Finding Employment in Australia for Working Holiday Visa Holders

Work On A Farm In Australia – Now $25.41 An Hour

Adam Ogle — Wed, 10 Nov 2021 06:33:45 +0000

There have long been discussions on how to improve the criteria of specified work that needs to be completed in order to get a second (and third) working holiday visa in Australia, and now there’s finally some good news for all future working holidaymakers that need/want to work on a farm in Australia.

You might know this specified work aspect under another name, maybe your 88 days, farm work, rural work, fruit picking or your 3 months.

In 2020, the government launched an inquiry into the working holiday visa and how it can be improved. With borders closed, I had some time on my hands and this felt like a perfect opportunity to be able to have my say on something I’m knowledgeable and passionate about, working holiday makers having the best possible time in Australia.

As part of my role as Vice President at Adventure Tourism Victoria, I, along with others, put together a submission highlighting things that can be improved within the visa. This process also involved representing the submission by speaking in parliament.

The ultimate goal? To have a positive effect on future working holiday makers.

One of the main things we focused on was improving the way wages are paid on farms.

Nearly one year on, we’re pleased to say that we’ve seen an incredible result, something so positive that it resulted in Australia’s Worker’s Union National Secretary Daniel Walton described the ruling as ‘one of the most significant industrial decisions of modern times’.

While hourly pay is still found across the industries involved in specified work a lot of this work, especially when picking fruit, has been paid on something called a piece rate. A piece rate, basically explained, is where you’re paid for how much work you do. IE, you’re paid per the amount of pieces you produce/pick/pack.

This could be the amount of cherries you pick, trees you plant or vines you prune. This can increase productivity and also prove to be financially rewarding. It absolutely can be a positive when employers enforce it correctly.

I worked on a farm in Australia back in 2011

To give you an example, when Darryl (the other co-founder of Welcome to Travel) and I personally completed our specified work, our employer was excellent. When we were in younger, less populated trees, we were paid an hourly rate because there simply wasn’t many fruit to pick so a piece rate would have left us underpaid.

When we moved into the older trees, packed full of avocados, we were moved on to a piece rate and that’s when we earned more. We were extremely motivated and earned more money, our piece rate experience here was positive.

However some employers have spoiled that system for others by using it as a way to underpay, and take advantage of workers. They paid low piece rates and/or had too high expectations. EG Instead of paying Darryl and I hourly in the younger trees, they would have continued to pay us a piece rate. This would have left us demotivated, underpaid and frustrated with the system that created this.

This is why this week’s announcement is extremely positive and a huge win for travellers coming to Australia, who want / need to work on a farm.

On Friday November 5th 2021 “the Australian Fair Work Commission ruled that farm workers picking fruit on a piece rate must be guaranteed a minimum hourly rate of $25.41.

While the Commission’s draft determination does not outlaw piecework, it guarantees a minimum hourly rate regardless of productivity.”

This new wage of $25.41ph is the minimum wage for a casual worker in Australia. To put that in perspective in your home currency, that is:

£13.88
$23.43 (CAD)
$18.83(US)
€16.23
161.31 SEK
120.75 DKK

Remember, this is the minimum wage you will earn, whilst you work on a farm in Australia!

This means 38 hours at this wage would pocket you a nice $965.58. Nearly a whole 8 day Welcome to Melbourne or Welcome to Sydney trip paid off in 1 week’s work, how amazing is that?!

In recent months, there have been several other changes to the visa. We’ve listed them below:

From 22 June 2021, work undertaken in the tourism and hospitality sectors in northern, remote or very remote Australia can also be counted as specified work towards eligibility for a second or third WHM visa. This option will be available for WHM applications lodged from March 2022.
From 1 July 2021 to 31 December 2022, holders and former holders of a COVID-19 affected WHM visa will be able to make a nil VAC WHM application online.
WHMs who are offshore and who were unable to come to Australia or had to leave early because of COVID-19 will be able to apply for a replacement visa with nil VAC.For more information about nil VAC WHM applications, see Offshore nil Visa Application Charge (VAC) WHM applications.

There is also the recently announced UK and Australia Free Trade agreement. While several terms were agreed earlier in the year, The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the deal will probably come into force from 1 July 2022.

If that’s the case, that’s when the working holiday visa age limit will rise from 30 to 35, giving Britons a total of three years to live and work in Australia. The exact details of how that will work are yet to be confirmed and once we know, you will too.

That's all fine and well but when can you travel?

In regards to Australia and it’s border openings…well there’s a question we don’t have an answer to, however there’s some positive news, with Scott Morrison this week commenting

“By the end of the year I fully anticipate that we’ll be able to achieve seeing international visitors, including backpackers, who are double-vaccinated being able to come back to Australia.”

This is big news and we are so excited to welcome travellers here again.

To stay up to date of when the borders are opening, pop in your email below.

With all of the positive news, it is time you started thinking about travelling to Australia.

The post Work On A Farm In Australia – Now $25.41 An Hour appeared first on Welcome to Travel.

Working Holiday Visa Update: No More Farm Work, Free Visas and More

Darryl Newby — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 02:39:44 +0000

Finally the news is here regarding the UK and Australia Free Trade Agreement for Working holiday makers.

Now before I get into all the points, I just want to let you know that we’re a travel company and not visa experts. But because we work with working holiday makers all the time on our tours, we want to be as helpful as possible and give you the main points of information with a few examples.

via GIPHY

Update 18 July 2023

Point 1

From 1 July 2023 you can apply for a working holiday visa even if you’re over the age of 30.

Point 2

And this is a BIG one…but not the biggest.

“From 1 July 2024, UK passport holders can be granted up to three separate Working Holiday visas without having to meet any specified work requirements.”

Point 3 (The Big One)

If you have ever had a working holiday or you’re on one right now this is the point you have been waiting for.

“If a UK passport holder has already spent one or two years in Australia on a Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa before the new arrangements commence, they can apply for the remaining visa(s) under the new arrangements from 1 July 2024. This will enable access to the maximum of three years in Australia.”

What does this mean?

Point 1 - From 1 July 2023 you can apply for a working holiday visa even if you’re over the age of 30.

Previously you could only get the working holiday visa between the age of 18-30 but now it has been extended to the age of 35.

When we say the age 35 – that means you can apply up until the day before you turn 36.

Example

Sally from Scunthorpe has never been to Australia on a working holiday.
She is currently 35 years old.
On 1 July 2023 she can apply for a working holiday visa.
From approval she has 1 year to enter the country.
She enters the country on 1 January 2024 and can stay one year maximum as when she applies for her 2nd working holiday she will be 36 years old.

Which leads onto my next point.

Point 2 - Removal of Farm Work

“From 1 July 2024, UK passport holders can be granted up to three separate Working Holiday visas without having to meet any specified work requirements.”

This means Brits will no longer have to do farm work.

MIND BLOWN

Previously it was a requirement to do 88 days of specified work to be able to apply for a second year visa , then 6 months of specified work for a third year visa. From July 2024 you will be able to get three separate visas with no specified work.

Example

Callum from Carlisle is 22 years old.
He applies for his working holiday visa 1 July 2024.
He lands in Australia in September 2024 and does one of our award-winning tours.
He travels around Australia, lives and works in different places and wants to stay for a second year without going home.
He will then just need to apply for a second year working holiday before September 2025.

Callum bloody loves it here in Australia and wants to stay longer, but he also wants to go home for a while, he misses the cold weather and gravy.

At the end of his second year working holiday Callum doesn’t apply for his third year visa, he goes home for an indefinite amount of time.

Then, when he’s 35, in 2037, he decides he’d like to do his third and final year in Australia. He can then apply for his third working holiday visa, with no special requirements.

This means:

You don’t need to take your working holiday visas consecutively
You won’t need to do the farm work.

Which leads onto what I think is the biggest point.

Point 3 - (The Big One)

If you have ever had a working holiday or you’re on one right now this is the point you have been waiting for.

THIS IS MASSIVE.

However, there are three parts to this:

From July 2024, you’re allowed back to Australia if you have previously had a working holiday visa and you:
- Are still under the age of 36 years old by 1 July 2024
- Didn’t do your regional work
- Haven’t already done 3 years of a working holiday visa
If you’re currently on a working holiday and want to stay in Australia consecutively you may want to consider doing regional work… or leaving and then come back 1 July 2024. Depending on your situation.
If you’re arriving after 1 July 2023 and before 1 July 2024 it pretty much means you have a clean run without doing regional work as you will be able to apply for your 2nd year when your first one runs out.

If you arrive in June 2023 – you may want a month long holiday outside of Australia for June 2024 – waiting for the second year visa to come in without doing regional work.

This is all we know so far, and the source for this info is here. Finally, you can now start planning your future Down Under!

And hopefully we will see you soon.

Is this good or bad news for you personally? Let us know in the comments!

As with all things, you wait around ages for some good news and then it all comes at once. Two weeks ago we had news on working holiday changes for just Brits, now there is news for all Working Holiday Makers.

Update 5 May 2023

Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced the Free Trade Deal will come into effect on 31 May 2023.

The agreement, projected to boost trade by $11.8 billion over the long run, opens up sectors such as agriculture and allows for freer movement for service-sector professionals.

However, there has been no clear indication on when the 417 visa (working holiday) element of the agreement will come into play.

It has been stated that within two years of entry into force, Brits will be able to apply for working holidays in the UK to the age of 35, up from 30, and stay for a maximum of three years instead of two.

We believe more info on this will come out on 31 May 2023.

No More Farm Work

Up until now, people on a 417 visa (Working Holiday Visa) have needed to complete 3 months of specified work in a rural area (often known as farm work) to extend their visa for a 2nd year. Doing this work will still get you a visa extension, but as you can see from below, other types of work will be able to be carried out too.

From 8 May 2021, WHMs working in the tourism and hospitality sectors anywhere in Australia may now work for up to 12 months with the same employer or organisation without requesting permission.
From 22 June 2021, work undertaken in the tourism and hospitality sectors in northern, remote or very remote Australia can also be counted as specified work towards eligibility for a second or third WHM visa.
This option will be available for WHM applications lodged from March 2022.

Taken from official government statement here.

That means if you’re in Australia you will be able to swap your farm work for tourism or hospitality, to get your third year visa.

We’re still unsure if they’ll keep this for future travellers, but it is a really positive sign.

FREE VISAS FOR COVID AFFECTED TRAVELLERS

You may remember that last year the Australian government announced that people who didn’t use their visa, or people that had to fly home because of COVID would be eligible to a free visa in the future. I’m excited to let you know that the exact process for that has FINALLY been confirmed and announced this week.

Who Can Apply?
You must be outside Australia to apply for a nil VAC WHM visa.

You may apply if you hold or held a ‘COVID-19 affected WHM visa’. To hold a COVID-19 affected visa, you must meet all of the below requirements:

you were granted a WHM (subclass 417 or 462) visa before 20 March 2020
your WHM visa expired on or after 20 March 2020 while you were outside Australia or will expire before 31 December 2021 while you are outside Australia
you did not travel to Australia on your WHM visa or departed Australia before your visa expired.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a nil VAC WHM visa, you must:

be outside Australia and apply by 31 December 2022
hold a WHM eligible passport (subclass 417 or subclass 462)
be 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) at time of application, except for Canadian, French and Irish citizens who can be 18 to 35 years old (inclusive)
meet health and character requirements
not be accompanied by dependent children.

Visa Period

A nil VAC WHM visa, like all WHM visas granted to applicants who are outside Australia, is in effect for 12 months from the date you enter Australia.

You will have 12 months to enter Australia from the date your visa is granted.

How to Apply

All applicants must apply for this visa online and must be outside Australia at time of application.

Processing Times

Visa applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis, and processing times can vary due to individual circumstances.

Processing times have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and visa applications may take longer to finalise.

The Department is currently prioritising processing of visa applications for travellers who are exempt from travel restrictions and have an urgent need to travel.

For more information on travel restrictions, see COVID-19 and the border.

Applying for Subsequent WHM Visas

If you hold or have held a COVID-19 affected WHM visa, that visa will not count towards the total number of three WHM visas you may hold.

If You Are Not Eligible for a VAC WHM Visa

If you are not eligible to apply for a nil VAC WHM visa, you may be eligible to request a VAC refund or apply for a standard (full VAC) WHM visa.

For further information, see Refunds and waivers of Visa Application Charges.

WHM Holders in Australia
From March 2022, eligible current and former WHMs in Australia will be able to apply for a WHM visa with a nil VAC. This will provide them with another opportunity to meet the specified work requirements for a subsequent WHM visa.

Former WHM visa holders who have transitioned to another visa, such as the 408 COVID-19 Pandemic Event visa, may also be eligible to apply for an onshore nil VAC WHM visa.

More information on the onshore nil VAC WHM visa will be available on the Department’s website once arrangements are finalised.

Information taken from the government website.

Need help for your working holiday visa?

We have been in your position trying to work out how all the details of a working holiday visa, so we have made it easy for you.

Check out our Australia Working Holiday Visa page as this will answer a lot of the unanswered questions you may have.

UPDATE: 4 April 2022 | UK – Australia Free Trade Agreement

Maximum stay of three years on a working holiday

British Working Holiday Makers visa holders can soon stay three years in Australia without doing regional work and this excludes any ‘COVID -19 affected visa’.

Three Separate Visas

The years will be on separate visas – meaning you apply for the first year, then second and then third. There is no need for you to stay in Australia three years consecutively.

E.g. Harry from Hull comes applies for his visa in 2023 when he is 20 years old.
He comes to Australia in 2024 when he is 21 for a year – then returns to England in 2025.
2027 Harry realises he misses Australia when he is 24 and applies for the second year visa – which he uses in 2028 when he is 25.
He travels and then falls in love with someone from New Zealand and goes to live there after his second year visa has finished.
2034 – things didn’t go well for Harry and his partner in New Zealand so he wants to give Australia one more go. He applies for his third year visa in 2034 when he is 31 and goes on his last work ing holiday in 2035 when he is 32.

You Can Come Back

If you were in Australia on a working holiday and didn’t do your regional work but are still under the age of 35 you ARE able to come back to Australia, when the free trade agreement kicks in.
Even if you have used your second year visa – you will be able to apply for a third year visa once the free trade agreement is finalised.

Stay Up To Date On Visa Information

The post Working Holiday Visa Update: No More Farm Work, Free Visas and More appeared first on Welcome to Travel.

Visa Changes for Brits: Age Limit Changed From 30 to 35, No More Farm Work and 3 Year Visa

Darryl Newby — Tue, 15 Jun 2021 10:29:30 +0000

News about working holidaymakers travelling to Australia has been hard to come by recently. However, that changed today, with huge developments for people from Britain looking in to the possibility of a working holiday in Australia.

No More Farm Work

In the trade agreement between the UK and Australia, Boris Johnson pushed for the removal of the mandatory regional work if a Brit on a working holiday visa wanted to extend for another 12 months, which has been in place since 2005.

The work includes:

plant and animal cultivation in regional Australia
fishing and pearling in regional Australia
tree farming and felling in regional Australia
mining in regional Australia
construction in regional Australia

This work previously allowed a traveller to extend their stay for a 2nd, and then 3rd year (if more work was completed). The new deal will see Brits get a total of three years on a working holiday, a program that encourages young travellers to experience the best of Australia.

Age Limit Increased To 35

Another major change is the announcement that the working holiday visa age limit will change to 35 years old, following in the footsteps of other countries such as Canada, France and Ireland.

Previously you could only arrive in Australia on a working holiday visa before you turned 31. This will now permit that you can arrive in Australia on a working holiday visa before you turn 36. This is a huge change and an incredible opportunity for people that thought they had missed out, to give Australia a go.

What To Do Now?

This has just been announced and is an agreement and has not been made policy. So don’t go quitting your farm job if you’re in Australia and don’t go applying for a visa if you’re in the UK.

The finer details of how and when this, and a special agricultural visa will work are yet to be released.

If you’re wanting to be kept updated on any visa announcements then sign up for our newsletter below. Here at Welcome to Travel we make it easier for you to start your working holiday with tours in both Melbourne and Sydney.

We also help our travellers with employment with our expansive database of employers and recruiters. We have a dedicated community team that are your constant network of support whilst you’re travelling here.

If you have any questions at all about travelling Australia, contact us here and we’ll help you with anything and everything.

Keep Up To Date

The post Visa Changes for Brits: Age Limit Changed From 30 to 35, No More Farm Work and 3 Year Visa appeared first on Welcome to Travel.

How I Got A Job In Travel Through An Internship

Annisa Maher — Tue, 06 Oct 2020 06:05:18 +0000

I think it’s fair to assume that many people who are fresh out of university and on the hunt for their first full-time job often feel overwhelmed.

This is probably largely due to the fact that there is an overwhelming amount of competition for entry-level jobs, growing pressure to “stand out” and an unrealistic expectation to have 5 years of experience under your belt by the age of 20. Maths was never my favourite subject at school, but I know that doesn’t add up.

Needless to say, I certainly felt this pressure and to add to it, I had the misconception that to work in the travel/tourism industry, you need to have travelled extensively around the world, which is a naive belief that I can now thankfully look back on and laugh about.

But looking back, the best thing I could have done to set myself up and give myself a chance was to get work experience.

In my case, I managed to snap up two short-term internships between getting my Bachelor’s Degree and finishing my Masters, and they definitely paid off when the time came to go fishing for my first full-time adult job.

Internships can lead to work contacts that you’ll use in the future, networking opportunities, the chance to further develop your hard and soft skills and just generally help you develop an understanding of what to expect in the workplace and make the transition easier.

And don’t get me wrong, I understand that not everyone has the luxury of being able to devote extra time and energy towards another project ON TOP OF what they’re already trying to juggle, but if you are in a position where you can make that sacrifice, it will definitely be worth it in the long run.

I know you didn’t ask, but here’s a bit on my background (yes, it's one of those blogs...)

I was born in the Philippines, to an Indonesian mama and an Australian dad. Fast forward five years, dad got a promotion and an opportunity to relocate to Geneva, so we packed our bags and moved across the world to a small village called Ferney-Voltaire, on the French side of the border between France and Switzerland.

This is ultimately where I grew up for the next thirteen years, up until I finished high school.

I went to international schools in France and Switzerland, which was such an epic experience/opportunity that I will always pinch myself for.

I met people from all over the world with different backgrounds, families, stories and ways of living and thinking.

It was around this time that I started to develop my curiosity and appreciation for travel, culture and learning about people. My friends were from Malawi, Sweden, Canada, Pakistan, Ireland, the U.S… the list goes on. On the surface, we had little in common, but we shared similar experiences and an open mindedness that you develop from growing up in an environment like that.

We were children of expats – parents who worked for any of the various U.N. organisations that were headquartered in Geneva, meaning we didn’t really know where “home” was, but we really liked being part of the same big melting pot.

All of this to say that even though I didn’t travel the world, I still got that enrichment from my people and my experiences. And no matter what role you go for, you will always be able to bring something else to the table that is equally as valuable and relevant.

I went off to the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia because it’s where my dad grew up and also where my parents met and fell in love.

After dipping my toes in Psychology, French Literature and Linguistics, I decided on a Bachelor of International Tourism Management because, at this point, why not.

I didn’t really know what I wanted to do (see Kimmy K GIF below for reference) but I knew that I really valued my international background and really believed in the benefits of travelling and what it could achieve. On the other hand, I understood that we needed to change the way we travel and learn to limit impacts on host communities and the environment with more sustainable practices.

During this time, I had to undertake a short internship as part of my degree and I managed to score one at a great adventure travel agency that catered mostly to backpackers.

I mainly provided administrative support for the team, but I still developed a good understanding of how a travel agency works and got to learn what travellers were looking for. It was really inspiring to see how keen these people were, some of them straight out of high school, to travel around the country and discover new things on their own, meeting people along the way and experiencing new things.

I see the same thirst in the travel legends that walk through our doors today and have the biggest drive for adventure and discovery and are willing to make sacrifices and decisions to make their travelling dreams come true.

A common road that a lot of my friends from Europe took after their Bachelors was to dive straight into their Masters, so I felt an internal pressure to follow suit.

I wasn’t quite ready for a full-time job, but I also didn’t know what I wanted to specialise in, so I decided to take six months off to work it out.

Pretty soon after, I landed a three-month internship with an ecotourism organisation and absolutely loved it. I knew that the area that I wanted to get into, sustainable tourism, is quite niche so I figured it would probably be best to do my Masters straight away.

After my Masters, I wasn’t very successful in finding a role in sustainable tourism that I had the experience for.

I had degrees under my belt with the grades to show that I knew what I was talking about, but I didn’t have the work experience to prove that I knew what I was doing (according to job descriptions).

Mind you, this is how I felt with SOME work experience, imagine how it would have been with NONE. I started branching out and deviated slightly from the path I thought I needed to go down, because at the end of the day, all experience is good experience and you will learn from each and every role you spend in. After a while, I finally came across a role for a tour company that one of my ex-bosses from a previous internship was advertising.

At this point, I was pretty disheartened at how long it was taking me to find something and didn’t have much hope.

But both Adam and Darryl made it abundantly clear that they didn’t need someone who had been everywhere and seen everything, nor were they after someone with 10 years of work experience. They just wanted someone that could adapt, show up, and step up to the plate.

It was through this whole process with them and the rest of my team that I started to see working in the travel industry (and the whole job process) through a different light.

There is no real moral to this story, but if I could give anyone some advice from all of this it would be to go out there and get as much experience as you can, in whatever forms you can.

Try to get a balance of both theoretical knowledge (if university is even the route you want to go down, because it’s not everyone’s cup of tea) AND practical experience. Internships are a great way to build on your skills and feel more prepared for a full-time job.

They can also be really instrumental in helping you decide what it is you actually want to do. The harsh reality is that it is becoming increasingly competitive out there, and you will need to prove that you have what it takes to do the job better or in a different way to someone else.

But don’t get discouraged when looking at job descriptions. Just because you can’t tick off every little requirement, doesn’t mean you’re not right for that role or that you can’t prove yourself in other ways.

And lastly, don’t be afraid to deviate from the route you had previously set for yourself – it’s okay to take a little detour, you’ll learn so much along the way.

The post How I Got A Job In Travel Through An Internship appeared first on Welcome to Travel.

Getting A Marketing or Project Manager Job in Australia

Darryl Newby — Sun, 27 Sep 2020 23:44:42 +0000

When travellers come over to Australia on a Working Holiday, the main areas they try to find a job in are hospitality, retail or a trade.

This is because generally speaking, these roles can be easier to find and secure with less formal qualifications and are more available to those on working visas.

Because of this, professionals on a Working Holiday Visa can sometimes be put off pursuing a role in their field of experience because they think they need to jump through hoops to get a job that’s not a typical “backpacker job” (but who even knows what that means).

With that being said, we’re all about giving you guys information that’s useful and relatable. So read on for two first-hand accounts from Nicole and Vicki on what their experiences were like trying to find a job in their field and how they went about it.

Nicole Sleaford - Marketing

What is your profession? Marketing

What is your home country? England

How long have you worked in this profession? 5 years!

Did you need to get any qualifications updated or translated or changed to Australian qualifications standard?

Nope! Although I imagine some companies will have specific requirements in terms of degree(s) and qualifications. The organisation I worked for just wanted me to show I had good relevant experience. The good thing about marketing is generally, all skills and qualifications are transferable in different countries!

Did you have to pass any new tests/exams? Nope!

How easy did you find getting work in your profession, in Australia? I was pretty dedicated to asking around and seeing where job vacancies were open. For example, I collated a list of possible employers and sent my CV across with a bit about my areas of specialism (social media). It’s much easier to focus your attention on temporary roles or short-term contracts (the type of role I found) as they won’t be looking for anything long term and therefore it doesn’t make things complicated with your visa which only allows you to work 6 months for one company!

Who was it that you worked for? I was the Social Media Coordinator for the Alcohol and Drug Foundation in Melbourne!

How does the standard wage compare from your profession in your home country? There was a huge difference in wage! Considering I was from a town in Lincolnshire, the wage was £10k+ more than what I was getting at home! Still over £5k more than jobs I’ve found relevant for me in cities in the UK.

What advice would you give to someone looking to work in your profession, in Australia? Definitely invest your energy into looking for short term roles and temporary contracts. I would imagine there’s a lot of marketing agencies and companies that are looking to hire locals who are able to stay with them for a long time etc, which means your application will be a no go once they realise you’re there on a holiday working visa. By applying for the short term roles, those companies are more likely to consider someone from a different country – they see it as an opportunity to bring in new ideas and see your point of view within your role. Even if it’s a 2 or 3 month contract, you are likely to earn a little more this way too, while having a chance to apply for more roles before it ends or see if the company is interested in extending your contract to the full 6 months you can work.

Profession Checklist: Are you able to give us a step-by-step checklist for finding work?
– Update CV so that is shows your latest experience (maybe even have a portfolio ready) and relevant contact details now you’re in Australia.
– Have documents ready such as a passport photo and driving licence photo. They may need this sending over to do some checks.
– Reach out to some Recruitment Agencies in the location you are looking to apply in. Some examples of these include Sharp and Carter and Hays. You may need to chase these emails up or phone the agents back!
– Use the likes of Indeed or LinkedIn to find marketing roles available within your location.
– Apply apply apply!

Vicki Renwick - Project Manager/Event Specialist

What is your profession? Project Manager / Event Specialist.

What is your home country? Scotland

How long have you worked in this profession? 5-6 years in events, overall 8 years in project & client management.

Did you need to get any qualifications updated or translated or changed to Australian qualifications standard? No, however if you are looking to work in event specifics like bump in projects then you may need to get your forklift driver certifications authenticated and whitecard in Victoria.

Did you have to pass any new tests/exams?
I would 100% ensure you have a RSA working in events in Victoria, even if not handling alcohol its something organisations check for. A lot of staff after planning has been completed on an event will be put into positions on the event itself so having this allows you the opportunity to be put forward to other areas.

How easy did you find getting work in your profession, in Australia?
Melbourne is the sport event capital of Australia so you will definitely find work if sports are your interest; but overall it just depends on the type of events you are looking for.
Short term roles = delivery of the event itself. So this could be in the form of marshalling, bar/hospitality on events, ticket sales or assisting.
*Some people don’t think this is worth doing but it will get your foot in the door if you make a good impression.
On a WHV the maximum is 6 months with a company so securing long term work really depends on you and your attitude, make a good impression in month 3 and you may be set for a sponsorship, company depending.

Who was it that you worked for? Moonee Valley Racing Club, Tennis Australia, Hotelstaff, Presidents Cup

How does the standard wage compare from your profession in your home country? You do average out to earn more in Australia than you do in the UK however you do need to work hard for it. A lot of people say they want to get into events but don’t want to work long hours or weekends but that’s really when events take place.

What advice would you give to someone looking to work in your profession, in Australia? I would say know what you want to do. I knew my passion is sport so I chased those types of contracts. If you are looking to do short term contracts then be prepared to work some unsociable hours – but if it’s your passion you’ll love it. The term ‘casual workers’ is frequently used in Australia so it could be hospitality roles or operation roles. They pay well but the work is normally over a weekend.
A lot of organisations over in Australia look for experience so if you are chasing your dream role, get some experience in Aus first. That could be volunteering or doing some short term event work. It will look good on your CV.

Profession Checklist: Are you able to give us a step-by-step checklist for finding work?
– Have your CV up-to-date with your Australian number & address.
– Register with the likes of: Event Workforce Group (https://www.eventworkforcegroup.com/) and Miles per Hour (https://www.milesperhour.com.au/)
SEEK is also decent at advertising short term admin related roles in events.
– Get your RSA or/and whitecard completed (whitecard applies for if you are working on an event on bump in stage)
– Have your personal documents scanned into your email (passport, visa confirmation, TFN, bank details) all for ease when sending onto new employer
– Keep an eye out on SEEK for recruitment days at the major racecourses and stadiums in Melbourne, come September they advertise ahead of spring carnival (that’s potential work for the month of October/November)
– Do your research of each state and what events they host so you can plan your travels around potential short term casual work, it keeps the money coming in but allows you the freedom of seeing what Australia has to offer, although Melbourne is where it’s at!

The post Getting A Marketing or Project Manager Job in Australia appeared first on Welcome to Travel.

How To Get A Job As A Nurse in Australia

Darryl Newby — Sun, 27 Sep 2020 23:40:55 +0000

Confused about how to get a job as a nurse in Australia? Read on!

Moving abroad is always going to be challenging, especially when you plan to go on a Working Holiday type adventure. The Holiday part is arguably the more appealing part of such a visa, with the Working part being a major point of stress for most travellers. Finding a job in a completely new country can be a daunting task. Especially if you do not have the resources or knowledge to point you in the right direction when you find yourself looking for a job abroad. With that said, we thought it would be helpful to our wonderful nurses out there to share some tips from our travellers on how to get a nursing job while travelling in Australia.

In Australia, most working holiday visa holders are finding it relatively easy to obtain a job within the hospitality/retail sectors or trade services. Despite these being the most common roles you should not be deterred from applying for a more specialized role/industry if you feel you have the skills or qualifications needed to fulfil such a job. Many WHV holders are mid-late 20s and early 30s who already have a degree/qualifications and a few years minimum experience in a specific field.

Here at Welcome to Travel we offer each of our travellers the support, resources and contacts they need to begin their job hunt in Australia. We’ve seen our travel community obtaining jobs in a range of industries all over the country and a few have agreed to share their experiences with us. So without further ado, here are the steps you need to take to find a nursing job while travelling in Australia.

The following tips were shared with us from two wonderful ex-travellers, Gemma Thompson and Ruth Dickinson.

Gemma Thompson

What is your profession? Registered nurse

What is your home country? Northern Ireland

How long have you worked in this profession? I have been nursing for 4 years

Did you need to get any qualifications updated or translated or changed to Australian qualifications standard?

The most difficult part of getting set up to nurse in Australia was getting my AHPRA registration. Which is the regulatory body for registered nurses in Australia (equivalent to the NMC in the UK). It is a long a costly process and took me nearly 8 months in total from applying for AHPRA to getting on the register. For anyone that is planning to come out to Australia to nurse I would recommend applying for AHPRA around 6 months before flying out. Another thing to note is a full medical is required when applying for your visa if you state on your application you are planning to work in a health care setting. There are a small amount of approved visa medical testing centres in the UK and Ireland and it costs approx. £350.

Did you have to pass any new tests/exams?
No exams thankfully

How easy did you find getting work in your profession, in Australia? I wanted to work casual agency shifts to give me the freedom to travel and have time off when i wanted. So I’m not really able to give much advice on finding permanent jobs. I did find it difficult getting nursing work initially. If you are working for a nursing agency sometimes there are not many shifts going in the cities, particularly in the inner suburbs as there is high demand for these shifts. A lot of nurses I met in Melbourne found the same problem. However, there are still loads of job opportunities available. The best thing I did was join the casual pool at one of the private hospitals. They are also always looking for rural and remote nurses.

Who was it that you worked for? I signed up for a few nursing agencies when I arrived to Australia and applied to the casual pool/bank in a few of the private hospitals giving me access to work shifts where and when suited me which was great. When lockdown hit, I managed to get regular agency work COVID-19 screening.

How does the standard wage compare from your profession in your home country? The wage is definitely better than in the UK. You can expect to earn around 40-55 AUD per hour depending on how long you’ve been qualified, where and what shift you are working. There are also enhanced rates for nurses in specialised areas such as ICU, CCU and emergency nursing.

What advice would you give to someone looking to work in your profession, in Australia? Like I said previously, getting set up to nurse is a very long and expensive process and I would highly recommend applying for AHPRA around 6 months before flying out. Be prepared for a lot of hidden costs that I know I wasn’t expecting including solicitors fees for certifying documents, the medical and applying for a working with children’s check when I arrived in Melbourne. I would also recommend getting in contact and signing up with few nursing agencies prior to flying out. A few agencies are I signed up with are Healthcare Australia, Swing Shift Nurses and YNA. It’s really easy to sign up and all these agencies will help you with the AHPRA process before you arrive in Australia. It’s been a great experience and once you get working will easily earn the money back.

Before we jump onto Ruth’s insight we just want to say thank you to medical professionals have unselfishly given so much in this global pandemic.

Whether you’re coming over to work or need a getaway, we have had nurses at all stages of their careers on our award winning tours.

If you’re thinking of coming over to Australia, we’ll send you a discount code and some more helpful tips.

Now back onto some more helpful nursing tips…

Ruth Dickinson

What is your profession? Nursing

What is your Home Country? UK

How long have you worked in this profession? Worked for 11 years in adult nursing in total but worked in Australia for about 6 months.

Did you need to get any qualifications updated or translated or changed to Australian qualifications standard? For myself, I didn’t need to get any qualifications updated or translated but depending on which country you are from or level of qualification you hold from your home country, this may need translating or converting (Australia has a degree type system for nursing qualification, so if you hold a diploma, as an example, you may need to top up with an extra course to make it an equivalent to the Australian qualification).

Did you have to pass any new tests/exams? For myself I didn’t need to pass any extra tests or exams, but this may be required depending on the qualification you hold and how this translates to the Australian qualification.

How easy did you find getting work in your profession in Australia? Fairly easy as I had to have a letter of an offer of employment as a minimum, or a definite job to arrive to in order to complete my Australian Nursing registration with the Australian Nursing Registration board. I unfortunately arrived at a time when there was a lull in agency work (I arrived in late October) so ease in. Getting agency shifts or contracted work may depend on the time of year that you arrive.

Who was it that you worked for? I worked for an agency called Swing Shift Nurses which is an agency that is based in Melbourne only.

How does the standard wage compare from your profession in your home country? Australia wins certainly in terms of agency.

What advice would you give to someone looking to work in your profession in Australia?
1) Be prepared to move around for work as there may not always be work in one particular area, whether that is geographical area or area of expertise.

2) Be mindful of the time of year that you arrive in Australia, as there are peak seasons for agency and contracted work which may impact on your plans for work and travel. This may be hard to accomplish depending on how quick you get your registration in principle, how much longer you have left to physically land in Australia before your visa runs out etc so be aware that your plans may change due to these factors.

3) Embrace opportunities that are given to you whilst ensuring that you are safe to practice. It’s an interesting place to work and found that there times where people were happy to support, encourage and give advice.

Profession Checklist: are you able to give us a step by step checklist for finding work?

Apply for your Nursing Registration via the AHPRA website. This is where you will find all the information for applying for your registration and what requirements you need.

Ensure all documents are in place (qualifications/translations if appropriate, proof of identification etc)

Have an address that post can be forwarded to (this can be a hostel that you have stayed/staying at or friends house) so that your registration card and details can be posted to you.

Once your application is processed, ensure you have got your registration in principal prior to arriving.

Once you have arrived, ensure you retain documentation of proof of arrival to Australia as you will be given a period of up to about 6 weeks to physically go to the AHPRA offices to present remaining documentation (such as proof of arrival) to complete your registration. Proof of arrival can either be in the form of a stamped passport (which will be needed anyway for identification) or in the form of plane tickets. The documents that you require will be outlined prior to arrival and you must present yourself to the offices of the state that you applied to. As an example, I knew that wanted to start in Melbourne, so my AHPRA application went to the offices for the state of Victoria (in Melbourne city centre) and therefore I had to go to these offices once I landed to finalise my application.

In relation to finding work I searched on google for nursing agencies (although agencies such as Swing Shift Nurses, Geneva or HCA are just a few to look at) and then applied/contacted Swing Shift Nurses through their website in order to gain information and had a phone interview once committed to working for them. If there is a specific Hospital/Hospital group that you know you want to work for, then it would be worth looking online for contact information for their HR to then sort out application processes and gather information in regards to the sort of work they may be able to offer you.

Thank you to both Ruth and Gemma for helping future travelling nurses making it easier to come to Australia. You still may have some questions about visas or how to get set up in Australia, just go to our contact page and we will be more than happy to help.

The post How To Get A Job As A Nurse in Australia appeared first on Welcome to Travel.