Approved stay for 88 days with Visa granted.
Jesko's Guidance on Down Under's Working Holiday Visa, Unveiled!
Got your sights set on the Land Down Under, mate? Fret not if the Aussie visa lingo leaves you baffled! I was in the same boat 4 years ago, but I've navigated the waters since then, and today, I'm here to help you unravel the mystery of the Working Holiday Visa in Australia.
You must be aged between 18 and 30 (or even 35 for certain countries!) and be free of a criminal past to apply for this adventurous visa. Applying online on the Australia Visa platform is a breeze. All you'll need is a valid passport, a bank statement demonstrating a minimum of 5,000 AUD, and a clean slate. Be sure to apply while you're out of the country, and you can expect your visa approval in 4-6 weeks with an application fee of around 400€.
But what's a Working Holiday Visa good for? Valid for a year from the date of entry, you can work as much as you like, as long as you don't stay with the same employer for more than 6 months. You're also allowed to study or travel within the year, and enter or leave Australia whenever you please! If you've toiled on a farm for a few months and stashed some dough, you could jet off to Fiji or Indonesia, then return to Australia.
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Another perk of the visa is the option to extend it for a second year by completing 88 days of what's called "specified work." Yeah, it may sound strange. I've attempted to clarify it from English. In Australia, they call it the "88 days of specified work." So, what exactly is "specified work?" Well, it usually refers to farm labor, but there's more to it now. Here's a screenshot from the official government website, listing the jobs that qualify for a second year of Work & Holiday in Australia.
Take, for instance, point 1: Tourism and hospitality in North, "Remote," and "Very Remote" Australia. The regions categorized as "remote" and "very remote" can be found on the official website using their postcodes. This doesn't mean that hospitality work counts only in the tiniest outback towns. In the area around Cairns, for example, hospitality work counts too.
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Some of you might recall that I was in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa 4 years ago, but I didn't complete my 88 days due to a silly mistake. I thought, "Oh, I won't be coming back anyway." Well, I swiftly realized my error when I returned to Germany and felt burdened by my studies and job. I thought, "How dumb was I not to keep the option for a second year open." Just as fate would have it, I learned about the Covid visa right before it expired, which enabled me to snatch another shot at the 1st year Working Holiday Visa until the end of 2022. I can't overlook the joy I experienced when I discovered this amazing chance through a bit of online research. Why am I sharing all this with you? Simply to remind you to give the 88 days a serious think before dismissing the idea, because you never know what life has in store for you, and you might just find yourself desiring a return to Australia someday. And don't let the excuse, "But I don't fancy working on a farm in the middle of nowhere," fool you, since work in numerous different areas qualifies as "specified work."
Currently, I've been working as a roofer (with no prior experience) on the Sunshine Coast for almost 2 months, residing in a shared accommodation with two friends (one Canadian and one Australian) just a stone's throw from the nearest surf spot, and the best part is that this job also puts me on track for my next year. The third year for me, as I submitted my application for the 2nd year visa today and uploaded all my pay stubs from the farm months.
How the days tally up towards your 88 remains a topic of debate. I've yet to find absolute clarity on this matter, but here's the prevailing notion. If you work 30 hours or more within a week, you've completed 7 days of your 88 days, regardless of how many days you've worked. I can't vouch for definitive transparency from the Australian government, but I found the "88th day" app helpful. You can simply input your job and record your worked hours each week, and an automatic calculator counts the days for you. I did things a bit differently and worked on the farm for a total of 4 months, taking advantage of the lesser working days due to rainy days.
View Product Once you've completed the 88 days, you're all set to relax, explore new horizons, or commence your next job. Just hold onto your payslips, as you'll require them for the 2nd year visa application.
I trust this post sheds some light on the subject. Write your questions or insights below if you have any! Cheers,
Jesko
Embarking on a new lifestyle with the Working Holiday Visa, one can find alternate job opportunities that qualify as "specified work" beyond farm labor, such as tourism and hospitality in certain regions of Australia. By dedicating 88 days towards these specified jobs, you could potentially extend your stay in Australia for a second year.
Those who successfully complete the 88 days of specified work can enjoy the perks of the extended visa, whether that involves relaxing, exploring, or starting a new job, with the assurance that their payslips will be essential for a subsequent application.
