Everything You Need To Know About Taking A Working Holiday In Australia

Put off those post-holiday blues. Extend your trip down under with a Working Holiday Visa.

1. It’s easy to fall in love with Australia. The beaches are long, the slang is short, and the animals are utterly adorable.

Adorable and delicious. (Don’t knock a kanga banga until you’ve tried it.)

2. You wouldn’t be the first to want for more than a weeklong Aussie holiday. Which is why – good news – the Working Holiday Maker program lets young travellers stay for a whole year.

And trust us – you still won’t want to leave.

3. You can apply for the 12-month visa if you’re between 18 and 30 years old and from a participating country.

There are actually two different types of visas with very similar names: the Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462). The one you should apply for depends on your country of origin.

4. Health, character, and financial checks are also required as part of the application, as well as a declaration that you’ll respect Australian laws and values.

You’ll also need a ticket or proof that you have enough money to afford a fare to leave Australia once your visa expires.

5. Visas generally only take around six days to be processed, and you can organise it all before you arrive in Australia.

And yes, you’ll also have to pay a nonrefundable fee when you apply.

6. Once your visa is granted, you’ll have a whole year to get yourself to Australia.

Your 12 months starts on the date you first arrive.

7. While your visa is valid, you can travel in and out of Australia as many times as you want.

So you can make the most of your time in Oz by using it as a base to visit neighbouring countries.

8. It’s totally cool if you want to undertake some temporary work to help fund your travels.

You can basically do anything, like pour flat whites in a hipster Melbourne café or teach surf lessons on Bondi Beach. Temporary employment just means you can only work for any one employer for a max of six months.

9. Or you could even study for up to four months.

However, remember this is a Working Holiday visa. If you’re looking to work or study full-time, this isn’t the visa for you.

10. If you want to stay longer (which, let’s face it, you probably will), working for a few months in regional Australia could allow you to extend your stay.

If you complete three months of specified work (things like seasonal farm work, construction, mining, fishing, or forestry) on your first WHV, you may be eligible to apply for a second visa. Specified work must be done in regional Australia, which includes places like Adelaide, Tasmania, and Northern Territory.

Facts from Australia.com

Design by Kara Mohr / BuzzFeed

Ready for a cracking yearlong holiday? Find out more about Australia’s Working Holiday Visa or apply at border.gov.au today.