There are many benefits to employing a working holiday maker, particularly if you aren’t looking for long-term staff. Those who are in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa are often prepared to work hard, as they need to fund their lifestyle and travels while away from home.
Many working holiday makers have the skills and experience required to work within the sphere of disability support. If you need support staff to only work on a specific project, contract or skill area, you may struggle to find help as most Australian residents or citizens are often either already in permanent employment, or looking for something long-term. This is where working holiday makers can be instrumental. Due to visa restrictions and their interest in travel, working holiday makers are ideal for short-term support scenarios.
There is a common misconception that it’s a hassle to employ working holiday makers due to the accompanying paperwork. However, the required documentation is pretty straightforward.
If your new employee has ticked the box at question eight on their Tax file number declaration to declare they’re a ‘working holiday maker’ here’s what you need to do:
1. Register
You will need to register as an employer of working holiday makers. Fill out the Working holiday maker employer registration form online before you make your first payment to them. You will need your:
- ABN/WPN
- entity type
- contact details.
2. Check visa
- Confirm that your working holidaymaker has a valid visa (subclass 417 or 462) by using the Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) service.
- Your employee can do this for you online, or via the myVEVO app, and send you an email verifying their details.
3. Apply tax and super
- Once you register, you must withhold 15% from every dollar your working holiday maker earns up to $37,000. The tax rates change for amounts above this.
- You also need to pay eligible super contributions as you usually would – they can claim these back when they leave Australia.
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