How To Find Farm Work In Australia

Gabby Boucher

August 9th, 2024

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8 minute read

Many Working Holiday Makers Down Under may be wondering how to find farm work in Australia. Whether you're on a First or Second Year WHV, finding farm work is essential to extending your visa for an extra year. Farm work, or more accurately, "regional work", allows backpackers to work in rural areas to support the local economies and give back to the community. Here is our complete guide to farm work in Australia so you know what to expect on your regional work journey!

Do I have to do farm work in Australia?

You only have to do farm work in Australia if you want to extend your Working Holiday Visa for an extra year. So if you're in Australia on any other type of visa, such as tourist or student visas, or you're on a WHV but you aren't going to apply for a second year, you don't need to do farm work!

Also, the exact term is "regional work", meaning you just have to work in a valid regional area and it doesn't have to be on a farm. You can find a list of postcodes that qualify as "remote" or "very remote" on the Australian Immigration website. As long as you find work within a listed postcode, you can work in tourism, hospitality, construction, mining, tree farming and felling, or fishing and pearling. And of course, you can do farm work, which is officially called "plant and animal cultivation". 

You can also complete your regional work by doing natural disaster recovery work or critical COVID healthcare work in specified areas as well. 

First Year Working Holiday Visa Farm Work Requirements

If you're on a First Year Working Holiday Visa in Australia, you can complete 3 months of regional work to be eligible for a Second Year WHV. This is where the term "88 days in Australia" comes from, because you can count your regional work as 88 days or 3 months. The regional work must be completed during your First Year WHV, and you must have payslips and proof of employment to include on your Second Year WHV application. 

If you don't want to do farm work in Australia, you can still do a Working Holiday Visa! You can stay for up to one year and do whatever you want, including travelling, exploring, and working in any industry in any location. But to extend your WHV for a second year, you must complete your 88 days of regional work during your first year. 

Second Year Working Holiday Visa Farm Work Requirements

Once you complete your 88 days of farm work on the First Year WHV and you have your Second Year WHV, there are more farm work requirements if you want to extend longer. Australia also has a Third Year WHV!

During your Second Year WHV, you have to complete 6 months of eligible regional work to be eligible for a Third Year WHV. Again, you don't have to do this if you don't want to! But to extend your stay in Australia for a third year, you must spend 6 months of your Second Year WHV completing regional work. 

Third Year Working Holiday Visa Farm Work Requirements

Three years is the maximum time you can spend in Australia on a Working Holiday. So there is no farm work requirement for a Third Year WHV. Once this visa expires, you can only stay in Australia if you've secured a different type of visa, such as a sponsored work visa, partner visa, or student visa. Make sure you don't overstay your visa in Australia otherwise you can be penalised and might not be allowed back in!

How to find farm work in Australia

So if you're on a First or Second Year Working Holiday Visa in Australia, here are some helpful tips for finding regional work. There is no right or wrong way to find farm work in Australia, and the process is very similar to looking for any type of job.

There are lots of online resources that can help you find work, and there are old-fashioned, face-to-face methods as well. Just keep a positive attitude, stay consistent, and put in some effort and you'll find work somewhere.

Note: It's also super important to clarify with the employer and with the Australia Immigration website if a job will count for your regional work. You don't want to go through months of hard work only to find out the postcode wasn't valid or the employer doesn't sign off backpackers (which can sometimes happen). So state your goals before committing to a job to ensure you can apply for your intended visa. 

Here are the most common ways to find farm work in Australia!

Contact employers directly

One way to find farm work in Australia is the old-school method of contacting the employer and asking for work. If you're near a farm, or any other business that qualifies as regional work, just drop in, introduce yourself, and hand in a resume. You never know who may be looking to hire, so it's worth showing up and expressing your desire to work. 

Job search websites

Check local job search websites to see if anyone is hiring in regional areas. Some popular options include Indeed and Seek. LinkedIn is also an option for finding hospitality and tourism work, though this is more used in the corporate world. Gumtree is a popular Australian website where locals buy and sell goods, and sometimes you can find jobs and accommodations advertised there as well. 

Farm work websites for backpackers

Some job search websites are specifically geared towards farm work for backpackers in Australia. This can help you narrow down your search! Backpacker Jobs Now is a great resource, as is AgriLabour Australia and the Harvest Trail Job Search on Workforce Australia. 

Facebook groups

Facebook groups are another handy tool for finding farm work in Australia. If you have a Facebook account, login and search for Australian backpacker groups. There are lots of different groups that have different names, but they are all easy to find. These groups make an interactive platform for backpackers to share information, and the topic of farm work often comes up. You can hear about other backpackers' experiences and job recommendations, and sometimes locals post there to find employers as well!

Find farm work in Australia through friends

The final method for finding farm work in Australia is just word of mouth! As you hit the backpacker hotspots around Australia, chat with your peers and ask about farm work. Hostels are the perfect place to meet other travellers. There is a massive backpacker community in Australia where lots of people have their own farm work experiences and contacts, so you might be able to find a job through a new friend you meet!

What months are best for farm work in Australia?

In reality, the best months to do your farm work in Australia are the first few months when you arrive! The worst thing you can do is leave your farm work until the last 3 months of your Working Holiday Visa. Then you'll be scrambling to find work and stressed about getting it done in time. Do yourself a favour, and complete your regional work ASAP! Don't leave it until the last minute. Then you can take your time finding the right job for you, and you can enjoy the remaining months of your Working Holiday. 

Other than that, the best months to do your regional work will depend on the season. If you're picking fruit, you may only find work when the fruits are ripe (summer for blueberries and autumn for apples, for example). If you're working in hospitality and tourism, you may have a better chance of finding work during peak tourist season. Jobs like construction and mining are generally available year-round. So do your research and apply at the best time for your desired industry!

Do you get paid for farm work in Australia?

Yes, you get paid for farm work in Australia! You have to provide your official payslips for your visa applications, so it's actually a requirement that you get paid. Any employer that advertises "work for accommodation" or cash payments should be avoided. If you don't get an official payslip, and have corresponding bank statements that match, your Working Holiday Visa may be denied. All pay is subject to Australian taxes and you should get Superannuation payments as well. 

The pay for farm work in Australia varies. Most jobs pay an hourly rate, and legally you should make at least minimum wage. Some farm work jobs pay much more than minimum wage! Some fruit picking or packing jobs pay piece rate, meaning you get paid according to the amount of bins you pick or pack. 

If you're unsure whether or not your farm work job is paying you fairly, you can check Australia's Fair Work Ombudsman to read up on the current employment rules.

If you have more questions about your Working Holiday in Australia, check out our full list of handy articles!

When you're ready to have fun and travel after farm work in Australia, check out our amazing East Coast itineraries or ask our travel agents about other destinations!