How to Renew Your Working Holiday Visa Australia

If you're excited about spending an extra year in Australia after your initial 12 months, you're in the right place! Extending your Working Holiday Visa lets you keep enjoying this amazing country, working, and experiencing all the wonderful things Australia has to offer.

The ultimate guide to the Working Holiday Visa Extension in Australia

Want to Extend your Working Holiday Visa for a Second Year?

🛠️ Meeting the Requirements for WHV Extension:

If you’re aiming to extend your time in Australia by an additional 12 months, then the visa requires you to:

  • work either three (3) months on a non-stop contract,
  • or 88 days of regional specified work.

📆 Plan Ahead:

Time flies when you're having fun, and Australia is full of adventures to explore. Whether you're loving the Aussie lifestyle or discovering its beautiful landscapes, it's a good idea to plan in advance. That way, you can make the most of your time here while extending your stay for an additional 12 months with a Working Holiday Visa Extension!

If you are wondering how to extend your Working Holiday visa, there are a few requirements that you need to fulfil during your first Working Holiday Visa, check them below:

Extending your Working holiday Visa in Australia - 88 days, Payslips, Types of Employments, ABN and more!

🖋️If you’re aiming to extend your time in Australia by an additional 12 months, one of the most essential requirements is completing 88 days (or three months of non-stop contract work) of regional farm work.

The jobs can vary from fruit picking, packing, fishing, tree farming, dealing with poultry, eggs , mining and even Hospitality and Tourism

🏞️ Tourism and Hospitality Opportunities:

If you're exploring opportunities in tourism and hospitality, there's great news. Work in these fields carried out in northern, remote, and very remote Australia can be considered eligible specified work. This is an excellent way to contribute to your visa extension while experiencing different aspects of the Australian lifestyle.

👩‍🍳 Work in a range of occupations that directly provide a service to tourists, including:

  • Tourist guides and operators
  • Outdoor adventure or activity instructors
  • Tourist transport services
  • Gallery or museum managers, curators or guides
  • Hospitality workers, such as in hotels or other accommodation facilities, restaurants, cafes, bars and casinos
  • Conference and event organisers

✅ Examples of eligible specified subclass 417 and 462 work in tourism or hospitality:

  • Chef in a restaurant
  • Dive instructor
  • Tour bus driver

⛔ Examples of ineligible specified subclass 417 and 462 work in tourism or hospitality:

  • Cleaning work in a restaurant
  • Driving a school bus
  • Working as a sales assistant in a souvenir shop

💼 Working Arrangements:

This is the most essential requirement to qualify for the visa extension. You’ll be able to pick if you want to work full-time or part-time and know that you can work with more than one employer, as long as you make the minimum time required. 

  • It’s important to keep track of your 88 days, or your three (3) months so that you’re not overworked or taken advantage of at any time.
  • If you choose to work FULL-TIME, this is equal to 40 hours a week, or 7-8 hours a day (up to five days a week). If your employer is flexible, you can split your 40 hours a week over the course of seven days (a full week) if you make your hours in one week.
  • If you choose to work PART-TIME, you can choose to work up to 32 hours a week, or 7-8 hours a day (up to four days a week).
  • It’s important to remember to keep all your payslips that you receive, and that your employer provides all their legal details including their contact details, business name and tax file number. Keeping these payslips will also be essential when applying for your visa extension to prove you’ve done the required farm work.

📣 Note that you do NOT need to have an Australian Business Number (ABN) to do your required farm work as you’ll be employed under a working holiday visa, but some employers may request that you have an ABN, or you can even apply for one for yourself to have ready. If the ABN doesn’t get used within two years, it will become inactive. 

Choosing Between the 417 and 462 Working Holiday Visas

🛫 Exploring Your Working Holiday Visa Options

When planning your Australian working holiday, you'll need to decide between the 417 and 462 Working Holiday Visas. Your choice depends on your nationality, educational history, and preferences.

📝 Application Process:

To embark on your working holiday in Australia, you'll need to create an Immi Account through the Department of Home Affairs website. This is where you'll apply for the appropriate Working Holiday Maker Visa based on your passport.

🔍 Key Differences:

  • 417 Visa: This visa offers flexibility and the opportunity to extend your stay after completing farm work. Educational history and English language skills aren't mandatory.
  • 462 Visa: If you're considering this visa, note that it requires educational history and a good command of English. This visa also focuses on work in the hospitality or tourism sector in Northern Australia or very remote locations (usually within the Tropic of Capricorn).

🌏 Visa Availability by Country:

Working Holiday Visa Subclass 417:
Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and Northern Ireland.

Work and Holiday Visa Subclass 462:
Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, USA, Uruguay, Vietnam.

📌 Choosing the Right Path:

Selecting the right visa is a crucial step in your Australian journey. Consider your nationality, educational background, and desired experiences to make an informed choice that aligns with your goals.

Ideal Locations and Seasons for Your Working Holiday Visa Extension

🌏 Discovering the Best Places and Times for Your 88 Days of Work

As part of your visa extension requirement, you'll need to complete either your 88 days or three months of remote and regional work within Australia. The good news is, you have the flexibility to work anywhere in Australia as long as it's at least 3-4 hours away from a major city.

🌞 Optimal Seasons and Locations:

While work in the farm and tourism industries is available year-round, you'll want to consider the best seasons for certain types of work. For optimal conditions, aim to come to Australia between late October and early May, spanning from Spring to Summer.

🌾 Exploring Opportunities by State:

Western Australia

- Margaret River, Carnarvon, Coorow, Kununurra, Broome, Dongara 

NSW

- Griffith, Young, Leeton, Hunter Valley, Batlow, Narrabri, Cowra, Tumut

Queensland

- Atherton Tablelands, Bowen, Ayr, Tully, Bundaberg, Lockyer Valley, Mary Valley, St George

Victoria

- Mildura, Shepparton, Maffra, Silvan, Wandin, Robinvale, Nyah West, Tatura, Ovens

South Australia

- Riverland, Barossa Valley, Adelaide Hills

Northern Territory

- Darwin, Katherine

Tasmania

- Tamar Valley, Huon, Bicheno, Devenport, New Norfolk West Tamar 

📅 Time to Plan Your Adventure:

Selecting the right location and timing enhances your working holiday experience. Whether you're drawn to the stunning landscapes of Western Australia or the charming vineyards of Tasmania, your journey awaits.

Basically, to ensure that your chosen work counts as remote, or regional work, check the location of your potential employer here with over 100 different postcodes to choose from.

Want to extend your WHV for a Third Year?

There is a posibility to extend your Working Holiday Visa by an additional 12 months on top of the first 24 months you’ve been approved.


🏗️ The Pathway to Third Year WHV:

To qualify for a third year extension, you'll need to fulfill specific requirements set by the visa program. These include:

  • Completing six (6) months of non-stop contract work.
  • Undertaking 176 days of regional specified work.

Want to extend your Working Holiday Visa without doing farm work?

🌟 Discover the Ideal Solution for a Longer Stay

If you've already experienced the magic of Australia on your Working Holiday Visa and wish to stay longer without doing farm work, we have a perfect solution for you: the Australian Student Visa.

🎓 The Path to Staying and Growing:

The student visa is designed for international students to study and work in Australia. You are allowed to work 24 hours a week.

Duration and Opportunities:

The length of your student visa corresponds to your course duration, often with the addition of 1 to 2 months for holidays. In simple terms, the longer the course, the longer you can enjoy your stay in Australia. Moreover, you have the option to bundle multiple courses, potentially securing a visa for 3, 4, or even 5 years!

💼 Investing in Your Future:

Choosing the student visa route not only grants you an extended stay but also offers a range of benefits. It's often a cost-effective alternative to a second Working Holiday visa.

Australia offers a lot of great courses to study and grow your career, from business to digital marketing, even biology or fitness. Studying a (university) course will help you with your future career since you will develop certain skills and can become an expert in your field of work. Having more expertise about a certain subject will help you when finding a job. Invest in your future and study the best courses in Australia!

An Australian student visa is such a good way to develop new skills and to become a global citizen with international experience. Also, you can save a lot of money by taking a student visa instead of a second Working Holiday visa due to superannuation and tax benefits.

We would love to help you find the best course that fits your needs.
We know everything about the process, the schools, your options and are able to solve every question for you.

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