Obligations
Visa conditions
You must comply with all your visa conditions while in Australia on a Work and Holiday visa. In addition to the work and study limitations, additional visa conditions may be imposed on your Work and Holiday visa. A breach of any of these conditions may result in your visa being cancelled and you may have to leave Australia.
Studying
While in Australia on a Work and Holiday visa, you must not study or train for more than 4 months.
Working
While in Australia on a Work and Holiday visa, you must not be employed with any one employer for more than 6 months.
The 'employer' is the business for which you are working directly.
If you are referred by an agency or labour supplier to a business, you can work for six months for that business. The same agency or labour supplier can refer you to another business where you can work for another six months.
You are allowed to work with each employer for up to six months and cannot work for longer than six months in the same position, in the same location, doing the same work. The six month work limitation applies to full-time, part-time, casual or shift work.
You cannot stay in the same job beyond six months by using different employment agencies, business affiliates or sub-contracting arrangements.
More information is available on finding work, licensing or registering arrangements and employer obligations.
See: Information on working in Australia
Extending the work period
In exceptional circumstances, it may be possible to extend the period of work with one employer to longer than six months. An extension may be allowed for a very short period of time and only if there is sufficient justification to grant it.
Exceptional circumstances must be extraordinary and unforeseeable and must affect an Australian permanent resident, citizen or business.
Exceptional circumstances might include remaining in your current job:
- for a very short time (days or weeks) as you and your skills are critical to the completion of a specialised project that has unexpectedly gone over time
Example: a lawyer in the middle of a trial. - while a decision is being made on an application for a work–related visa, such as a Temporary Business Long Stay (subclass 457) visa.
Note: Work and Holiday visa holders from Chile, Iran, Thailand and Turkey must be outside Australia to apply for, and for the grant of, another substantive visa.
Exceptional circumstances do not include remaining in your current job because you:
- have the required skills or because of labour shortages
- are not able to apply for another kind of visa
Submit your request to extend your work limitation in writing the department, at least two weeks before the expiry of the six month employment limitation.
See:
Global Processing Centre (If you are from Chile, Iran, Thailand or Turkey)
Hobart Processing Centre (If you are from the USA)
Note: You will be requested to provide a letter of support from your employer.
Change in circumstances
If you obtain a new passport, you must advise the department of the new details as soon as possible.