What are the benefits and challenges of being on a Working Holidays Visa?

Year after year an increasing amount of working holiday visa holders are coming to Australia to live the dream down under! I hate to break the news but realistically the dream does not become a reality until you can secure employment. Sydney is an expensive place to live with accommodation at an all-time high and everyday living as expensive as it has ever been! Your savings you thought would last when you arrived might not last that long. Speaking first hand and having experienced everything this time last year I can’t express enough how important it is to get work ASAP! I can openly admit I was lucky to find a role I enjoy and in a role I am constantly developing within has definitely been the key factor to me personally living the dream down under!

Working as a recruitment consultant I can see firsthand how many working holiday visas apply to each and every role along with every other applicant. The market is extremely competitive. In Australia you will have the right to work with one employer for up to 6 months and then another employer for a further 6 months on a 417 WHV. This is an obstacle for long term roles as you will be immediately excluded from the process with the restrictions coming into play for any roles over 6 months.  You have the option of doing 88 days of regional work to gain your second year visa which can be a great experience. If you manage to complete your 88 days you can apply for your second year visa and you can work again with the same employer on a 6 month restriction basis.

Why use a working holiday visa?

Firstly, anyone on a working holiday visa will be committed to a role and will perform to the highest level in order to stay in the position. As a recruiter there is no better feeling than giving someone the chance to impress and then getting great feedback about the candidate.  This will immediately make a consultant try their utmost to keep you working and gives you the best chance for extending your contract and also getting that Sydney work experience. Another bonus will be that short term roles will be no problem with the restrictions and the fact someone on a WHV will need to work makes a WHV the ideal candidate. Short term roles will be an area where a skilled WHV will accept and then possibly extend if excelling in the role. Location is a key factor and with the amazing public transport in Sydney being on a working holiday visa you will be happy to move and travel for work if the opportunity arises. Finally a working holiday visa is a restriction but everyone should be looked at the same. If the position is within the 6 month restriction and the candidate possess all the skills they should be considered for the role and given the chance because I know I was!

  Paul  Cullen, Recruitment Consultant.

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