Working Holiday Visa in Australia FAQs

Can anyone apply for a 417 Working Holiday Visa?
This visa is for people aged 18 to 30 years of age, who are interested in a working holiday of up to 12 months in Australia.

You may only apply for this visa if you are off shore and hold a passport issued by a country or region participating with Australia in the Working Holiday Maker Programme.

Do I need a job before applying?
No, you are free to apply for a 417 Working Holiday Visa without a definite job offer.

What does the visa let me do and how long can I work for?
If you are granted this visa you can amongst other things:

• enter Australia within 12 months of grant.
• stay up to 12 months.
• leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.
• work in Australia for up to 6 months with each employer, for a maximum of 12 months employment.
• study or train for up to 4 months.

If you hold a second Working Holiday visa, you may return to work for a further 6 months for an employer with whom you worked on your first Working Holiday visa.

So where are the benefits of working through Lester Associates?
 We can offer you an affordable management solution that will maximise your revenue and minimise your administration hassles.

Why don’t I just work directly with the agency who found me the job or with the company which has recruited me directly?
Well, you could do that but they aren’t experts in salary packaging and tax law so they probably won’t be able to offer you the same financial advantages that we can here at Lester Associates. Bottom line - we can make your money go further.

This all sounds a bit corporate, do I need Lester Associates’ management solution, I’m only on a working holiday visa?
The honest answer is that you could work here in Australia without Lester Associates but we offer a professional and compliant service that has helped and financially benefited 1000’s of working holiday makers over the years.

I have heard that I may be able to claim back both excess tax and superannuation paid during my time in Australia; is this true?

This is true and what's more we can help you do this, thus making your hard earned dollars go even further. If you have worked through Lester Assocaites for in excess of 3 months we will help you complete your tax return free of charge, we can also show you how to reclaim your superannuation deposit upon departure from Australia. 

If I like Australia can I stay on a longer term basis?
Yes you can. Subject to satisfying certain criteria related to work experience and education, Lester Associates can sponsor you through the 457 visa programme allowing you to further your career in Australia on a longer term basis. This is a core focus of our business so please contact us to find out more. 

What do I do now?
Give us a call, or drop in for a chat with one of the team and we’ll propose a solution that’s right for you. Most of us have backpacked the globe at some time or another………at the last count we had visited collectively over 100 countries……..so we are familiar with your situation and are happy to help.

How do I contact you?