Working holiday visa queries

[na031]

Hi,

 

I am a UK citizen just returned from a holiday in Australia and I would like to apply for the one year Australian working holiday visa so I can go back and spend a more extended period of time there next year.

 

I have a few queries surrounding the rules regarding work.

 

In the UK I am working as a freelance translator, and I would like to know if it's ok for me to continue to work as a freelance translator during my year in Australia, rather than finding short term local jobs? I would be working for UK based translation agencies, and being paid in GBP into my UK bank account.

 

From what I've read it seems like you don't have to have a job at all while you're there for the year, the visa just gives you the option to do this, although if you do get one you cannot stay in that job for more than 6 months. I'm therefore not sure if it's ok to continue to work as a freelancer while I'm over there, as it would be ongoing work, although not from an Australian company.

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks in advance.

[CaptainC]

Hi,

 

I am a UK citizen just returned from a holiday in Australia and I would like to apply for the one year Australian working holiday visa so I can go back and spend a more extended period of time there next year.

 

I have a few queries surrounding the rules regarding work.

 

In the UK I am working as a freelance translator, and I would like to know if it's ok for me to continue to work as a freelance translator during my year in Australia, rather than finding short term local jobs? I would be working for UK based translation agencies, and being paid in GBP into my UK bank account.

 

From what I've read it seems like you don't have to have a job at all while you're there for the year, the visa just gives you the option to do this, although if you do get one you cannot stay in that job for more than 6 months. I'm therefore not sure if it's ok to continue to work as a freelancer while I'm over there, as it would be ongoing work, although not from an Australian company.

 

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

 

Thanks in advance.

 

This is a little tricky. The terms of the working holiday visa are that you must not work for the same employer for more than 6 months. With you being a freelancer and doing work via an agency, it's difficult to say whether the department would consider a single agency an employer.

 

I would say that each person or company that you translate for would be your employer for the duration of the contracted work and the agent is no more than a facilitator for your work. Which would mean that you could, in effect, work for the whole 12 months for a hundred different employers, so long as the contracts aren't more than 6 months. The other issue is tax payable to the Australian government, which I can't help with.

 

This is likely a good question for a registered MARA migration agent, there are a few on this forum, hopefully one of them will pick this up and give you a simple answer. Otherwise take a look at https://www.mara.gov.au/ and choose an agent from the list of registered agents and give one of them a call. (I strongly recommend that you only use a MARA agent found through the OMARA website)