Australia is one of the most popular destinations for backpackers from all over the world. This is understandable, considering its breathtaking nature, polite people, and varied wildlife. However, another reason Australia is so popular for backpackers is the accessibility of their working holiday visas and the possibility of extending them. This article will review the ins and outs of working to receive your second or third-year visa in Australia.

What is Farm Work in Australia?

If you are on a valid Working Holiday Visa in Australia and want to stay for another year or two, you’re in luck! Australia is one of the only countries offering to extend travellers’ working holiday visas. However, it does require you to do some hard work.

To be eligible for a second Working Holiday Visa, you need to meet the following requirements:

• You need to complete 88 days of “specified work,” also commonly referred to as farm work.
• You must meet the same requirements stated for your first Working Holiday Visa. In other words, you must be aged between 18 and 31 (35 if you are from Canada, Ireland, or France) at the time of applying, have no dependent children accompanying you, and have proof of funds.

Since 2015, voluntary work does not count towards your Second Year Visa except in very rare cases, such as if it’s related to bushfire recovery work or flood recovery work in specific areas only. In every other type of work, it needs to be paid, and your employer has to provide a payslip.

As of July 2019, Australia also offers a possibility for Visa Holders in Subclass 417 to apply for a Third Year Working Holiday Visa. Starting 1 July 2024, UK passport holders will be able to receive second and third-year visas without performing farm work.

Finding Farm Work

You can go about finding farm work in a few different ways. The best and easiest way is to go off recommendations from other backpackers who have done the job before you. That way, you also get a glimpse into what to expect depending on their experience. You can find people who’ve been through the experience on forums, social media pages, and shared accommodations on your travels in Australia.

You can also find farm work online. Abroadly offers a great platform to both post and look for jobs. Other online job boards also advertise farm work, which you can find through websites such as Gumtree, Waytree, Swaggie, and HarvestTrail. Hostel notice boards usually display farm work opportunities, and some hostels serve as a base for farm workers where you travel to and stay at the hostel and get work from there.

Specified Work and Areas for Farm Work

Specified work is work carried out in selected industries and areas in Australia.

There are eight types of specified work that count towards your second and third-year visa:

1. Tourism and Hospitality in Northern or Remote Australia

This type of specified work has been in effect since June 2022, and it applies to work that directly provides a service to tourists in remote areas, such as:

• Tourist guides and operators
• Outdoor adventure or activity instructors
• Tourist transport services
• Gallery or museum managers, curators, or guides
• Hospitality workers, such as in hotels or other accommodation facilities, restaurants, cafes, bars and casinos
• Conference and event organizers

2. Plant and Animal Cultivation in Regional Australia

This is one of the most common types of farm work for backpackers in Australia, and it includes:

• Picking fruits on an orchard
• Feeding and herding cattle on a farm
• Horse breeding and stud farming
• Conservation and environmental reforestation work
• Zoo work involving plant or animal cultivation

3. Fishing and pearling in regional Australia

• Work-related directly to taking or catching fish and other aquatic species
• Work-related directly to taking or culturing pearls or pearl shell

4. Tree Farming and Felling in Regional Australia

• Planting or tending trees in a plantation or forest that are intended to be felled
• Felling trees in a plantation or forest
• Transporting trees or parts of trees that were felled in a plantation or forest to the place where they are first to be milled or processed or from which they are to be transported to the place where they are to be milled or processed

5. Mining in Regional Australia

• Coal mining
• Oil and gas extraction
• Metal ore mining
• Construction material mining
• Non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying
• Exploration
• Mining support services

6. Construction in Regional Australia

• Landscaping the grounds of a construction/house site
• Painting the interior/exterior of new buildings
• Erecting fences on a construction site
• Scaffolding

7. Bushfire Recovery Work in Declared Bushfire-Affected Areas

For bushfire recovery work to be counted towards your second or third-year visa, it needs to have been carried out on or before 31 July 2019. It also needs to be paid or unpaid work within the following areas:

• Construction, farming, or any other work in association with recovery or restitution of land, property, farm animals or wildlife
• Support services or assistance to people living, working, or volunteering in the affected areas

8. Flood Recovery Work in Declared Flood Recovery Areas

Flood recovery work is only counted as specified work for the visa if it’s been carried out on or before 31 December 2021 and involves the following:

• Clean-up, construction or any other work in association with restitution or restoration of services, land, waterways, property or infrastructure
• Providing support services or assistance to people living, working, or volunteering in the affected areas

For your farm work to be valid, it must be performed in certain postcodes, so double-check that the area you work in is eligible.

Counting Your Days

To be eligible for a second-year visa, the minimum you need to carry out is specified work for three months or 88 calendar days. You can count Australian public holidays and sick days if you get paid for them. However, unpaid days can’t be counted; this is true even if you’re unable to work due to severe weather.

The amount of hours you work also matters. You need to work standard working hours for the industry you are employed in, which is generally 6 to 8 hours a day. Working double shifts in one day or more hours than the standard won’t make you complete the days quicker. In other words, you can’t complete the farm work in less than three months. However, the specified work doesn’t need to be completed by one employer or in one go.

The same is true for the third-year visa, but instead, you must have carried out specified work for at least six months or 179 calendar days. The third-year visa didn’t come into effect until the 1st of July 2019, so the specified work has to be completed after that. 

Applying for Your New Visa

When you complete your farm work, you must provide evidence to show that you have completed the specified work. The evidence that is usually asked for is:

• Payslips
• References from your employer
• Employment verification form signed by your employer or
• An original bank statement that covers the time period of your farm work

Wages for Farm Work

The wages you get for completing your farm work will vary depending on the work that you do. As of last year, Australia set a guaranteed minimum wage for farmers to $25.41 per hour, a job that before often was paid in “piece rates.” For a hospitality worker, the national minimum wage is $21.38 per hour.

Things to Keep in Mind

One of the most important things to consider before doing your farm work is that it does require a lot of hard work. Many times, the work is of a physical nature, so a good physique is important. The days might be long, and the pay isn’t always the biggest, but it’s all worth it when you spend another year in the country you love.

If the work occurs outdoors, remember to protect yourself from the sun and stay hydrated, as the Australian heat can be intense. Use sunscreen, wear a hat, and carry a lot of water.

Make sure you plan ahead. If it rains heavily, the crop might be affected, and you won’t get paid for that day. The contracts can also sometimes be unreliable, so make sure you add in some time for unexpected things happening, such as if you need to find a new employer because the season is over, etc. Due to the uncertainty, also make sure you have some cash to fall back on in case anything unexpected happens.

Before you set off on your farm work adventure, check the legitimacy of the job. You want to ensure that the employer is registered so that the work you do counts for your visa. Remember that you need to show evidence of your employment.