Applying for permission to work longer than 6 months with 1 employer
If you hold a Working Holiday (subclass 417) or Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa, you can do any kind of work over the course of your 12-month stay in Australia. However, the conditions of your visa limit you to a maximum period of 6 months’ work with any 1 employer, unless we have given you permission to work longer. If you work longer than 6 months without permission, you are in breach of your visa conditions.
For situations where you DO NOT need to ask our permission to work longer than 6 months with 1 employer. See
Visa conditions 8547 – 6 month work limitation.
Applying for permission
Requests for permission to work longer than 6 months are only approved in limited circumstances.
Your request to extend the employment period may be approved where you:
- are an
au pair
- have applied for another visa in Australia that would let you continue to work for your employer full time and are waiting for our decision
- have exceptional circumstances, for example:
- Your work is critical to a project that takes longer than expected. For example, you are a lawyer working on an extended trial.
Exceptional circumstances must:
- relate to an Australian permanent resident, citizen or business
- be out of the ordinary
- be unforeseeable
To apply for permission:
There is no fee to apply for an employment extension.
Au pairs
Permission to work longer than 6 months with 1 employer may be given where a Working Holiday (subclass 417) or Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa holder has been employed as an au pair with a family and is seeking to continue that employment for a further period.
To be considered an au pair, your primary responsibility must be the care of a family's children, rather than any domestic work. The youngest child being cared for should not be older than 12 years of age (that is, primary school age or younger).
