Regional work for 2nd year Visa in June

bestleftfull3 · 09-04-2015 4:50am #1

Hi All

Myself and my girlfriend are currently living in Melbourne at the moment and on a working holiday visa, our first year is up at the end of October so we will be heading off in June to find regional work that will cover our 2nd year we are willing to travel anywhere but would prefer queensland, just a few questions

- what areas of Australia would have regional work in June?
- Does anyone have any contacts for regional work?
- We both have fully driving licenses which should be an advantage
- We would both like to work on hourly paid jobs and piece rate can be poorly paid
- Do you think we have a reasonable timescale of getting our 88 days done before October 25th if we start in the first week of June?

Thanks in advance
Michael

minzabud · 09-04-2015 8:41am

If you change employer you will have to complete 88 days work, I had 3 different employers so it took me over 4 months to get mine done, 12 weeks if your with the same employer.

If you want to make some money and not live in a caravan on a farm I would advise going to Adelaide and if you can't find a suitable job just do labour hire and work in construction, have a look at the specified work, you can do things like lay carpet and run tv cables and all of South Australia is regional so you can live right in the city.

My partner found it hard to get work but ended up working on a weigh bridge during the grain harvest which fell under "immediate processing of grain".

bestleftfull3 · 09-04-2015 11:07am

minzabud wrote: »

If you change employer you will have to complete 88 days work, I had 3 different employers so it took me over 4 months to get mine done, 12 weeks if your with the same employer.

If you want to make some money and not live in a caravan on a farm I would advise going to Adelaide and if you can't find a suitable job just do labour hire and work in construction, have a look at the specified work, you can do things like lay carpet and run tv cables and all of South Australia is regional so you can live right in the city.

My partner found it hard to get work but ended up working on a weigh bridge during the grain harvest which fell under "immediate processing of grain".

Thanks for the reply minzabud! Been living in melbourne the last 6 months living the city life so looking for a regional area to keep quiet and save some
Money something that's not easy in the city Darwin is and option were also checking out Queensland North a lot of regional work seems to be word of mouth or turn up at different towns and hope for the best will start the 2nd week of June and have until the 25th of October so should have plenty of time

Misty Chaos · 09-04-2015 6:02pm

bestleftfull3 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply minzabud! Been living in melbourne the last 6 months living the city life so looking for a regional area to keep quiet and save some
Money something that's not easy in the city Darwin is and option were also checking out Queensland North a lot of regional work seems to be word of mouth or turn up at different towns and hope for the best will start the 2nd week of June and have until the 25th of October so should have plenty of time

Speaking from personal experience, I wouldn't count on things going 100% to plan. Some people ( especially girls ) were waiting 3 - 4 weeks for work in the banana farm town in North Queensland I was in ( the wait time was much shorter for guys as they are always needed generally. )

And yes, a lot of farm work is word of mouth, if someone didn't tell me about the working hostel I ended up in, I'd have overlooked it! That said, the internet is still a useful tool for looking up farm work but be weary of scams and I DO NOT recommend farm work that pays by the bucket, I know people who did that and made nothing from it.

witnessrenegade · 10-04-2015 4:33am

WA is very good for money for Farming, I did mine in Kununurra, worked from the end of Jan to the start of May but was off my 88 days by 23 but still got approved for my second year, during that time I saved heaps too, over 10k which was good considering I drank and partied every weekend. Though I have a lot of friends who have done their farm work on the East Coast and have said it's been great too, just stay away from Mildura! Like a previous poster said, a lot of farmwork is got simply by being in the hostel when they are looking for workers in the town. In Kununurra, we have the Job Shop who a lot of farmers in the area go through to get people to work for them, that's who I went through to get my farm work. They also have an office in Perth and they work alongside a lot of the wineries in that area

Here is a link that gives a brief rundown on a lot of places in each state where farming occurs and the best time to go to each place, this might help you decide on where you will go to find your farming. http://jobsearch.gov.au/documents/harvest%20guide%20-%20august%202014.pdf

aido79 · 10-04-2015 6:05am

minzabud wrote: »

If you change employer you will have to complete 88 days work, I had 3 different employers so it took me over 4 months to get mine done, 12 weeks if your with the same employer.

If you want to make some money and not live in a caravan on a farm I would advise going to Adelaide and if you can't find a suitable job just do labour hire and work in construction, have a look at the specified work, you can do things like lay carpet and run tv cables and all of South Australia is regional so you can live right in the city.

My partner found it hard to get work but ended up working on a weigh bridge during the grain harvest which fell under "immediate processing of grain".

http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/417.aspx

The list of approved occupations is on the above link. Just because all of South Australia including Adelaide is on the list of postcodes that qualify doesn't mean a person can work at just any job and get a second year visa. Laying carpet and running tv cables isn't on the list. People have been caught out with this before so make sure the job you do qualifies you for a second year.

bestleftfull3 · 10-04-2015 6:14am

Thank you for all the information will be looking in to it more closely in the coming weeks !
Wish it was a lot easier but if we need to go to a working hospital and get on a jobs list and wait so be it !

-=al=- · 10-04-2015 6:54am

It can take quite longer than the actual 88 days to get it done and things can change a lot along the way!

Help exchange (helpx.com) is a site where you can sign up and work for accommodation and food and can be an option.. Some farmers may even sign you off for a few extra days.

Wwoofing is also the same but with more options. The registration/book is like 90$ or something.

South Australia and Adelaide in particular I enjoyed for doing some farmwork... McLaren Vale on the weekdays picking grapes and Adelaide on the weekends. Even got a job picking grapes for $20 an hour as aposed to 1-2$ breaking your balls by the bucket. I loved SA.

I also picked oranges in Renmark, SA and lasted 3 days... for about $35 a day for dangerous ball breaking work and totally not worth the risk and pay. But those 3 days spanned over a week of time since you may not work every day. (That can be the time killer)

If you don't leave the country and come back in they don't get as angry at you for the 2nd year Visa if you do your 2 years in a row there.

Plant Nurseries are a little gem for regional work since they count too... so jobs in garden centres/plant nurseries are a sneaky little number to get in on and usually hour rates.

Avoid the working hostels at all costs. I had my own van and transport and didn't pay much (if any) on rent and heard of so many people getting shafted with working hostel nonsense and waiting lists. A camper van or your own accommodation will save costs massively. Hostels sometimes accept vans in their parking spots so you essentially bring your own room and avoid the hassle but have all the fun.

As for my regional work experience, I picked grapes, oranges, worked in an equestrian centre, helped build a "hostel" with an absolute nutjob and worked in a plant nursery/landscaping in Alice Springs maintaining gardens for C.I.A houses! ..I even almost worked on a garlic farm and on a remote ranch but always loved the adventure.

Queensland is very popular for visa folk (which brings on the shaftyness from the working hostels) but a bananas are tough up there and driving through some places there I was glad I avoided it. Not to say it can't be done but I just heard more bad than good stories about the jerbs there.

A friend did get 12 weeks straight picking flowers hourly paid in Tasmania and it was all done and dusted very fast for him. If you want to travel and see the country it will take longer to get the days done but you will see a lot more and I loved it all... But I tried to see a broader bit of Aus and did avoid too much time in the big cities (as awesome as they were)

There are lots of options for the visa so explore them all and don't get shafted! check reviews, ask around, and use a bit of common sense and you'll be grand.

bestleftfull3 · 10-04-2015 7:10am

-=al=- wrote: »

It can take quite longer than the actual 88 days to get it done and things can change a lot along the way!

Help exchange (helpx.com) is a site where you can sign up and work for accommodation and food and can be an option.. Some farmers may even sign you off for a few extra days.

Wwoofing is also the same but with more options. The registration/book is like 90$ or something.

South Australia and Adelaide in particular I enjoyed for doing some farmwork... McLaren Vale on the weekdays picking grapes and Adelaide on the weekends. Even got a job picking grapes for $20 an hour as aposed to 1-2$ breaking your balls by the bucket. I loved SA.

I also picked oranges in Renmark, SA and lasted 3 days... for about $35 a day for dangerous ball breaking work and totally not worth the risk and pay. But those 3 days spanned over a week of time since you may not work every day. (That can be the time killer)

If you don't leave the country and come back in they don't get as angry at you for the 2nd year Visa if you do your 2 years in a row there.

Plant Nurseries are a little gem for regional work since they count too... so jobs in garden centres/plant nurseries are a sneaky little number to get in on and usually hour rates.

Avoid the working hostels at all costs. I had my own van and transport and didn't pay much (if any) on rent and heard of so many people getting shafted with working hostel nonsense and waiting lists. A camper van or your own accommodation will save costs massively. Hostels sometimes accept vans in their parking spots so you essentially bring your own room and avoid the hassle but have all the fun.

As for my regional work experience, I picked grapes, oranges, worked in an equestrian centre, helped build a "hostel" with an absolute nutjob and worked in a plant nursery/landscaping in Alice Springs maintaining gardens for C.I.A houses! ..I even almost worked on a garlic farm and on a remote ranch but always loved the adventure.

Queensland is very popular for visa folk (which brings on the shaftyness from the working hostels) but a bananas are tough up there and driving through some places there I was glad I avoided it. Not to say it can't be done but I just heard more bad than good stories about the jerbs there.

A friend did get 12 weeks straight picking flowers hourly paid in Tasmania and it was all done and dusted very fast for him. If you want to travel and see the country it will take longer to get the days done but you will see a lot more and I loved it all... But I tried to see a broader bit of Aus and did avoid too much time in the big cities (as awesome as they were)

There are lots of options for the visa so explore them all and don't get shafted! check reviews, ask around, and use a bit of common sense and you'll be grand.

very informative thank you very much !!

We are looking to start the second week in June and have until the 25th of October although it seems like a nice bit of time I'm very worried we won't get it done on time.

Ideally I'd like somewhere for the 12 weeks hourly paid but sure if it was always that easy I wouldn't be on here asking questions! I've done a bit of travelling already and plan to do more once the regional work is finished!

Mellor · 10-04-2015 7:54am

minzabud wrote: »

If you change employer you will have to complete 88 days work,

That's not correct. Changing employer has no impact on the way your work/days are counted.

If you work for 3 different employers, you could get the required days done in 3 months, as long as you are working full time.

minzabud · 10-04-2015 8:28am

aido79 wrote: »

http://www.immi.gov.au/Visas/Pages/417.aspx

The list of approved occupations is on the above link. Just because all of South Australia including Adelaide is on the list of postcodes that qualify doesn't mean a person can work at just any job and get a second year visa. Laying carpet and running tv cables isn't on the list. People have been caught out with this before so make sure the job you do qualifies you for a second year.

The Australian New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) provides further detail about eligible work in mining and construction. Work undertaken in the mining and construction sectors must appear in the ANZSIC division for these sectors to meet the specified work requirement.

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/FBCF784BD1ACE4C0CA257B9500133E37?opendocument

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/8B6EFD55A6AE5167CA257B9500133D08?opendocument

minzabud · 10-04-2015 8:32am

Mellor wrote: »

That's not correct. Changing employer has no impact on the way your work/days are counted.

If you work for 3 different employers, you could get the required days done in 3 months, as long as you are working full time.

I could not count weekends as I changed jobs so based on a 5day week it took over 4 months to actually work 88 days.

From what immigration have told me when i inquired if you are with the same employer you can include weekends whether you work them or not as you are available for work.

aido79 · 10-04-2015 1:10pm

minzabud wrote: »

The Australian New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) provides further detail about eligible work in mining and construction. Work undertaken in the mining and construction sectors must appear in the ANZSIC division for these sectors to meet the specified work requirement.

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/FBCF784BD1ACE4C0CA257B9500133E37?opendocument

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Latestproducts/8B6EFD55A6AE5167CA257B9500133D08?opendocument

If those were links to the immigration website then I would believe you. People should really check with immigration before starting a job if they are not sure if it will qualify.

minzabud · 11-04-2015 12:43am

aido79 wrote: »

If those were links to the immigration website then I would believe you. People should really check with immigration before starting a job if they are not sure if it will qualify.

Agreed you should always check, I found that information through the link you posted so it's their for anyone to make their own mind up, given the amount of conflicting information out there its better to make sure, some of regional work I did was installing solar panels which my application for my 2nd visa said I did roof repair as part of the job which is also in the construction division.

aido79 · 11-04-2015 12:56am

minzabud wrote: »

Agreed you should always check, I found that information through the link you posted so it's their for anyone to make their own mind up, given the amount of conflicting information out there its better to make sure, some of regional work I did was installing solar panels which my application for my 2nd visa said I did roof repair as part of the job which is also in the construction division.

Fair enough. It's better to check anyway. I wasn't having a go at you it's just that some people are under the impression that you can work in a pub or roadhouse and as long as the postcode is right then it counts. There was a pretty unpopular poster on here a few years ago who got ridiculed for making that mistake.

Mellor · 11-04-2015 3:58am

minzabud wrote: »

I could not count weekends as I changed jobs so based on a 5day week it took over 4 months to actually work 88 days.

From what immigration have told me when i inquired if you are with the same employer you can include weekends whether you work them or not as you are available for work.

You were mistaken I'm afraid.
If you are working full time you can count days off, that's the only thing that matters in that regard.
Changing employer doesn't affect that in any way.

How to calculate specified work
'Three months' means three 'calendar' months or 88 days. Work can be either:

in one block with one business
in separate blocks with one business or a number of businesses. Blocks of work may be in different kinds of specified work.

...
Applicants whose work is equivalent to full time employment may count weekends in the 88 day period.

So you could work full time in one job for June and July. Then go away and work full time for a new employer during August and counts as over 88 days.
Even if you took a break between employers and work for September, it still counts.

If you were told otherwise it was wrong. Plain and simple.
What they were probably thinking of was if you work for two employers at the same time weekends don't count.
That's because you are working part-time for two employers, not full-time.

Applicants whose work is equivalent to full time employment may count weekends in the 88 day period.

Regional work for 2nd year Visa in June

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