Location
  • Australia
    • Sydney
    • Melbourne
    • Perth
    • Brisbane
    • Adelaide
Length
26 - 52 weeks

Program Details

Activities
Animal Viewing Surfing
Timeframe
Year Round
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
18
Age Max
30

Pricing

Starting Price
420
Price Details
Our Kickstart Australia program includes the working holiday visa (worth $495 AUD), visa application processing, guidance on setting up bank account, guidance on setting up tax file number, and tax refund support at the end of your trip.

Want job assistance, access to our jobs database, airport transfers, accommodation when you arrive, guided tours, surf lessons, and more? Our Essential or Ultimate programs are more your vibe. Head to our website to learn more.
What's Included
Visa
What's Not Included
Accommodation Activities Airfare Airport Transfers Meals SIM cards Travel Insurance Visa
Apr 11, 2023
Mar 28, 2016
132 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Life’s a beach when you have the salt in your hair and dollars in your pocket. Swap work suits for wetsuits and boardrooms for board shorts with a job Down Under.

With your visa, 12 months’ job access, hostel nights, social events and essentials such as your tax number and Aussie bank account all included – our Work Australia program is the ultimate way to earn money, grow your skills and live the dream for a year. Or two if you go for a second visa. Read on...

The job bit: Australia working holiday visas allow you to work anywhere in the country and in most sectors, giving you the flexibility to find career or casual work. Our Global Jobs team source and vet employers around Australia who are looking to take on working holidaymakers right now.
The money bit: Australia has a high minimum wage – currently AUD $20.33 an hour.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Comprehensive arrival orientations (select cities)
  • Regular social events to build connections and make new friends
  • Optional activity week on arrival – a jam packed week of activities seeing the sights
  • BUNAC’s Booking Promise (T&Cs apply)

Program Reviews

4.33 Rating
based on 6 reviews
  • 5 rating 66.67%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 33.33%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.2
  • Support 4.35
  • Fun 4.2
  • Value 4.85
  • Safety 4.85
Showing 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Default avatar
Carl
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

WorknHoliday Australia

I spent a portion of a year in Australia thanks to the help of the staff at BUNAC. It was one of the most valuable experiences of my life. The WorknHoliday program is awesome for people who want to go abroad, but not be totally on their own. The program provides guidance through all the steps of getting prepared for the trip, as well as getting you set up once you arrive. They have a hardworking and passionate team of people on both ends, and you are really taken care of with your best interests in mind. I really enjoyed my time there and am truly grateful for the help and support I received. I would highly recommend this to someone who wants an adventure with their own support group right there with them. 5 stars!!

What would you improve about this program?
Less expensive
132 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Mike
3/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Good for young, first time travelers...not others.

I think my wife and I were expecting different things from this program than what they provided. The communication and details on the program were a little lacking, and I can't say we felt like much was taken care of.

We were told multiple times that someone would call us to set up flights and they never did. On one of the emails we were sent there was also some misinformation about where we could book a flight to. So when we booked our own flight, we made a mistake and lost a few hundred dollars on tickets that we didn't need.

The visa process was something you can easily fill out on your own if you're from the US, and the job opportunities available through the company are really only good options if you're willing to move around a lot and only live in a city/region temporarily. This is fine if that's what you're hoping to do, but again, we didn't feel this was clearly stated.

Pretty much everything else that was set up was nothing difficult or special. The only thing that we were really assisted with was getting our TFN, and I'm sure we could have figured that out if we needed too.

The staff are all very friendly and helpful, but if you're someone who isn't afraid to ask around and do a bit of googling, or who has ever traveled abroad before, this program really isn't for you. It's probably much better for first timers.

136 people found this review helpful.
Response from BUNAC

Hi Mike,

Thank you so much for your feedback. We do apologize for the confusion surrounding the Melbourne office. At the time we were changing in-country partners and it seems that you got caught up in that. We will have an office in Melbourne starting in April, so we would be happy to send through information on that and you can take advantage of all resources available there.

Our job database is updated daily and job availability ranges from a few days to a few months, all over the country. If you are having difficulty finding work I would suggest reaching out to the resource center for assistance.

Please let us know if there is anything else we can do to improve your experience. You can email us at info@bunacusa.org with any questions or concerns.

Hope that you are enjoying your time Down Under!

Best,
The BUNAC Team

Default avatar
Ketevan
3/5
No, I don't recommend this program

Not worth the money

Unless this is your first time moving abroad or looking for work, I wouldn't bother with BUNAC's services if you're a native English speaker. Everything they offer can be easily done yourself.

The visa application itself is very easy, no need for their guidance on that front. Getting your TFN number (for taxes) is a simple form. They delayed my number for a while because the woman at the office wanted to "check with me about something" and insisted I come back to the office to talk to her. She wanted to make sure I was legally married and submit the application properly in front of me so she "doesn't mess anything up." She only knew I was married because it came up in a casual chat! No where on their paperwork did it ask if I was married, and I assumed it was irrelevant.

The first-days benefits went unused because I was not allowed to add on a second person (my husband) to my airport shuttle reservation, nor upgrade my room type at the hostel, or switch it to another time/location.

The SIM card went unused because they give you the most expensive cell carrier in Australia-- $20 more per month! It's better if you're out on the farms, but I wasn't going to do that.

I booked knowing I wouldn't use many of their services, but I knew I wanted help getting work, from both their jobs board and their employees.

As for the job board, it's nice, but it's riddled with omissions. Many listings say "email your resume" only to have a phone number provided. That's because they lift the jobs from Seek, and Seek has an internal submission that they can't replicate on their job board. So I would be forced to call and get the email and I was never called back for any of those jobs because it makes you look pretty incompetent. (No, I tried and could not find the same listings on Seek itself.)

There are two women who are charged with helping us find work. They are both backpackers on their 2nd work holiday visa, and they're German and Italian. They're very nice and their English is good, but that's not what I was looking for. I wanted an Australian's perspective on wording choices in my resume, which was impossible for them to do.

In general, this is a good idea for non-English speakers who will have trouble navigating paperwork and visas because it's difficult in a second language. But if you speak English, then it's all very straightforward on your own.

139 people found this review helpful.
Response from BUNAC

Hi Ketevan,

Thank you for your feedback. Our support packages are usually aimed at people that are travelling alone, moving abroad for the first or second time or want everything set up for them when they arrive in country so they don't have to figure out taxes, banking, SIM card, etc. on top of jobs and accommodation. So we find it provides the perfect amount of support!

We can usually have someone added to a reservation, but we need to know in advance for the shuttle and hostel and it is always based on availability.

I brought all of your comments to our in-country team and they provided a bit of an explanation about the jobs board and SIM cards. They advised that their Job Board is an amalgamation of jobs that they select from a variety of sources, and this is an additional resource to the Job Agency in Sydney. They mentioned that Telstra is the most expensive provider and they go with a less expensive option as they know most of their customers are young travellers on a budget.

If you have any other questions or comments feel free to email us at info@bunacusa.org and we can continue this conversation. I have also brought all of your concerns to the in-country team so they are aware and can use your feedback for future participants. We hope you have a fantastic year abroad and please let us know if there is anything else we can do to help!

Default avatar
Laura
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The best year of my life - thank you BUNAC!

I genuinely can't thank BUNAC enough.

It all started with one of BUNAC's group flights from LA to Australia (with an incredible stop over in Fiji). From the moment we all met at the airport I knew I'd made friends for life - and I was right! Knowing I had friends to settle into Sydney with made the whole process so much easier and I couldn't recommend it more!

The support we got throughout the year was awesome and I was lucky enough to never be out of a job for long thanks to the recruitment agency BUNAC signed us up with.

The only thing I would change is not being able to get a visa for life... I never want to leave Australia.

What would you improve about this program?
It couldn't. Absolutely incredible.
128 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Todd
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

BUNAC Work Australia Ultimate

The package was really well run, and it was great to start my first week off in Australia with a group of likeminded travellers. I opted for BUNAC's Ultimate programme so got to explore Sydney on an inclusive week of activities and accommodation. We stayed in Wake-up which is an awesome backpacker hostel in the middle of Sydney. The initial support with banking and tax was great and job support came straight after. I opted to stay in Sydney for a while so was able to make use of the job support team in the Sydney office right away. The office is in a good location of the city, and the staff there are so friendly and knowledgeable! Would highly recommend the program.

128 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Sarah
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Had the time of my life in Oz with BUNAC

This programme is absolutely great for a first time traveller or anyone who is travelling alone and wants to make a lot of great mates along the way. I took the group flight through BUNAC so I was already in great company with 18 other like-minded travellers! BUNAC took all the stress out of the trip and I felt supported right from the start. On arrival into Sydney we were taken to the Sydney office and given a full welcome orientation which was incredibly useful. The job hunting resources were also great and I had found work within 2 weeks and a great apartment share within 3 weeks. I always felt like I had somewhere I could go for advise and support and the Sydney office had some awesome social events as well! Overall my year in Oz was incredible and it was thanks to BUNAC that I made so many amazing friends and everything from jobs to setting up a bank account ran smoothly. I would highly recommend them to any traveller.

137 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers

Hi There, Thank you for your email and interest in our BUNAC programs. Our programs are open to worldwide citizens, however if you’re not a UK, Irish or American citizen you must be able to independently gain a visa for your intended destination.

Hi Amber! On average, participants find work in 2-3 weeks. Our programs are full-support packages so there are many resources and support services available to use to help you find jobs. Some of which include job databases, resume assistance and 1-on-1 meetings with a job coordinator. Email info@bunacusa.org with other questions!