So you’ve had enough of your day-to-day life and you’re thinking of moving to Australia? It’s a big move from the UK – a 17-24 hour transit – but for an outdoor lifestyle it can’t be beat.
Whether you want to live a surf bum life at Bondi Beach, get artsy in the city of Melbourne or work on your sun tan in Western Australia, this guide will tell you how to make it happen.
Moving to Australia: How to get a Working Holiday Visa for Australia
The Working Holiday Visa for Australia a temporary visa for young people wanting to move abroad to work and travel for up to a year.
You’ll be glad to know the process of getting a moving to Australia and getting a Working Holiday Visa if you’re a British citizen is possibly one of the easiest processes ever.
Step 1: Apply online via the Government website, fill in your passport details and other ‘important’ stuff. You must be outside Australia when applying for your first year visa and when it is granted.
Requirements for the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417)
Be aged 18-30*
Have no dependent children
Hold a passport from an eligible country
*The Government is looking in to expanding the eligibility age to 18-35 but for now it remains 18-30.
Step 2: Pay the visa fee of £275 (AUD$440) and submit! It really is that simple.
If you’re from a different country, the fee may change. Other fees may apply too for extra information (medical certificates, police checks etc), if needed. You can check the fees here.
What the visa allows you to do
Stay in Australia for up to 12 months
Work in Australia, but usually for only up to 6 months with each employer
Study for up to 4 months
Leave and re-enter Australia as many times while the visa is valid
What now?
Now, you wait. Unless they need more information from you, your visa will likely be granted fairly quickly. My electronic Grant Letter was in my inbox less than 5 minutes after I lodged my application online. The whole process took me 10 minutes!
Global visa processing times: (updated May 2018)
75% of applications are processed in 18 days
90% of applications are processed in 36 days
I hope you found this guide useful. Luckily, moving to Australia from the UK is very simple and definitely seems one of the easiest processes for moving abroad. Now you’re ready to prepare for life in Australia – I recently wrote a post on how I moved to Australia and set up a life in just 10 days which you might find useful. It’s got a bunch of resources to use for things like banks, jobs, housing etc.
Helpful resources to prepare for life Down Under, mate.
For your Working Holiday Visa
https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/trav/visa-1/417-
For your Tax File Number
https://www.ato.gov.au/individuals/tax-file-number/apply-for-a-tfn/foreign-passport-holders,-permanent-migrants-and-temporary-visitors—tfn-application/
https://taxfilenumberaustralia.com.au
For your bank account
• ANZ: Access Advantage is $5 per month, no minimum balance, unlimited transactions
• Commonwealth Bank: Everyday Account Smart Access is $4 per month, unlimited transactions
• National Australian Bank (NAB): Classic Banking Account is free, no withdrawal fees and no minimum deposits
• Westpac: Choice Account is $5 per month
•A Westpac Choice Account will cost you $5 per month
For jobs
Gumtree https://www.gumtree.com.au
Indeed http://www.indeed.com.au
Seek https://www.seek.com.au
Jora https://au.jora.com
iBackpacker http://www.ibackpacker.com.au
Transferring Money
There’s only one company I’d recommend and that’s Transfer Wise. Money transfer companies are always cheaper than banks – their transfer rates are minimal compared to what your bank will charge you. Follow this link for a free international transfer!
Insurance
I recommend using WorldNomads because it covers a basic travelling and adventure activities, is a good price and unlike a lot of insurance companies, you can buy/update a policy while you are still travelling.
Booking flights to Australia
I always use Skyscanner to compare prices and different flight options. Use the Skyscanner search below to find cheap flights to Australia and start your Working Holiday now!
Want more? Check out my Working Holiday Series – read people’s stories of their time working and travelling in Australia.
Thinking of getting a Working Holiday Visa for Canada instead?
Read about moving to Canada from the UK here.
Want to know what it’s like doing a ski season? Read this.
Read about a day in the life of a Whistler Blackcomb lift operator.
Note: This post contains some affiliate links from trusted travel companies which I use myself. I’ll get a small commission when you click through, at no extra cost to you, which goes towards the cost of running this (awesome) blog so I can keep bringing you content to fuel your wanderlust!
