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Visa Condition 8547: Working Holiday 6-Month Employer Limit Explained
Visa condition 8547 limits a Working Holiday Maker to a maximum of six months' work with one employer unless an exemption applies or written permission is obtained. It is a mandatory condition on Working Holiday Maker visas and can also appear on some Bridging visas.
How the six-month limit works
Home Affairs says the six months runs from the day the visa holder starts work and is based on elapsed months, not on the number of hours or days worked. Full-time, part-time, casual, shift and voluntary work can all count for the condition.
Current exemptions
The Department currently permits certain Working Holiday Makers to work for the same employer for more than six months without requesting permission where the work falls within published exemptions. These include work at different locations where no single location exceeds six months, plant and animal cultivation, natural disaster recovery, and specified critical sectors such as agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care, childcare, tourism and hospitality. Additional Northern Australia industry exemptions also apply in specified circumstances.
When can you request permission?
Home Affairs states that permission may be considered where the visa holder has applied for another visa that allows ongoing full-time work and is awaiting a decision, or where the employer shows that the worker's ongoing employment is critical to the business.
The request should be lodged before the initial six-month period ends. Home Affairs states that a person who submits the request in time may continue working for the same employer while waiting for the written outcome.
Self-employment and labour-hire arrangements
For self-employed workers, Home Affairs treats the end user as the employer for condition 8547 purposes. The Department also warns that a person cannot avoid the six-month limit by changing employment agencies, business affiliates or subcontracting arrangements while remaining in the same position, location and employer relationship.
Check your own visa conditions
Visa conditions must be checked against the individual visa grant. Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) shows the conditions attached to a current in-effect visa.
See the full Australian Visa Conditions Database for related conditions and guides.
This article provides general information only and is not migration or legal advice. The Migration Regulations 1994 and Department guidance can change, and the legal effect of a condition depends on the individual visa and circumstances.
