Can I work more than 6 months for the same employer on a 417 visa?

Posted on March 6, 2024 | Last Updated on November 14, 2024

Picture this, you are in sunny Australia on a working holiday visa. You are enjoying the job you’re in and want to carry on working. You begin to wonder whether or not your visa will allow you to carry on work.

Wrapping your head around the conditions of your visa can be quite confusing and frustrating at times, but it’s important you understand them to ensure you stay fully compliant with the Australian authorities.

In this blog post, we will answer the most commonly asked questions regarding the Australia working holiday visa requirements.

What is condition 8547 for working holidaymakers?

One of the first things to note in Australia on your working holiday visa is the 8547 condition.

This condition states that working holiday visa holders should not work for any one employer for more than 6 months unless an exemption applies.

This condition is designed to encourage working holidaymakers to travel and experience different types of work and locations during their time in Australia.

However, some changes have been made to this condition, we’ll explain.

How long can you work for one employer on a working holiday visa?

Previously, you could only work for 6 months for one employer on your working holiday visa.

However, this restriction has been eased in the last few years. We’ll explain below what’s changed.

Can I work more than 6 months for one employer while on a working holiday visa in Australia?

Previously the answer would have been no, you can’t work for the same employer for more than 6 months.

Before 19 January 2022, the only way you could carry on working for your employer was if they had a branch in another city and you decided to relocate there. For example, you were working for a company in Sydney and decided to relocate to their Melbourne office.

But here’s the great news – since the beginning of 2022 following through to 2024, the 6-month limitation has been relaxed!

Condition 8547 eased in 2022

This condition was first eased for some time on 19 January 2022.

Under the new terms, you were permitted to work for a single employer for the entirety of your visa period, even if it extended beyond 6 months, without having to seek permission.

This adjustment remained in effect until June 30th.

The additional thing to note is that If you were employed by an employer before 1 July 2023, you could extend your work with the same employer for an extra 6 months after 1 July 2023, as previous work time didn’t count towards the 6-month limit.

Condition 8547 further eased in 2024

A decision has been made to resume easing the working holiday visa 6-month rule from 1 January 2024.
Therefore, you can work for the same employer with no permission for over 6 months in the following circumstances:

• The work is in different locations and the employee doesn’t stay for more than 6 months at one location
• The work is in any of the following industries: plant and animal cultivation, tree farming and felling, fishing and pearling, mining and construction, and natural disaster recovery
• Or if you work in critical sectors such as food processing, agriculture, childcare, or services for the elderly and people with disabilities, hospitality, and tourism

If your work doesn’t fall under any of these circumstances, you’ll need to obtain permission before you can work for the same employer for more than 6 months.

What happens if I work for more than 6 months on an Australian working holiday visa?

In Australia, if you work longer than the 6-month limit and you don’t fall under any of the circumstances mentioned above, you are considered to have exceeded your visa limitations and your visa could be cancelled.

As well as that, your employer may face issues with the Australian authorities.

Can you work 2 jobs in Australia on a working holiday visa?

Thinking of working 2 jobs in Australia? You can certainly hold 2 jobs on a working holiday visa.

However, typically, employment with any single employer is restricted to a 6-month duration, unless you meet the circumstances under which condition 8547 was relaxed.

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How many hours can I work on a 417 visa?

A 417 visa allows working holidaymakers to work full-time, part-time, casual or voluntary work.

Note that if the 6-month work limit applies to you, this starts from the day you begin working and is based on the amount of time that has passed, not the number of days or hours you have worked.

As a working holidaymaker in Australia, you can work in any location, industry, or occupation.

What is the 88-day rule in Australia?

If you are planning to stay in Australia for a second or third working holiday, it’s important that you know about the 88-day rule.

This 88-day rule is a rule that you have to work at least 88 days of specified work in certain regional areas if you want to extend your working holiday for a second or third year in Australia.

This means that you would need to work five days a week continually for three (if you are applying for a second year) or 6 months (if you are applying for a third year).

Some Australia working holiday jobs that are considered specified work are the following ones:

• Agriculture in regional Australia
• Construction in regional Australia
• Fishing in regional Australia
• Forestry in regional Australia
• Mining in regional Australia
• Plant cultivation in regional Australia
• Tree Felling in regional Australia
• Tourism in remote and very remote Australia
• Bushfire work in bushfire-affected areas
• Recovery work in natural disaster-affected areas

Note that from 1 July 2024, if you are a British backpacker, the 88-day rule no longer applies to you.

This means that you won’t need to complete regional work in order to be able to obtain a second or third working holiday in Australia.

What jobs can you do on a working holiday visa in Australia?

The 417 working holiday visa allows you to work any job that decides to hire you.

A lot of larger corporations and businesses can often be hesitant to hire working holidaymakers, as they are aware of the unpredictable nature of travelers who are in Australia on a working holiday visa.

In saying that as long as you speak English and have good experience, jobs will be very easy to come by.

Some of the best working holiday jobs in Australia suitable for working holidaymakers are:

Hospitality

Bar and restaurant jobs are always quite popular with working holidaymakers, as they are fairly easy to find and pay very well.

The downfall with jobs in hospitality is that you may have to work long and odd hours which can make travel difficult.

Retail

As hospitality, retail jobs are relatively easy to find, especially in high seasons like summer and Christmas.

The great thing about retail work is that the pay is good and the hours are flexible.

Since the work in retail is seasonal, you have the option to work during the busy season, save your money, and use it to travel around Australia in the off-season.

Regional work

Regional work refers to any type of farm work, which can be anything from picking fruit to planting crops.

Note that it is difficult work and normally doesn’t pay great, but it is a way of earning a second-year visa for Australia.

Hostel worker

Hostel work can be another great option for backpackers in Australia.

The biggest benefit of hostel work is that it’s easy to come by and is often located in favourable cities for working holidaymakers.

However, the downside is that most hostels run work for rent agreement, rather than a paycheck. This means that backpackers are required to work in return for a bed in the hostel. Although this is not the case for all hostels, it’s common practice in Australia.

Can I extend my 417 working holiday visa?

For a lot of people, one year in Australia is just not enough. But not to worry, you can apply for a second-year 417 extension visa.

You may be eligible for an Australia working holiday visa extension if you meet the following conditions:

• You have to be between the ages of 18 and 30 (inclusive) or 18 to 35 if you’re a Canadian, French, Irish, Italian, Danish or UK citizen
• You must have complied with all the conditions of your first working holiday visa
• You must hold a valid passport
• You must have sufficient funds to support yourself
• You may need to complete at least three months of regional work in Australia during your first working holiday unless you are a British citizen

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Who can help me get a 417 visa?

If you haven’t left for Australia yet, you may be wondering how you can get your hands on a working holiday visa. Look no further, Visa First has got you covered.

With over 20 years of experience in the visa and employment permit application process, our visa agents will prepare your visa ensuring you have all the correct documentation.

In order to apply for a 417 visa you must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• You are aged between 18 and 30, or between 18 and 35 for some nationalities
• You have a valid passport from an eligible country which is valid for the duration of your trip
• You will not have a dependent child with you during your stay
• This is your first working holiday visa
• You have enough money to support yourself
• You are of good health and character

How to apply for your Australia working holiday visa?

At Visa First, we can help you apply for your Australia working holiday visa.

To apply, you can first use our eligibility checker to determine whether you are eligible to apply for a working holiday visa with us.

Once eligibility is determined, simply create an online account and fill in our quick application form.

After submitting the necessary documentation, we’ll handle the rest.

We will contact you once we have any updates. In the meantime, you can keep track of your visa in the ‘Applications in Progress’ section of your Visa First account.

Why apply with Visa First?

• Benefit from our fast and reliable service
• A dedicated visa agent will assist you every step of the way
• We’ve been helping people obtain their visas worldwide for more than 20 years
• Our customer satisfaction rate surpasses 96%