UK
Articles » Tips and Information for Working Holiday Makers
Created: 10th March 2008
Tip 1 Always leave a photo copy of your:
- Passport
- Driving Licence
- Credit & Debit cards
- Travel Insurance
- Mobile number
With your parents or somewhere safe
Tip 2 Always book a couple of nights in a hotel or hostel at your arrival city in Australia , if not being met by friends or relatives.. This is when you are most vulnerable. It lets you acclimatise and have safe storage and commutation in the new city. You will also meet other new arrivals read notice boards, gather free papers etc.
Tip 3 Get a phone card , It is a cheap way to call home. Also change to an Australian mobile phone sim card , It is much cheaper . www.0044.co.uk can help.
Tip 4 Internet access is available from your hostel or internet café at a cheap rate. You can e mail friend and catch up on messages.
Tip 5 Insurance is very important . Although you are covered by Medicare in Australia (similar to the NHS ) you need medical cover. This is available through many sources ranging from the post office, household names to specialist gap year travel services. This should be inexpensive but worthwhile.
Arrival into Australia.
Visa Label If you arrive into Sydney Airport there is a desk a DIMIA desk at the airport that will stick a visa label in the passport. The label is vital as it is a proof of your visa for any employer.
If you do not get the visa in Sydney Airport you can obtain it from the following DIMIA Offices -Local call number 131 881
Open 09.00 - 16.00 http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/australia/index.htm
Dimia Offices
List of all the offices.
ACT Offices: 3 Lonsdale Street Braddon ACT 2612
Sydney Ground Floor 26 Lee Street Sydney NSW 2000
9 Wentworth Street ,Parramatta NSW 2150
Darwin Pella House 40 Cavenagh Street Darwin NT 0800
Brisbane Ground Floor 299 Adelaide Street Brisbane QLD 4000
Cairns Level 2, GHD Building 85 Spence Street Cairns QLD 4870
Gold Coast Level 1 72 Nerang Street Southport QLD 4215
Thursday Island Commonwealth Centre Hastings Street Thursday Island
Adelaide Level 3 55 Currie Street Adelaide SA 5000
Hobart Level 13 188 Collins Street Hobart TAS 7000
Melbourne Ground Floor Casselden Place 2 Lonsdale Street Melbourne VIC 3000
Dandenong 51 Princes Highway Dandenong VIC 3175
Perth City Central 411 Wellington Street Perth WA 6000
If you require to have an extra 1 year in Australia , you can request a form 1263 while getting the visa label. This form allows you to record your 3 months of agricultural work necessary for your extra year of a working holiday.
Tax File number.
This is vital to start work:
The link for this site http://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/content.asp?doc=/content/38760.htm
You can apply on line when in Australia. Or phone 61 13 2861 or for Shop front location 132861.
Medicare
You need to apply to join Medicare to be covered for your health while in Australia on a working holiday.
The web link is http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au
It is best to apply before you start work.
This list of medicare locations is:
http://www.medicareaustralia.gov.au/public/claims/offices.shtml
Just log on to find the nearest office. This link will give you the address and opening hours, There are many more than we have listed.
ACT
Canberra City - Civic
Shop 2
Savings House
8 Petrie Plaza
Canberra City ACT 2600
Opening hours:
08:30-17:00 Monday to Friday
New South Wales
Sydney - Town Hall
Shop 30
Town Hall Arcade
464-480 Kent Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Opening hours:
08:30-17:00 Monday to Friday
excluding Public Holidays
Northern Territory
Darwin
Shop 14
The Galleria
Smith Street
Darwin NT 800
Opening hours:
09:00-17:00 Monday to Friday
Queensland
Brisbane - Queen Street
Shop 225, Level 2,
Myer Centre, Queen Street Mall
91 Queen Street
Brisbane Qld 4000
Opening hours:
08:30-17:00 Monday to Friday
South Australia
Adelaide - Currie Street
30 Currie Street
Adelaide SA 5000
Opening hours:
08:30-17:00 Monday to Friday
Tasmania
Hobart
Shop 7
Trafalgar Centre
110 Collins Street
Hobart TAS 7000
Opening hours:
08:30-17:00 Monday to Friday
Victoria
Melbourne - City East
Shop 7,
Southern Cross 1,
121 Exhibition Street (Access via Bourke Street)
Melbourne VIC 3000
Opening hours:
08:30-17:00 Monday to Friday
excluding Public Holidays
Melbourne - City West
Shop 11,
600 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Opening hours:
08:00-17:00 Monday to Friday
excluding Public Holidays
Melbourne - Galleria
Shop E17,
Galleria Shopping Centre,
Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Opening hours:
08:30-17:00 Monday to Friday
excluding Public Holidays
West Australia
Perth -
The Terrace
81 St Georges Terrace
Perth WA 6000
Opening hours:
08:30-17:00 Monday to Friday
Driving Licence
A driver's licence from home will suffice for up to three months in Australia, as long as it has photo identification and it's for the same class of vehicle you intend to drive. more than three
Banks in Australia.
It is essential to have a bank account while working in Australia.
You can use a UK debit card to withdraw Cash while in Australia for the first few weeks.
To open a bank account is simple .
You need a passport - small deposit - Address(can be a hostel)
There are many major bank chains
Commonwealth Bank http://www.commbank.com.au/
National Australia Bank http://www.nab.com.au/
ANZ Bank http://www.anz.com/
West Pac Bank http://www.westpac.com.au
St George Bank http://www.stgeorge.com.au/
Bank Of Western Australia https://bankwest.com.au/
They all charge a monthly charge of $3 to $5 Australian dollars per month
They will give you a debit card which can be used throughout Australia .Having a bank account allows you to paid into that account or to transfer money from the UK
E Mail and Internet Access
The best places for e mail and internet access is the hostel or hotel you are staying in.
There are plenty of internet cafes which offer of a choice of great value access.
Hostels and Hotels
It is worth booking a hostel in advance for your arrival in Australia.
I have attached a few links to hostels
www.yha.co.au
Good Hostels, All over Australia. Lots of interesting locations , Worth joing YHA International to get discounts.
www.vipbackpackers.com
Large selection of various hostels. You can buy vouchers in advance.
www.smallhostels.com
small privately owned hostels. Worth a look if you want quiet hostels
www.nomadsworld.com
Nationwide hostels throughout Australia.
In each city there are plenty of hostels. Provided you can get internet access from either home ,library college university or internet cafe a quick e mail will usually secure accommodation. You can use this system when moving on around Australia.
Tip. There is a good low price hotel chain with locations all over Australia.
www.budgetmotelchain.com.au
Work
TIP. Prepare a CV before you travel!!!
There is a huge variety of work available throughout Australia. The only limit is you cannot do continuous work for the same employer for more than six months .
In each city there are job agencies in most fields of work as well as free newspapers. The main newspapers offer certain jobs on certain days. They all have web sites, you can make enquiries before you travel
www.theaustralian.news.com.au
www.thewest.com.au
www.news.com.au
www.theage.com.au
www.smh.com.au
These have jobs and accommodation
The government sites
http://www.centrelink.gov.au
https://jobsearch.gov.au
https://jobsearch.gov.au/harvesttrail/
This is the harvest trail web site. Good for the extra year in Australia,
There are other sites that might help you.
http://www.workaboutaustralia.com.au
http://www.seasonalwork.com.au
For the extra year in Australia, Some links and information.
How to calculate seasonal work
‘Three months’ means three ‘calendar’ months or 88 days.
Work can be:
- in one block with one employer
or
- in separate blocks with one employer or a number of employers.
Examples that meet the three month requirement
- Working week
You work on a farm for three months for five days each week, where the farmer considers five days a week to be full time work. - Short days
You complete three months of seasonal work in an orchard working 5 hours a day, where the owner advises that five hours is considered a standard full time day. - Shift work
You are employed to harvest oysters for three months and under the employment contract you are only required to work every second week, which is the standard full time contract for the industry. - Blocks of work
You complete 60 days of seasonal work, followed by a period of travel for two months. Then you complete another 28 days of seasonal work, bringing the total days worked to 88 days. - Sick days
You are employed for a three month period but take several days of sick leave during the period. - Seasonal circumstances
You are employed (and paid) for three months work on a farm but are prevented from actually working for two weeks of that period due to a cyclone.
Examples that do not meet the three month requirement
- Working week
Four days a week is considered full time work by the farm, but you only work three days a week for three months. - Short days
You complete three months of seasonal work in an orchard working four hours a day, but the owner advises that four hours a day is not considered a standard full time day. - Work done on another visa type
You complete three months of seasonal work during your summer break while on a Student visa. - Seasonal circumstances
You pick bananas for 80 days on a casual basis, but cannot find more work as there is a cyclone and your first Working Holiday visa ceases.
Evidence of seasonal work
The department may contact you to confirm you meet the seasonal work requirement, and may request evidence that the actual work was undertaken in regional Australia. Acceptable evidence of seasonal work (completed while on your first Working Holiday visa) includes either:
- original or certified copies of pay slips, group certificates, payment summaries, tax returns or employer references
or - a completed employment verification form
See: Form 1263 Working Holiday visa: Employment verification
I hope these tips help you in your working holiday, If you have tips for us that might help others please e mail us at john@visas4oz.co.uk
