World Farm - Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply?
Please email: jschmidt@ocii.com or fax your resume to Jac's Journeys at 780 662-3604.

• Be sure to list 3 work references so that Jac can contact your old or present boss to forward on their great comments about you to farmers in Australia.
• List work hours on farm equipment, that is - make and model of equipment and how many operating hours you have put in. Always be accurate in your reporting of hours worked on equipment. Do not over exagerate. Overstating your work skills can be difficult for both farmer and employee. 
• List experience with live stock, welding, fixing machinary etc
• List cerficates, drivers licence e.g. class 1 is held.
• List your start work date. Remember you must take in to account travel time, jet lag and the time needed in your arrival city to set up an Australian Taxation Office Number etc.

When are the best times to get work?
Peak periods are seeding  and harvest of summer crop, (March-June) and harvest of winter crop, (September - December). 

What kinds of work are available?
 Please follow this link to OutBack Staff: Agricultural Work in Australia for International Travellers for job descriptions.

How much will I be paid?
Wages vary from $13.00 to $18.00 AUD per hour (Gross before tax) while seeding but you may be on a general weekly rate while things are quiet. Hours are long (usually 12 hour shifts 7 days per  week at the height of the season - just like home). Accommodation and meals are supplied and in most cases, free of charge.

Do I have to pay tax in Australia?
Most working holiday-makers are tourists or travellers visiting Australia and are not Australian residents for tax purposes. As foreign residents, you pay tax on every dollar of income you earn in Australia at a flat rate of 29%. However, unlike Australian residents, your foreign income is generally not subject to Australian tax and you do not pay the Medicare levy. As working holiday makers you may have tax withheld from your pay during the year. At the end of the year, you will only receive a refund if the amount of any tax withheld exceeds your tax liability. 

What are my costs?
 Your airfare, (dependent on routing, airlines, season of travel), 
Taxes: airport and air taxes, Security Fees, Fuel Surcharges etc, (approx $350.00 - 380.00CAD), 
World Farm administration fee, ($100.00CAD ), 
Hospital / medical and trip cancellation and interruption insurance, ($1.10/day Hos/Med insurance - see details below), 
Australian Holiday Makers Visa, ($180.00AUD ), OR, the fee for 31+ sponsorship
Accommodation and travelling costs in Australia

How long can I work in Australia?
Typically, applicants live and work in Australia for a period of 12 months, (you can however, opt to choose a shorter stay), as this ties in with the Australian Governments 12 month Working Holiday Maker program and the duration of your airline ticket.

How do I apply for my Working Holiday Makers Visa?
If you are between the ages of 18 - 30, have not previously held a Working Holiday Makers Visa to Australia, you can apply on line.
Please follow this link to the Australian Embassy in Ottawa.

I want to work in Australia again. Can I get another Visa?
You can return to Australia on a Temporary Business Entry Visa (long stay) subclass 457 which provides entry for 6 months for persons who have been sponsored to work in Australia.
Out Back Staff can sponsor you if: - you have an work record of excellence and the required skills. (See next section for costs).

What if I am over 30 and I wish to apply?
Out Back Staff of Australia can sponsor applicants to work in Australia.  Fees for sponsorship are $A 760.00. This amount includes the Department of Immigration's fees, the Australian Standard Skills Assessment (which is compulsory), the costs associated with the preparation and lodgment of the visa, the compliance of our statutory regulations regarding payment of wages, superannuation and taxation and the administration of the labour agreement, without which the sponsorship opportunity would not exist.

I don't have any agricultural experience or it is very limited but I still want to go, what can I do?

Stayed tuned! World Farm learning and training opportunties in Australia are under development.

Do I need insurance?
Insurance is mandatory. Jac's Journeys works with Travel Insurance Coordinators for your insurance needs. For those applicants between 18 - 30 years, inurance is $1.10/day. You are covered to $2,000,000.00 for hospital and medical expenses.
T.I.C has a very user friendly web site.

How do I extend my insurance?
Contact Jac's Journeys prior to the expiration date of your insurance policy. You then simply pay for the requested number of days needed plus an Extension Fee of $10.00 CAD. 
Please remember, failure to extend your policy BEFORE it's expiration will forfeit your eligibility for the extension. All insurance policies sold in Canada have this policy.

Trip cancellation and interruption insurance is highly recommended, please speak to Julianne for more details on this.
 

Profile of Jac's Journeys 
Jac's Journeys is an Agricultural Travel Consultancy dedicated to servicing the agricultural sector, especially fully independent travel for adventurers or students seeking employment in Australia.
 Jac's Journeys is owned and managed by Julianne Cumming Schmidt. Julianne is a graduate from Victorian College of Agriculture and Horticulture, Australia and  Grant MacEwan Community College Travel Consultancy Program,  worked for International Agricultural Exchange Association, has over 10 years of travel industry experience, some past clients include: New Holland Canada, the Canadian Bison Association,  Cherokee County Cattlemans Association, Oklahoma and Bell Agricultural personnel. Julianne now resides on the family farm in Tofield Alberta - a beef feedlot mixed grain operation. 
 

CONTACT

Jac's Journeys
Ph: 1 866 666 0686 (toll free) or 780 662 4763
Fax: 780 662 3604