Your complete working holiday guide for Australia

You can easily apply for the Working Holiday Visa Subclass 417 apply online. The visa costs $670 and is valid for a maximum of one year if you are between 18 and 31 years old. You can apply for the visa at any time, it only starts on the day you enter the country. It takes on average 1 to 21 days until you receive your confirmation.

The requirements for the visa are as follows:

• You did not have the Working Holiday Visa before
• Your passport is valid for at least 6 months after you enter the country
• You are between 18 and 31 years old
• You can prove that you can support yourself during your stay (you should have about AUD 5000 in savings)

Apply for a visa now

If you are staying in Australia for a longer period of time and plan to work here, you should open a bank account. You can either do this in person at one of the branches or even online with some banks. All you need is your passport and an address where your bank card can be sent (hostel or hotel) or you can pick up your bank card in person at the branch.

Here you will find a selection of banks in Australia:

• Westpac: www.westpac.com.au
• Bendigo Bank: www.bendigobank.com.au
• ANZ: www.anz.com.au
• Commonwealth: www.commbank.com.au
• HSBC: www.hsbc.com.au
• NAB: www.nab.com.au
• St George: www.stgeorge.com.au
• ING Direct: www.ingdirect.com.au

The three most common banks are NAB, ANZ and the Commonwealth Bank. We would advise you to use one of these banks, as they are also available throughout Australia and there are no account maintenance fees for backpackers.

There are 3 different types of accounts in Australia:

• Everyday Account: This gives you a Master or Visa bank card that you can use to withdraw money and pay both online and in stores.
• Savings Account: If you have money in this account, you will earn interest.
• Cheque account: This is somewhat outdated and is therefore no longer used very often.

Which account do you need? We recommend that you open an Everyday and a Savings Account. The Savings account is ideal for saving money as you earn interest here and you can use your Everyday account for everyday things. You can transfer money from one account to the other free of charge at any time. This is easy to do online, and most banks even offer apps for online banking.

If you would like to open an account before you arrive, we recommend NAB Bank. Account management is free of charge and no minimum deposit is required.

Open an account now

If you want to work in Australia, you need a tax number, the Tax File Number (TFN). Applying for a tax number is very easy, you can do this online on the Australian government website. You must be in Australia to do this and it can take 7 to 28 days to receive it by post.

You will need the following:

• An Australian address and phone number (you can also use the address of your hostel or hotel)
• A valid passport (a photo or scanned copy)
• A second document to confirm your identity (driver’s license or ID card)
• A visa that allows you to work in Australia

Apply for a tax number now

It is best to have written your CV or resume in English in advance. When writing your CV, you should bear the following in mind:

• Your CV should be proofread by someone with a very good command of English or a native speaker.
• All relevant information for the potential employer should be presented clearly and in detail. Experience and qualifications that are not relevant to the position can be kept shorter. It is advisable to create individual CVs for different job advertisements.
• It is typical for Australia to list the most recent information first and not chronologically as in a German CV. So after your personal details, list your current job or last job, followed by your previous jobs. Your first job comes last.
• At the end, you should provide references. These are people who can provide information about you, ideally former employers. An e-mail address is also sufficient here instead of a telephone number.
• A photo is not typical for Australian CVs. Do without it, as well as information such as age or date of birth.

We recommend that you structure your CV as follows. Your professional activities and practical experience take center stage, which is perfect for most backpacker jobs.

Personal details: Information about yourself

• Name
• Address (can also be a hotel or hostel)
• Phone number
• E-mail address
• Which visa you have and how long it is valid for

Job Objective: Introduce yourself briefly and mention what kind of job you are looking for

Here you can briefly introduce yourself and mention what kind of job you are looking for. For example: Energetic professional with excellent communication and customer service skills seeking a full-time position in the customer service sector

Work Experience: Professional experience

Here you mention your practical experience and list each job individually, starting with your last job. You should provide the following information for all jobs:

• Job Title: Name of the position
• Responsibilities: detailed description of your tasks
• Name and location of your employer / company
• Period in which you worked there

Education: School education

Then briefly mention your school education and your studies. You can translate the Abitur as “high school certificate” and the Realschulabschluss as “secondary school level certificate”.

Personal Skills and Qualifications: Special skills and qualifications

Under “personal skills” you mention special skills such as language and computer skills. Under “qualifications” you can specify further training, courses, driving license and other special qualifications.

References: References

Finally, don’t forget the references!

There is a wide range of jobs for backpackers in Australia. You should think about which area you would like to work in before your trip. This is the ideal way to prepare for your job search and find out where to look. In Australia, you are only allowed to work for the same employer for a maximum of six months, so it is difficult to get a “qualified job”. This usually requires a longer training period and it is simply not worth the employer investing time in you.

The most common jobs for backpackers in Australia are as follows:

• In the catering industry: e.g. as a waiter, barista or kitchen assistant
• In the hotel sector: reception, housekeeping or also in hostels, on campsites or at rest stops in the outback (“road house”)
• Various farm jobs
• Temporary help in the supermarket
• Promotion jobs
• Collecting money for charity organizations
• In the construction industry
• Office jobs (only with very good English skills)
• Cleaning help with cleaning companies

For the job search itself, we recommend 6 different ways:

Gumtree (Classifieds)

Gumtree is an Australian site for classified ads. Short-term and so-called “casual” (no contract) jobs in particular are often offered on Gumtree. You can search for job offers in various categories and apply directly via the site or send your application to the employer.

Start your job search now on Gumtree

Online job sites like Seek and Indeed

On job websites such as Seek and Indeed, you will find numerous advertisements every day. It’s best to look for “temporary” or “casual” jobs here, as many full-time jobs are not suitable for backpackers.

Start your job search now on Seek

Start your job search now on Indeed

Distribute CVs

We can tell you from experience that this is one of the most effective ways to find a job in Australia. You print out your CV and hand it out to all the stores that are potential job opportunities for you. This method is very successful, as things are much more relaxed in Australia than in Germany. For Australians, the personal impression is particularly important. That’s why you should also visit job advertisements in person if possible and hand in your CV. This shows interest, which always goes down well. Introduce yourself in person and ask for the manager or the person responsible for applications.

Word of mouth

Another very effective way to get a job quickly is word of mouth. Tell as many people as possible that you are looking for a job and ask if they have any tips. You can also ask around other backpackers. Most of them have already gone through the job search process and may know a place for you to go. Perhaps their employer is still looking for workers or other backpackers are traveling soon and a position becomes available. You can also ask Australians – they are usually very helpful and will often give you tips or even contacts of potential employers.

Facebook groups

There are also numerous Facebook groups where job offers are shared on a daily basis. Alternatively, you can of course also write your own post in which you briefly introduce yourself and mention in which city you are looking for what kind of job. Be careful here – girls in particular should avoid posting photos or selfies in the groups. A short text is completely sufficient.

Here are a few popular groups:

• Australia Independent Backpackers
• Australia Backpacker Jobs
• Jobs In Australia
• Australia Jobs
• Hospitality Jobs Australia

Hostel Noticeboards

In many hostels you will find so-called “notice boards”. These are notice boards on which job advertisements are posted. You can also find suitable offers here or post an ad yourself or offer your skills – e.g. German lessons, another language or music lessons.

Backpackers are welcome helpers on Australian farms and are urgently needed, especially in the high season. Even backpackers with little or no experience have the opportunity to help out on a farm. Many farms, but not all, also offer you the opportunity to use your working days for your second year visa. For your second visa, you must do 88 days of work that is recognized for your second year. This work must also be paid – wwoofing or similar unpaid activities no longer count. In addition, this work must be carried out in a regional area.

Contrary to the general assumption that only pure farm work – for example as a harvest helper – is recognized for the Second Year Visa, there are many different areas in which you can work. For example, the following activities are recognized:

• Animal husbandry and plant cultivation
• Tree cultivation and felling
• Fishing
• Mining
• Work on a construction site

You can also complete your 88 days in construction or on a fishing boat, as long as the work is carried out in a regional area. For example, “regional Australia” includes the entire Northern Territory, all of South Australia and also Tasmania. In all other states, it depends on the zip code where the work is carried out.

What’s the best way to find a farm job?

Private job agencies

There are many job agencies that specialize in the placement of farm work. You should find out in advance whether there is a placement fee and how much it is. You can find addresses on the internet or in backpacker magazines, which are available in almost every hostel.

Gumtree

Gumtree is an Australian site for classified ads. Short-term and so-called “casual” (without a contract) jobs are often offered there. You can search for job offers in various categories and apply directly via the site.

Search for farm work now

Notice Boards

Many hostels also have a so-called “job desk” and can help you find farm work. There are also often notice boards in smaller towns where local farms advertise vacancies.

Facebook groups

There are also numerous Facebook groups where farm jobs are posted daily. Alternatively, you can also write your own post in which you briefly introduce yourself and mention in which region you are looking for a job. Please be careful – women in particular should avoid posting photos or selfies in the groups. A short text is sufficient.

Popular groups are, for example:

• Australia Independent Backpackers
• Farm Work Australia
• Farm Jobs Australia
• Fruit Picking Jobs
• Regional Farm Work Australia

Here you can also find out when there is what to harvest in which region. You can find a harvest calendar for the different regions of Australia here:

Harvest calendar Australia