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Rightyabe's Guide to a DIY Working Holiday Visa.

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24

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    #32
    miajen
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4 ✭miajen


    defo doing it this way, fair play excellent post::)


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    #33
    jimthemental
    Registered Users Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭jimthemental


    In Melbourne since Friday and I should have work by the end of the week. This thread has been a massive help. Thanks a million!


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    #34
    smartietube
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭smartietube


    Hello all! I applied for the visa and got an email saying I was accepted just a few hours later.
    I just wanted to know what I will actually need when I arrive in Australia. Is it just the visa grant number i need, or do I need other stuff like garda clearance, proof of funds, and that type of thing?


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    #35
    HiGlo
    Registered Users Posts: 561 ✭✭✭HiGlo


    Wow, fantastic thread....!
    As someone who has done this already I can see how useful and clear the information is. I did my similarily as I did it all myself - well, we did it - I travelled with 3 others. (we all have a strong travel business background!)

    It's great to be organised and have everything sorted before you go but I wouldn't stress too much about it as things seem to happen quicker in Oz. We allowed ourselves about a week or two in Sydney before we started travelling and used that time to get our admin stuff sorted, TFN, bank accounts, sim cards etc... It was all very quick and easy.


    I'm so jealous!! I'd give my right arm to do it all again.....!!


    Actually, another thing I'd advise taking the "do it yourself" route on, is claiming your tax back after you've worked in Oz. Pretty much everyone I was there with went through an agency or accountant and, of course, they take usually about 10% of whatever you get back. An accountant friend of mine, totally bemused, said to me, "why don't you just do it yourself??"..... So I did. It was pretty easy and didn't take too long. Just go onto the ATO website and download the form. I got back just over €4.5k in tax so that's €450 better off in my pocket than someone elses...... Oh, and one VITAL piece of advise, when filling in the from you need to declare that you are "resident for tax purposes". Otherwise you'll get crap all money! ha


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    #36
    markymark21
    Registered Users Posts: 595 ✭✭✭markymark21


    smartietube wrote: »
    Hello all! I applied for the visa and got an email saying I was accepted just a few hours later.
    I just wanted to know what I will actually need when I arrive in Australia. Is it just the visa grant number i need, or do I need other stuff like garda clearance, proof of funds, and that type of thing?

    All you need is your passport. Although I will be having a print out of the confirmation e-mail just for safety sake! In regards to the proof of funds they say that 5K is required but in reality they rarely check i'm told.


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    #37
    jimthemental
    Registered Users Posts: 2,004 ✭✭✭jimthemental


    markymark21 wrote: »
    All you need is your passport. Although I will be having a print out of the confirmation e-mail just for safety sake! In regards to the proof of funds they say that 5K is required but in reality they rarely check i'm told.

    Most employers ask to see that visa confirmation so I'd advise everyone to print it and have it handy.


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    #38
    smartietube
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭smartietube


    Thanks guys. I just can't believe how easy and painless that was.
    I recently applied for the canadian visa aswell and you wouldn't believe how much more hassle that was!


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    #39
    fizzlefozzle
    Closed Accounts Posts: 34 ✭fizzlefozzle


    Take a bubble bath before you leave, cut your hair, look respectable, have all the **** with you you plan to get asked for before you leave.

    They never checked me, but I was ****ting it going through the Australian border control, I used to watch that film on sky tv ... Border Security or something, where they kick everyone's ass going through.

    I landed in the evening, you need to fill out a border control pass, so you need the flight number you just arrived in on (You think it's obvious, but I lost my 'ticket slip' so I hadn't a clue -- so make sure when you in on the last leg of the flight, to store the slip away, because you need to fill that out). Theres other **** you need to fill out, like where you are staying, and contact address, and phone number.

    I remember helping a couple of asians trying to fill it out too, obviously they couldn't speak the language.

    I remember queuing up, with my backpack, into this massive queue, and one of the border police goes 'You can go out this way' like a side way OUT, and I was like 'Are you sure? You mean I can go?' and they were like 'Yeah, Enjoy Australia mate'.

    So, once you are past border control, basically, THATS IT.


    Oh, from what I remember:

    You need the flight you came on, or the aeroplane.
    You need how much money you have in your bank.
    You need your visa.
    Your passport.
    The hotel you are staying at first (make sure to bring even a hostel address with ya)

    Forget what else, you need!


    On the way OUT of Australia, I looked dodgy and dirty, i basically got targeted for a full strip search by the explosive squad.


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    #40
    josephanthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭josephanthony


    Great post man, will be heading off next month and will definitly be using this post as a reference:D


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    #41
    Hue.G rection
    Registered Users Posts: 22 ✭Hue.G rection


    Wow, this was so helpful!! You are a star! I only decided on going to oz for definite today and have spent hours researching, his has given me the most helpful information!

    One question tho....None of my friends are interested in going and I think i'll bite the bullet and go on my own! I don't really feel like waiting around for them to change their minds and i'm planning on going next summer!

    Is this idea wise, or should I at least find someone to travel over with??

    Thanks a million :D


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    #42
    josephanthony
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7 ✭josephanthony


    Hue.G rection wrote: »
    Wow, this was so helpful!! You are a star! I only decided on going to oz for definite today and have spent hours researching, his has given me the most helpful information!

    One question tho....None of my friends are interested in going and I think i'll bite the bullet and go on my own! I don't really feel like waiting around for them to change their minds and i'm planning on going next summer!

    Is this idea wise, or should I at least find someone to travel over with??

    Thanks a million :D

    I havent gone traveling myself but i do know alot of people that have gone by themselves and they loved the experience. The thing about traveling is that everybody is there for the same reason. When i went to NZ I went traveling with my girlfriend, at the start it felt weird because you were in a different country with no contacts and not knowing where to start. So we went straight to the pubs and you know how us Irish people love the pubs lol. Long story short we left NZ leaving so many friends that it was the best experience of my life. Given that it was NZ and the prefered choice is OZ. I would just go for it and i would say you will love it.


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    #43
    seachto7
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,863 ✭✭✭seachto7


    Just a quick one on when you land, and you feel like hooking up with some mates and going on the beer.
    I arrived out end of January/start of Feb this year for a wedding, and flew straight to Sydney from Ireland where it was about 7 degrees when I left.
    There was a heatwave in Sydney when I landed, and I bought a bottle of Kahlua, went straight to my cousins apartment in Ranwick, he came back, went on the beer, polished off the bottle of Kahlua between us, had a late night in town, got absolutely trolleyed drunk, and spent the entire next day puking, trying to cope with the heat, and falling in and out of sleep. DON'T DO IT!!!!


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    #44
    Mellor
    Registered Users Posts: 39,100 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    HiGlo wrote: »
    Pretty much everyone I was there with went through an agency or accountant and, of course, they take usually about 10% of whatever you get back. An accountant friend of mine, totally bemused, said to me, "why don't you just do it yourself??"..... So I did. It was pretty easy and didn't take too long. Just go onto the ATO website and download the form. I got back just over €4.5k in tax so that's €450 better off in my pocket than someone elses......
    That's not true. No agent takes their fee as a % of what you get back.
    It costs about $100, if you have a simple return and the amount isn't massive then its not worth it. If you have a more complicated one then it can be worth it. I've used a tax agent (even though I was well able to manage it myself) and he defo got me more than $100 extra back with extra he was able to claim.
    seachto7 wrote: »
    Just a quick one on when you land, and you feel like hooking up with some mates and going on the beer.
    I arrived out end of January/start of Feb this year for a wedding, and flew straight to Sydney from Ireland where it was about 7 degrees when I left.
    There was a heatwave in Sydney when I landed, and I bought a bottle of Kahlua, went straight to my cousins apartment in Ranwick, he came back, went on the beer, polished off the bottle of Kahlua between us, had a late night in town, got absolutely trolleyed drunk, and spent the entire next day puking, trying to cope with the heat, and falling in and out of sleep. DON'T DO IT!!!!

    What has your hangover got to do with the heat or the first day?
    You just needed to get better at drinking, the heat is coming soon, i'm sure you'll be fien after a year of training :D:D:D:D


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    #45
    hussey
    Registered Users Posts: 6,240 ✭✭✭hussey


    Mellor wrote: »
    That's not true. No agent takes their fee as a % of what you get back.
    It costs about $100, if you have a simple return and the amount isn't massive then its not worth it. If you have a more complicated one then it can be worth it. I've used a tax agent (even though I was well able to manage it myself) and he defo got me more than $100 extra back with extra he was able to claim.

    Mellor you should have said "No decent agent takes their fee as a %" a few of the backpacker agents like taxback.com etc take a % rather than a fee


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    #46
    Mellor
    Registered Users Posts: 39,100 ✭✭✭✭Mellor


    I wouldn't consider taxback.com to be agents tbh.
    They are running a scam nothing more really.


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    #47
    Theresalwaysone
    Registered Users Posts: 4,039 ✭✭✭Theresalwaysone


    Agree with Mellor. The tax agents cant actually get it back any faster than you could by doing it yourself. You might save time on error correction, but by and large backpacker tax returns are pretty straightforward and the likelihood of you making a mistake does not warrant paying a % or flat fee of any kind for it.


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    #48
    acceptable80s
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭acceptable80s


    excellent post thanks a million for all the info! :D I'm trying to decide between going to Australia or to New Zealand, either one I'll be using this post as a guide, thanks again :)


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    #49
    aisling.pw
    Registered Users Posts: 11 ✭aisling.pw


    Thanks a mill, this was very helpful! Planning to go to australia in January, do you know if it is just as easy to apply for a skilled migration visa by yourself, i know there is a lot more involved :confused:


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    #50
    Ladjacket
    Registered Users Posts: 518 ✭✭✭Ladjacket


    great thread - thanks for the helpful info.

    Flying on 20th Sept - visa got, flights booked, bank account details being sent to me tomorrow (with Commonwealth bank), Sim card sorted just needs to be picked up, staying with brother and his family in Perth for a few weeks.

    My only slight issue is that I am on medication for Crohns disease and am gonna see if i can take a years supply of tablets with me - if I had a copy of prescription, this would be ok wouldnt it?


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    #51
    markymark21
    Registered Users Posts: 595 ✭✭✭markymark21


    Theresalwaysone wrote: »
    Agree with Mellor. The tax agents cant actually get it back any faster than you could by doing it yourself. You might save time on error correction, but by and large backpacker tax returns are pretty straightforward and the likelihood of you making a mistake does not warrant paying a % or flat fee of any kind for it.


    Yeh but in fairness everything is easy and straight forward when you know how to do it, and how many times have be seen people posting when they get their return messed up because they got confused with the resident for tax purpose thing or medicare exception.. or even when some how they end up owing the revenue money!?

    If your here on a WHV I'd go with an agent. Your only here for one or two years and It means one less thing to worry about.


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    #52
    G88
    Registered Users Posts: 9 ✭G88


    Hi everyone, this thread has helped me greatly. Thanks to everyone. I'm just a little overwhelmed as to how much exactly I will need and what's the bet way to get work. I am a graduate but nothing that points to a specific job, have lots of customer service experience, so what would be good options? Is farm work easy to get? I worked in warehouse so that sort of labour would not be a problem at all.

    I have around 2600- 2700 saved. Is this enough to go or would I need a lot more? Any help really appreciated. Thanks!


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    #53
    stevplum
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭stevplum


    Sorry for dragging up this old but very useful post.Ive just applied for the visa,jus wondering, is it as easy as that,or is there any forms of any type i need to get eg garda vetting or anything of the like.cheers


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    #54
    hussey
    Registered Users Posts: 6,240 ✭✭✭hussey


    that's it, unless you have a conviction


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    #55
    sparklyEyes111
    Registered Users Posts: 89 ✭✭sparklyEyes111


    Hey all, just wondering is WHV cost gone up to 365 oz dollars for everyone now?? Applying atm and thats what's coming up to pay for it, seems so expensive compared to 2 years ago. . !!! Thanks!!


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    #56
    rightyabe
    Registered Users Posts: 812 ✭✭✭rightyabe


    sparklyEyes111 wrote: »
    Hey all, just wondering is WHV cost gone up to 365 oz dollars for everyone now?? Applying atm and thats what's coming up to pay for it, seems so expensive compared to 2 years ago. . !!! Thanks!!

    If that what it says on the immi site it must be true, I thought it went up to $380, but $365 sounds about right.


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    #57
    stevplum
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭stevplum


    it costs €285, that is an up to date price as i applied for this last week,can anyone tell me what is the best site to do my white card on as the link in the op's first post doesnt seem to work and i have googled it but the ones that seem to come up wants commisioners to sigh it??


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    #58
    ecoeco
    Registered Users Posts: 17 ✭ecoeco


    Hey guys.

    I'm planing on going to Australia in the Summer, but am going to spend a month and a bit traveling SE Asia first.
    My initial plan is to fly to Bangkok, spend some time there, then do Cambodia and Vietnam, and get a flight from Hanoi to maybe Perth as its quite cheap

    Anyone gone that route, doing Asia first?

    Have a degree in IT with limited experience over 6 years but think I'd rather work on a farm in the open than in an office, I'm sick of those :D
    A buddy of mine said he was out digging holes on a farm for 8 hours a day with a group of guys, earning $20 an hour and loved it, that sounds like bliss


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    #59
    stevplum
    Registered Users Posts: 49 ✭stevplum


    because this was so helpful to me, i would jus like to update a couple of things price wise, and let people know of current prices incase their making the big move soon just like myself.Il show his and mine,i dont have one or two prices yet but will update asap
    The OP Cost
    My cost
    Working Holiday Visa --- € 171
    €285
    One way flight to Perth --- € 670
    €586
    10% Deposit for Hostel --- € 24
    n/a
    1 year Travel Insurance --- € 130
    €160
    White Card --- € 65
    €71
    Sim Card --- € 3
    n/a
    Bank Account --- Free
    TFN --- Free


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    #60
    Apollo_Creed
    Registered Users Posts: 52 ✭✭Apollo_Creed


    Hi guys, maybe this is a stupid question but if you book your flights on skyscanner or kayak etc, can you check your luggage all the way from Shannon or Dublin to Oz ie not having to pick them up at Heathrow or the stopover.
    Also, for stopovers in Sydney or Singapore/Hong Kong etc how long would ya need?


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    #61
    The_Hustler
    Registered Users Posts: 1,191 ✭✭✭The_Hustler


    I booked mine with lastminute and my luggage was checked in all the way


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