Applying for second year on a working holiday visa?

I have a working holiday maker's visa which I'll be starting on September 30th. I was under the impression that after doing 3 months work I can apply for another 12 months so that I could spend a total of 24 months in Australia. The travel agent just yesterday advised me that it's not as simple as working for 3 months... you have to do fruit picking. Is this right? The Visa just says "3 months seasonal work" which i guess means she's probably correct.

Basically, I have a very good job here in the UK which I'm quitting to go over there, then the savings I have I'm pretty much using to do 2 months travelling all up the east coast and center (~11,000Km). I was hoping to get a job as a programmer in Melbourne like I already do in the UK here. I've already been in touch with a few companies and the prospect is realistic. However, does this mean I'd not be able to stay for 24 months as programming does not count as "seasonal" work? :( The idea was to earn enough money to travel on the west coast during my second year of my visa. I'm taking a wild stab in the dark here but I'm guessing fruit pickers earn very little?

Also, I've been looking over the locations to do fruit picking in and none of them look very close to Melbourne which is where my friends live who I haven't seen for a long time and was looking forward to catching up with. I'm sure I'll just bite the bullet and do the fruit picking if that's what I need to do but I just wondered if someone could shed some light on this? :)

Ah-ha! So it's true. Found this on the immi.gov.au site.

<blockquote>Quote
<hr>Seasonal work

Seasonal work is any type of work that is undertaken as the employee of a primary producer, including for example:

plant and animal cultivation
o harvesting and/or packing fruit and vegetable crops
o pruning and trimming vines and trees
o general maintenance crop work
o cultivating or propagating plants, fungi or their products or parts
o immediate processing of plant products
o maintaining animals for the purpose of selling them or their bodily produce, including natural increase
o immediate processing of animal products including shearing, butchery, packing and tanning
o manufacturing dairy produce from raw material
fishing and pearling
o conducting operations relating directly to taking or catching fish and other aquatic species
o conducting operations relating directly to taking or culturing pearls or pearl shell
tree farming and felling
o planting or tending trees in a plantation or forest that are intended to be felled
o felling trees in a plantation or forest
o transporting trees or parts of trees that were felled in a plantation or forest to the place where they are first to be milled or processed or from which they are to be transported to the place where they are to be milled or processed.
Mining
o operating equipment to excavate, load and transport minerals
o mining and materials engineering.

Note: The work does not need to be paid work. Work undertaken as a volunteer or through the Willing Workers on Organic Farms (WWOOF) scheme can also count toward the three months of seasonal work. <hr></blockquote>

Yep, you found it.
Make sure you download the form for keeping track of it.

For finding work start here at the Harvest Trail

You can work for any one employer for no longer than 6 months.

Do you not have skills which might get you a proper work permit anyway? There will be details on the immi website as to how to qualify.

Doesn't sound like the OP wants to get a proper work permit myshkin.

All I can suggest is, do the three months seasonal work early on, then you will have 21 months to work in Melbourne and catch up with your friends. You never know, you might even enjoy fruit-picking.

I do have skilled which qualify me for the Skilled Migrant Visa and the idea is that if I enjoy my two years on a Holiday visa, I will most likely apply for a skilled migrant visa.

Computer Programmers are on the skill shortages list with high points and my experience and age gives me enough points to apply. I've always had a desire to move out to australia but it's all fantasy since I've never actually visited it. For that reason I didn't think it was very sensible to apply directly for the skilled migrant visa before I've spent a year or two out there :)

I was just chatting to my housemate from melbourne yesterday night and it seems that in Australia, a 180Km trip to work is not seen as a long way. (Melbourne -> Shepparton). The thought of doing fruit picking grew on me after chatting about it actually. At least it's active and (probably) sociable work. I'd probably just do it in 1-month blocks rather than 3 months continuous.

Did I just write "I do have skilled" ? :P

Better brush up on your English language skills. ;P Apparently you'll be tested on it.

I think most people would think the 180km to Shepparton is a long way to go to work every day, especially if you have to drive yourself. However, there are people who commute Bunbury/Australind - Perth, Blue Mountains - Sydney, Geelong - Melbourne, Gold Coast - Brisbane, etc, so there are people that do it. Whether you want to do it is up to you. Personally I wouldn't, but I also would go crazy if I had to sit in peak hour traffic in the cities.

Perhaps you should work in computers for a year (or nine months), and if you like it, apply for the migrant visa. If you're not sure, do your seasonal work then, and spend another year making a decision.

Did your housemate from melbourne mention that fruit picking or any other type of vegetable picking is pretty hard work? you're out in the elements, rain wind, hot, cold, and have to do a lot of bending over, lifting weights etc. leading to sore backs, feet, fingers... if you're used to an office job it would probably come as a bit of a shock, but then again, if you're up for a challenge, give it a go.

I wouldn't travel 180 km for work. maybe once in a while, but if you do it all week, every week you rountine would be get up- drive-work-drive again-sleep. not nice.