KR

It's really impossible to say what the situation will be like with getting a job once they open up again. Could be massive economic downturn, and so lots of Australians to compete with for what's ordinarily regular backpacking jobs, while tourism hasn't yet recovered so that there's far fewer seasonal jobs related to that, or could be that vaccination efforts worldwide won't go as swift as in the UK, meaning most other nationalities not yet being allowed in, and so hardly any competition at all.

My experience from back when, and what I've seen on these forums in the years since, is that finding work mostly depends on 1) luck, 2) your personality, 3) the type of work you're looking for. There's near constant high demand for IT, healthcare and construction work, so finding a job in those fields tends to be very easy. Fruit picking, bar work etc mostly depend on being in the right place at the right time (that means, a bit earlier than peak season, while everyone is still looking to hire). Doing three months of fruit picking e.a. of course allows you to apply for a second year WHV.

For what it's worth, work in your chosen field while abroad does look very good on your CV, so it might be worth to look for something at least adjacent to what you usually do, at least for a few months. As many, many Australians have gone backpacking in Europe in their time as well, you'd be surprised how often they're willing to cut you some slack for a job that'd otherwise go to a local. Those types of jobs can actually allow you to save up successfully, rather than the more common "stretching your money" backpacking jobs.

Some other tips: Accommodation for NYE in Sydney used to be sold out 9 months in advance. I don't think it'll go quite that fast this year, but I do expect things to go fast if things develop positively. Definitely travel around some before you start looking for work, so you can pick a place that you actively like to stick around at for a longer time. Try to get out of the big cities, as they're super expensive, and have most competition for work, while the smaller cities will give you much more of a real Australian experience where you won't be stuck in the backpacker-scene. Make a very rough itinerary beforehand with must-visit locations in a rough geographical order, so you always have something to fall back upon and know where to head next if you just want to get out of a place - but don't be afraid to ditch that itinerary and backtrack, or follow either the wind or a tip of a fellow backpacker that you met on the road.

Hope this helps a bit. Good luck, and I'm sure you'll have an amazing time!

I sincerely thank you for the time you took to give this comprehensive answer! (: It has really helped me understand the bigger picture and start making a plan for the future, although indeed all aspects of this trip are quite uncertain due to covid as well.

Thanks again and hope you are keeping safe.

Just one thing to keep in mind.

Australia tends to be quite expensive so a good backup bank balance would be advisable.

Have fun.

Heya, I have experience of a working holiday visa in Aus, I spent 2 years there and still have a lot of connections there. I do know they are not allowing travelers in for the foreseeable future (my plan was to return for Xmas) so you will need to keep an eye out on when they open the doors so to speak.

In terms of getting a visa, your best bet is to go through the official Aus.gov site and not through third party companies (there are a lot of them when you search for Aus working holiday visa information) They do take the hassle away but can work out more expensive and take longer. When I did mine, I just filled out the online application and was accepted within 3 hours - I know for others it took a little longer but max 24 hours. I do know they are a lot stricter on checking initial funds. When I went it was $3000AUD (but i got in with just (£600 because they hardly checked back then)

For getting jobs, it's easy if you put the effort in to search and are not too fussy. Before I left the UK, all I had experience was with office sales jobs but in Aus i wanted a change. I picked up all kinds of work, construction, demolition, removals, bar work, promotions, odd jobs in the local area and all payed well. It was only when I wanted a sponsorship that i got back into office work and that wasn't hard with my experience - so you can go back into your field if you wish to do so. It's true It's easier to get work in bigger cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth.

You can also do rural work, It's not just fruit picking you can do to get your 2nd year visa. (I worked on a vine nursery my job was to water plants and play with a dog all day) - Rural work in Aus is determined by the postcode you are working in. You could do construction work in a specified post code and still get your 2nd year visa.

However It's important to know, you will have to do your research as their are a lot of scams and farmers, company owners take advantage of backpackers. I've met people who thought it would be easier to do three months rural work straight off the bat but ended up getting stuck for 9 months because bosses were screwing with them but they couldn't leave as they had no money to do so.

There is a chance of getting sponsored in Aus., especially for jobs they need workers for or if your company like you and feel you can add to the company. Again though don't take it from granted a lot start to ball moving then pull the rug from under you. I have personal experience of this and know so many others it happened to.
You can technically work for one company for 6 months with a working holiday visa but there are loop holes and employment can go on longer.

If I was you, I would research as much as you can about traveling around, what you want to experience, see and do but don't make concrete plans. Your plans will change as soon as you make friends no matter how much you think they wont right now. Research well, plan loose.

Also how would you want to get around Aus? There are a lot of traveler and backpacker tour companies and easy to do packages with companies like PeterPans, Juicy, Intrepid, Extreme and loads more. However they are on set timeframes and set routes. You can opt for hop on/off bus passes with Greyhound buses too. And your other option is to rent/buy a car or van. Again there are loads of rental companies but also checkout hostel bulletin boards. Lots of backpackers buy their own vehicle, and once their trips are over they sell them onto the next backpacker. I have a friend who is doing that right now. During their lockdown he was able to keep traveling s he had his own car, and was in Western Aus in large open space.

If there is anything else you need to know, any tips, advice, things to be wary of, to look out, banking situation, partying, beaches, things to see or do get in touch, I'll be happy to help.

(I've been backpacking, traveling living all over the word since 2010. I am a nomad, and right now only stopped because of Covid, but I'l be getting back to my normal traveling life as soon as I can)

Hope I was able to help :D