Moving to Australia from Canada sounds like a total dream right? Well, get ready to ditch your winter boots and pack your flip-flops. You’ll be swapping long Canadian winters for a laidback life near the beach in no time. It’s easier than you think with the working holiday visa!
As a proud partner of the Government of Canada, our team here at Stepabroad helps Canadians move to Australia on the working holiday visa. We know the process inside out and have plenty of tips to help you successfully begin your trip.
There is a lot to think about when planning your move from Canada to Australia, so we’ve put together this post answering the most common questions we get asked by Canadians thinking about doing a working holiday in Australia…
In order to be able to apply for the Australian Working Holiday Visa, Canadians must meet the following requirements:
From the day your visa application has been approved, you have 365 days to enter Australia. This is good in case you need to push your intended departure date back for any reason. But, if you have not entered Australia by day 366, unfortunately, your visa has expired and you can never apply for it again. In other words, if you don’t use it, you lose it!
As of July 2018, the age limit that Canadians are allowed to apply for the Australia working holiday visa was increased. The visa is now available to Canadians between the ages of 18 and 35 inclusively, meaning you can still apply when you are 35.
As long as you apply before your 36th birthday, you still qualify. Because you have a year to enter Australia once the visa has been granted to you, you can enter Australia when you are 36 and stay until you are 37! Who said your 30’s weren’t the new 20’s?
The Australia Working Holiday Visa allows you to move to Australia for up to three years. This is because Canadians can get a working holiday visa up to three times! Initially, with your first working holiday visa, you are granted entry for one year. That year starts the day you enter Australia.
If you wish to extend your working holiday visa for a second year, you are required to complete 88 days of specified work during your first year in Australia. Specified work is the term for work done in a regional (non-urban) area of Australia in either fishing, farming, forestry, mining or construction. This work must be fully completed before your visa expires.
To extend your visa for a third year, you must complete another 180 days of this specified regional work during your second-year visa.
Your first, second, and third years in Australia do not have to be consecutive. You can complete your 88 days of specified work during your first working holiday, then return to Canada for 6 months, 1, 3, even 5 years. You can move back to Australia on your second (or third) working holiday visa any time before you become ineligible for these visas at age 36.
The Australian government requires that you have at least $5,000 AUD in savings before applying for the working holiday visa. This money is to ensure you will be able to cover your living expenses as you begin your working holiday.
The amount of money you save before moving to Australia depends on how soon you intend to find work. If you plan to travel for a few weeks or months before settling down and finding a job, you will need to budget for this. Remember that it takes time to find work, and once you start your job, you will have to wait another two weeks before getting your first paycheck. Therefore, having more than $5,000 is of course recommended.
Working Holiday visa holders are allowed to work in any type of job, in any industry. The main restriction is that working holiday visa holders can only work for one employer for a maximum of six months. Once you hit six months, you are able to apply for another job and continue working for another six months.
The six-month restriction means that the types of jobs working holiday visa holders can get are more temporary and/or casual. The most common types of jobs that working holiday travellers get are in customer service, tourism, hospitality, food and beverage, labour, administration, and sales.
It is usually harder to get a career-related position because the employer would prefer to hire an Australian who can stay with the company for longer than six months.
Of course, having previous experience in your career field will make it much easier to land a career-related position. You can expect, however, that due to the limitations of the visa, you will land a position slightly below your current level in Canada. For example, if you are an office manager in Canada, you will be able to land a contract admin role in Australia.
Due to the six months per employer limitation, you will usually have to change jobs at least once over the course of a full year in Australia. However, you are allowed to change your job as many times as you like! Most working holiday travellers work in one to three jobs during their working holiday depending on how much they decide to work and the nature of the job.
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The amount of money you make depends on how much you work! You will earn a lot more if you are working full-time rather than part-time. The more work experience you have, the higher your wage will be. Most positions pay between $24 and $30 per hour, so you can make good money to pay for your living and travelling expenses. It’s also common in Australia to receive a higher hourly wage on evenings, weekends and holidays. Sweet, right?
The short answer is no. In most cases, employers will not offer you a position unless you are in Australia with a work permit, and available to start working. You will have a much higher call-back rate from job applications when you have an Australian address on your resume. Would a restaurant in Toronto hire someone currently in Australia? Likely not. The same applies here.
For your accommodation, we highly recommend you physically see it before you commit to it. If you really want to have a place arranged before moving to Australia from Canada, think twice. You want to be sure that you like the neighbourhood, the house/apartment, and most importantly, your roommates!
We recommend that you choose your long-term accommodation after exploring a city and getting to know which neighbourhoods you prefer. Even better, wait until after you get a job to find long-term accommodation to avoid a treacherous commute.
Stepabroad provides our participants assistance with finding both short-term and long-term accommodation all around Australia.
We help you arrange your short-term accommodation before you leave so you’ve got a place to land and get over jet lag. We’ll also explain how you get an apartment, meet awesome roommates and even how to work for your accommodation.
The first thing you need to do is open your bank account, get a cell phone plan, and apply for your tax file number. While you’re still recovering from jet lag, Stepabroad can take care of all of this!
We also arrange your airport pick up to take you to your pre-arranged accommodation, so you don’t have to think about that either!
Foreigners are able to set up a bank account after arriving in Australia. We recommend opening an Australian bank account so you can arrange for your employer to make direct deposits into your account. Before leaving Australia, you can withdraw any left-over money, and transfer it back to your Canadian account.
The great news about cell phone plans in Australia is that they are way cheaper than in Canada. There is far more competition between cell phone companies making the monthly rates lower with deals running all throughout the year. On the downside, because there are way more companies to choose from, the process of choosing a provider can be a bit of a headache. Once you’ve decided, it’s pretty quick to get a SIM card and plan set up on your Canadian phone.
Your tax file number is the Australian equivalent of your Canadian SIN number. It’s the number the government assigns to you to track and collect your income taxes. You cannot work in Australia without this, so it’s best to get your TFN application underway as soon as possible.
Moving to Australia from Canada can be a bit scary if you don’t know anyone there. Luckily, Australia is a very popular destination for travellers from all over the world. Believe us, there are heaps of opportunities to meet nice people. We always recommend staying at hostels so you can meet people in your dorm room, in the common areas, and at hostel events like pub crawls, walking tours, or rooftop BBQs.
Stepabroad offers tons of legendary ways to make new friends on our Adventure Experiences. We plan a jam-packed week for you to instantly make long-lasting connections while learning to surf, enjoying food and drink tours, going sandboarding, enjoying beach bonfires and more! Check out our Sydney and Melbourne Adventure Experiences to learn more.
The visa application is done entirely online. Thankfully that means there is no need to travel to an Australian consulate or embassy. You can submit an application from within or outside of Canada. Check out our detailed post where we break down how Canadians apply for the Australia Working Holiday Visa in five simple steps.
1-36 Months
$299
Our Australia Send Off Working Holiday Package provides all the support you need to secure your Australia Working Holiday Visa, prepare for your trip and find a job in Australia for just $299 CAD. With 1-1 guidance from our Australian travel co-ordinator you'll be ready to head Downunder in no time!
4 days
C$999
Want to start your Australia Working Holiday adventure in beautiful Sydney? Our Sydney Discovery Experience will give you a fun introduction to this iconic city, allow you to meet new friends, and provide you with the local support you need to begin living, working and travelling in Australia.
8 days
C$1,699
Start your Australian Working Holiday by checking off every item on your bucket list with our Melbourne Adventure Experience! Learn to surf, see koalas and kangaroos, and taste Australian wine right from the vineyard… all within your first week of being in Australia.
Without a doubt, there is plenty to see in Australia. Size-wise, the country offers a huge range of diversity in their landscapes and natural beauty. Australia has it all, from beaches and coastlines to dramatic outback desert scenery. If you are fond of outdoor activities and water pursuits, you will love the endless sunshine! If you are more of a social butterfly, there are plenty of big cities where you will thrive, such as Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane. If your dream is to road trip around the country, hop from one job to another, and be free – then perfect! Australia has some of the world’s top scenic roads. Just remember to be careful to watch for kangaroos, and take some time to get used to driving on the other side of the road!
There is no one single city that is best to live and work in Australia; everything is subjective depending on your individual tastes. It really depends on what you are looking for during your time Down Under. Some backpackers love Sydney, while others prefer Melbourne! Working in regional Australia can also have its benefits, as you can usually save up money very quickly in more remote locations. Also, remote roles may even make you eligible to extend your stay in Australia for an additional year (or two!), which gives you more time to check out other parts of the country.
If you are searching for office jobs or hospitality/tourism positions, bigger cities tend to have more work opportunities. However, if you are flexible with which role you take, then you will find opportunities all around the country! We have seen clients do it all, from farming to motorbike mechanics to healthcare workers! Your Travel Coordinator will be able to provide more information to help you find a role as part of your pre-departure orientation, just before you depart from Canada.
One thing Australia is very well-known for, is glorious weather all year around! Just remember, the high season in Australia is from the start of December to the middle of February. While the weather is amazing at this time of year, this means that there will be more crowds than usual. Australian schools (as well as their Kiwi neighbors in New Zealand) start their school summer holidays in December, so the main cities and tourist spots will be busy, busy, busy. Make sure that you book your travel and accommodation at least a few weeks in advance if you plan to travel at this time of year!
If you are planning to stay in a big metropolis, such as Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane, then you won’t need a car. These cities all have excellent public transport options, making it very easy to get around. While having a car can be convenient, it is not the end of the world if you don’t have your own vehicle. There are many long distance public buses that transit from one destination to another. You may also end up meeting some new friends, who you can share a vehicle with (and your adventure!).There are plenty of different ways to move around Australia, so a car is not 100% necessary if you want to go on a road trip to explore the country!
Yes! Most backpackers will pay a flat rate of 15% of their income on taxes, until they earn around $45,000 in an Australian tax year. The tax year in Australia runs from July – June, so you will not need to submit an Australian tax return until around August or September.