Need to know / Australia
Everything you need to know about the Australia working holiday visa
USIT staff
Dec 13 2023
Want to work in Australia but not sure what visa you need to get a job? Don't worry, we've done the geeking out for you.
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USIT Work Australia
Work and travel in Australia for a year
Working holiday visa, travel insurance and Vitamin D all included. Plus, your choice of bed nights and job support. Too easy.
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SPF at the ready... live and work in Australia until you're 35!
Here comes the sun
Why do a working holiday Australia visa?
Great pay, great weather and even greater beaches – Australia is the posterchild for a new life in the sun. Whether you focus on career or trade jobs in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane or Perth; or pick up casual work in bars and restaurants as you travel, we make moving to Australia from Ireland stress free. Plus, there’s the option of an Australia second year visa if you want to stay longer or return to Oz Dorothy-style (ruby red slippers not included).
Why do it with USIT
Work it your way
Our visa Kickstart, 4-day and 7-day working holiday Australia packages mean you can pick the number of hostel nights and job support that works for you.
1 year's job access
Start earning with 12 months' access to a nationwide backpacker job database – plus, CV and job workshops when you land (4-day + 7-day options only).
No hassle travel
USIT is a licensed agent for the Australia government’s working holiday program. We process your visa, 1-year insurance and help you sort all the nerdy tax and bank account essentials.
18-35 years
Do casual or career work
Stay for up to 1 year
Option of a 2nd visa
Tax, bank account + job access
1-year backpacker insurance
AUD $24.95 minimum wage
From €789
Stephen, Ireland
Making it work
"I chose to do a working holiday visa because I wanted to move to Australia but I also wanted to work and stay longterm. So for me a working holiday was an easy decision."
WATCH NOWNeed to know
Work Australia | From €789
Why struggle through your working holiday visa application and hustle for a job abroad, when we can do it for you?
As well as including the cost and processing of your working holiday visa, all three of our packages include all the important stuff you need to work in Australia – including one year’s backpacker travel insurance, Aussie bank account, tax file number and SIM card.
If you want to take the drama out of finding a job, a place to stay and new mates when you land – opt for our 4-day or 7-day Work Australia packages. Starting in Melbourne or Sydney, both include hostel nights, job workshops, day trips, nights out and 12 months' access to a nationwide database of backpacker jobs.
Here’s the need to know on who can apply and what jobs you can do.
About the visa
Who can apply
Irish passport holders must be aged 18-35 (inclusive) to apply for a working holiday visa Australia (officially known as a subclass 417 visa). Meaning you must submit your application before your 36th birthday. Eligibility for other nationalities may be 18-30 - check for your passport country here.
On arrival into Australia, you may be asked to provide proof of AUD $5,000 in support funds – usually in the form of bank statements.
How long for
Once your visa is granted, you have 12 months to enter Australia. You can then stay for a year, changing employers every six months. If you do three months of ‘specified work’ in regional Australia (includes farm work, fruit picking, bushfire recovery, construction and other types of work in regional areas of Australia) you can apply for a second working holiday visa. All visas must be completed by your 36th birthday.
How we help
The cost of your working holiday Australia visa is included in all our packages. Once you’ve paid in full, we’ll send you a simple form to fill out and our team will apply for your visa on your behalf. Working holiday visas are issued electronically and standard applications usually take 1-7 days. If further information is required, it may take up to 40 days, so please apply early.
For more on the Australia working holiday visa, check out our handy guide.
Type of work
Your working holiday Australia visa allows you to work anywhere in the country and pretty much do any type of job – from casual to career work.
Casual work
Australia has a high minimum wage (currently AUD $24.95 per hour) and backpacker-friendly culture, with employers used to taking on working holidaymakers. Typical backpacker jobs include working in hospitality, tourism, sales, construction, retail and harvest work such as fruit picking. Hospitality and harvest work often include subsidised staff accommodation – making them a great choice to save money, make friends and pick up short-term jobs as you travel.
Career work
You can also work in industries related to your career, education or trade – such as nursing, beauty, marketing, construction, finance, recruitment and more. Here your earning potential will be higher.
How we help (The 4-day One and 7-day One only)
When you land, our Aussie partners Welcome to Travel will take over to help you find a job in Australia. You’ll have an employment info session to go over what jobs are available, get advice on how to Aussie-fy your CV and prep for interviews, 12 months’ access to an online nationwide database with hundreds of casual and farm jobs that you can apply for, and a weekly jobs email with the latest openings.
Departure dates
The 7-day One starts in Sydney or Melbourne every Sunday.
The 4-day One starts in Sydney or Melbourne every Tuesday.
Both are subject to availability and a max group size of 22, so please book early to get your first choice of date. When you book, we’ll grab your flight details to arrange your transfer. If you're arriving early and need extra bed nights, just shout.
Please note that The 7-day One is not an extension of The 4-day One – it has different starts dates and a different group.
Pick your package
Compare what’s included to find the right Work Australia option for you.
Kickstart inclusions €789
Good for... Getting all the basics set up to legally work in Australia.
Includes
- 1-year Australia working holiday visa + visa processing
- 1-year backpacker travel insurance policy
- Australia bank account set-up
- Tax file number set-up
- Australia SIM card
The 4-day One inclusions €1,124
Good for... Arriving jetlagged and wanting your first four days in Sydney or Melbourne completely taken care of.
Includes
- 1-year Australia working holiday visa + visa processing
- 1-year backpacker travel insurance policy
- 1-year access to nationwide Australia job database
- 3 nights’ hostel accommodation (Space Hotel in Melbourne or Wake Up! in Sydney)
- Shared airport transfer, welcome drinks, city tour and pub crawl
- In-depth arrival orientation including 1-on-1 job session and CV help
- Bank account set-up (in-person during your orientation)
- Tax file number set-up (in-person during your orientation)
- Australia SIM card
- Medicare + superannuation set-up
The 7-day One inclusions €1,550
Good for... Everything the 4-day One does, but with a guided welcome week to help you find your feet, find a job and learn how to face plant off a surf board. Great for solo travellers and groups of mates.
Includes
- 1-year Australia working holiday visa + visa processing
- 1-year backpacker travel insurance policy
- 1-year access to nationwide Australia job database
- Shared airport transfer
- 6 nights’ hostel accommodation (5n in Space Hotel in Melbourne or Wake Up! in Sydney, 1n at the surf camp or Phillip Island)
- In-depth orientation with job support, CV help and Aussie travel advice
- Bank account and tax file number set-up
- Australia SIM card, Medicare + superannuation set-up
Plus, all this good stuff...
Sydney inclusions Welcome dinner | Aboriginal cultural tour | Cocktail class | Farewell dinner | 2-day road trip with overnight surf camp, surf lesson, dolphin spotting boat trip and visit to Jervis Bay – home to the whitest sand in the world | 1 breakfast, 3 lunch, 3 dinners.
Melbourne inclusions Welcome dinner | Aboriginal heritage walk | Street food tour | Farewell dinner | 2-day road trip to the Mornington Peninsula with surf lesson, wine tasting and overnight stay on Phillip Island – home to the world’s largest (and cutest) Little Penguin colony | 1 lunch, 3 dinners.
What’s not included
Support funds (AUD $)
You may be required to show proof that you can access AUD $5,000 on entering Australia.
Flights
We don’t recommend booking flights until your visa is approved.
Return to Oz
Get a second 12-month visa
To qualify for a second working holiday visa, you must do three months of ‘specified work’ on your first visa. Already done? Talk to the USIT team about handling your second year visa application.
GET IN TOUCH
Are you a Sydneysider or Melbournite?
Tale of two cities
Work in Melbourne
Victoria’s not-so-well-kept secret, Melbourne is half hipster/half sports fan. The home of Australian sport and the perfect flat white – Melbourne’s graffiti-painted laneways, rooftop cocktails bars and bare-brick coffee shops make it one of the world’s coolest cities to live and work. The beachy burb of St. Kilda brings the barefoot city lifestyle, while the wineries, clifftop walks and white sands of the Mornington Peninsula are just under an hour’s drive away.
Work in Sydney
Beautiful and beachy with skyscraper glamour – Sydney has charms in waves. The yacht-filled harbour, surfy suburbs and weekend access to the wineries of the Hunter Valley and walks of the Blue Mountains guarantee it a regular spot as one of the most liveable cities in the world. Add to that Australia’s largest LGBTQIA+ community, a brunch spot or boho boutique on every corner, and lazy Sunday beach walks in Coogee and Bondi – and Sydney ticks every work/life balance box.
The USIT blog
All the inspo and intel
Oz is only seven days away
Not the flight time, you wombat. (That’s 23 hours – ish. Faster if you’re located by the booze trolley). Seven days is usually the amount of time it takes for us to process your Australia working holiday visa. So, if you’re looking to do a moonlight flit from Ireland for a new life in the sun, then Work Australia is your program. The USIT team will help take care of everything – just ask Stephen.
Ask the experts
Book a call with USIT
Don’t call us, we’ll call you. All our USIT team have worked the world, so are here for real talk and authentic advice about where you can go and what you can do.
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