Before you begin your trip, check the visa requirements. All travellers to Australia need a valid passport and everyone, except travellers with Australian or New Zealand passports, require an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA) or visa to enter Australia.
ETA's are valid for short stay tourists (maximum stay of three months and multiple entry within 12 months) and short stay business travellers (maximum stay of three months and single entry within 12 months).
Find an Australian Visa Office
Working Holiday Maker Scheme
Australia is part of the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa scheme. This program provides opportunities for resourceful, self-reliant and adaptable young people to holiday in Australia and to supplement their funds through incidental employment. The visa allows a stay of up to 12 months from the date of first entry to Australia, regardless of whether or not you spend the whole time in Australia.
Currently, Australia welcomes over 85,000 working holiday makers every year!
Australia has reciprocal working holiday arrangements with twenty-one countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, the Republic of Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malta, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cyprus, Italy, Belgium, France, Estonia, Thailand and Chile. Only applicants from these countries who are aged between 18 and 30 years and without dependent children are eligible to apply for a Working Holiday visa.
People who hold valid passports from most of the countries are able to apply for a Working Holiday visa from any country (except Australia).
Working holiday makers are permitted to do any kind of work of a temporary or casual nature. As the main purpose of the visit is for holiday and travel, work for longer than six months with any employer is not allowed.
A second working holiday visa is available to people who have completed three months of 'seasonal work' in a 'regional area' as defined by the Department of Immigration.
For further general information about the WHM visa scheme and online applications, please visit the Australian Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs website.
Alternatives to WHM Visa
One alternative option for travellers from other countries is International Exchange Programs.
For example, Work Australia is a program authorized by the Australian Government to allow young Americans (aged 18-30) to travel and work in Australia for up to four months. The Australian sponsor is IEP (International Exchange Programs) and the program is administered in America by BUNAC on behalf of IENA (International Exchange of North America). For more information visit http://www.bunac.org.
