If you’re reading this, you’re most likely someone in your 20’s looking for an exciting adventure, a lifestyle that strays from societal norms, and a way to continue your adulthood duties while catering to your inner youth. Sound like you?

Well, person in their 20’s, meet the Work and Holiday visa! Visa, meet said person!

Now that you’re introduced, let’s get into it…

The Work and Holiday Visa

Did you know that as an American, you can apply for a specific visa that lets you live abroad and work for 1+ years? It’s called the Work and Holiday Visa and it is quite literally made for you to travel, see the country, and pay for it as you go by working. AKA, it is the coolest excuse to experience more of the world and make money while you do.

As an American, you can get this specific visa in roughly 6 different countries; Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, and South Korea. Each country has their own requirements and restrictions (ex. age limits). In this blog post I’ll focus on the Work and Holiday Visa (Australia’s version) since this is the country I chose!

Applying for the Visa

Applying for the visa is the most tedious part of the process, and arguably the most nerve wracking for no reason at all. It seems so intimidating since you’re working with the government, but if you read carefully and follow instructions, it is actually an easy process.

In order to qualify, you must have an eligible passport, be between 18-30 years old, apply from outside of Australia, and not be accompanied by dependent children (see link below for more details). If you are currently 30 years old, you have until your 31st birthday to apply, meaning you can technically still go at age 31.

The whole application process took me about 3 hours from start to finish. Grab a glass of wine and be prepared to answer 15+ pages of questions. You’ll also need to provide legal documents. The following are roughly the documents you need to prepare: passport copy, highschool or college diploma, recent bank statement (to prove you have the funds to sustain yourself), and an updated passport picture (taken in the last few months). As an American, apply for the “subclass 462”!

With a 99% acceptance rate, it is pretty much guaranteed that you’ll get accepted! As for the timeline, each application is different, but they’ll usually get back to you within 1 month. I applied at the prime time after Covid and got my “Granted” email 5 minutes later. Definitely give yourself time before moving, just incase it takes longer. The great things is, once it is granted, you have 1 full year from that date to activate the visa.

You activate the visa the day you arrive in Australia! For example, my visa was granted on June 9th 2022 and my activation window was until June 8th of 2023. I arrived in Australia and activated it on August 25th 2022 and can stay until August 25th 2023.

Link to apply: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/work-holiday-462/first-work-holiday-462

Extending the Visa + Farm Work

“What if I want to stay longer than 1 year, can I extend the visa or do I have to leave?” You CAN extend the visa for 1-2 more years, however the catch is you must complete a certain amount of farmwork or rural work to qualify. Yes, I know how funny this sounds, but it is a right of passage into being a true backpacker in this country. Australia relies so heavily on its agriculture, and so much of that is held up by us travelers doing picking, pruning, planting, etc..

If you’re on the Work and Holiday Visa 1, you must complete 88 days of farmwork or rural work (during your first year) in order to qualify for a 2nd visa.

If you’re on the Work and Holiday Visa 2, you must complete 6 months of farmwork or rural work (during your second year) in order to qualify for a 3rd visa.

Once on the 3rd visa, you can no longer extend unless you want to become a Permanent Resident, which then requires a company or State to sponsor you (which is very possible, but that’s a whole ‘nother blog post).

“What’s the difference between farmwork and rural work?” Farmwork involves anything in the agriculture industry. This includes vineyard work (picking grapes, pruning, general vineyard management, etc.), dairy farms, vegetable farms, tree planting, or fruit picking (bananas, avocados, strawberries, etc.). The type of farms depend on what area of Australia you’re in.

Since Australia is so big with a majority being remote, working in those rural, hard to get to areas, actually counts towards your 88 days. Generally, these locations include anything above the Tropic of Capricorn line going through the middle of the country (you can see this on a map). In order for your work to count in these locations, it must be agriculture, hospitality, disaster relief, or the tourism industry (ex. farmwork, cafes, being a tour guide, hotels, caravan parks, bushfire restoration, etc.). Some locations you could go for rural work are Exmouth, Broome, Darwin, Cairns, and Port Douglas.