Working on farms in Australia
Working on farms in Australia is one of the fastest ways to make money as a newcomer. There are thousands of farms that always need people for harvesting and pruning, and for those on a Working Holiday visa, it is also the way to get the second-year visa.
But you have to go with the correct information. Here is the complete harvest calendar by state, the actual visa rules, and above all, your rights as a worker.
First of all: they have to pay you the minimum wage, even if you are paid by the kilo
Many farms pay piece-rate: so much per bin, per box, or per kilo harvested. It is legal. What No It is legal for that to leave you below the minimum.
Since April 2022 there has been a daily minimum wage guarantee. For each day you work, your employer must pay you at least your hourly rate multiplied by the hours worked that day, even if you picked very little. If your piece-rate tally comes out lower, they are required to make up the difference.
Furthermore, the piecework agreement It must be in writing before starting, with the detailed unit price.
Your nationality and your visa do not reduce your labor rights. Check your exact pay rate at Pay and Conditions Tool from the Fair Work Ombudsman and keep a daily record of your hours. If something doesn't add up, write to us.
The 88 days for the second visa
If you have a Working Holiday visa, farm work can give you a second year in Australia. You need 88 days specified work for the second visa and 179 days for the third one.
Important if you have a Spanish or Latin American passport
Almost all of our students from Spain and Latin America go with the visa subclass 462 (Work and Holiday), not with the 417. And the list of valid jobs is different and more restrictive:
- Agriculture and livestock: valid throughout regional Australia. It is your top choice.
- Construction: valid in regional Australia and the North.
- Fishing, pearls, forestry, and logging: they only count in the Northern Australia.
- Tourism and hospitality: only in the North or in areas classified as remote. A café in rural Victoria does not count; the same job in Cairns or Darwin does.
- Mining It doesn't count on the 462 at all.
It all depends on the exact zip code where you work, no matter how rural the place seems. Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Gold Coast, the Perth metropolitan area, and the entire Capital Territory are excluded. Tasmania, the Northern Territory, and all of South Australia (including Adelaide) do qualify. Check the postal code before If you accept the job: it's no use finding out at the end.
Off-the-books work doesn't count. If you get paid in cash without a payslip, those days do not count toward your visa and, furthermore, you cannot claim anything. You need payslips, a contract, and for the employer to declare your hours. It is the number one mistake that ruins second visas.
What work is really like
Let's be honest: it's tough. You usually start at 6 in the morning to avoid the heat, and when working piece-rate you have to be fast for the numbers to work out. Not everyone can handle it. These are the things that make a difference:
- Get that car or van if you can. It allows you to move from farm to farm asking around, and public transport in rural areas is almost non-existent.
- Prioritize tree harvesting over ground harvesting. Your back will thank you and it usually pays better.
- Avoid jobs that require a ladder if you can, which are slower and more dangerous.
- Ask for the type of fruit and the expected pace before accepting. Blueberries are not the same as mangoes.
- Beware of compulsory lodging. If they deduct a bed in a hostel on the farm itself from your salary at an inflated price, that is a well-known red flag.
- Save everything: hours, payslips, farm name, employer ABN. You will need it for the visa and to make a claim if necessary.
Crop calendar by state
Here is what is harvested, where, and at what time of year. Use it to plan your route: the key is to arrive right when the season starts, not in the middle.
Queensland
The "Sunshine State" grows a third of the country's fruit and vegetables, from Stanthorpe in the south to the Atherton Tablelands in the far north. More than 120 types of fruit and vegetables, with work available all year round.
| Era | Cultivation | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Dec – Jan | Banana / Sugar cane | Innisfail / Tully |
| Feb – Mar | Pear / Apple | Stanthorpe |
| Feb – Apr | Cantaloupe melon | St. George |
| Feb – Apr | Ginger | Sunshine Coast |
| Mar – Dec | Vegetables | Bundaberg |
| Apr – Jun | Citrus | Gayndah / Mundubbera |
| Apr – Oct | Assorted | Lockyer Valley |
| Apr – Nov | Beans | Mary Valley |
| Apr – Dec | Tomato / Vegetables | Bowen / Ayr |
| May – Oct | Broccoli | Toowoomba |
| May – Dec | Sugarcane | Ayr / Ingham / Innisfail |
| July – September | Ginger | Sunshine Coast |
| Jul – Dec | Onion | Lockyer Valley |
| Oct – Jan | Peach | Stanthorpe |
| Nov – Jan | Plum | Stanthorpe |
| Nov – Jan | Cotton | Goondiwindi / St. George |
| Nov – Feb | Mango / Lychee / Avocado / Banana | Mareeba |
| Nov – Mar | Cotton | Toowoomba / Millmerran |
| Dec – Mar | Assorted | Stanthorpe |
New South Wales
Combined harvesting with mountains, skiing, hiking, and surfing. One of the states with the most variety for stringing seasons together.
| Era | Cultivation | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Jan – Mar | Stone fruit | Young |
| Feb – Mar | Grape | Griffith / Leeton |
| Feb – Mar | Grape | Hunter Valley |
| Feb – Mar | Pera | Orange |
| Feb – Mar | Prune | Young |
| Feb – Apr | Apple | Orange |
| Mar – Apr | Grape | Tumbarumba |
| March – May | Apple | Batlow |
| Mar – Jun | Cotton | Narrabri / Moree |
| Sep – Oct | Asparagus | Gundagai |
| Sep – Dec | Asparagus | Cowra |
| Sep – Apr | Orange | Griffith |
| Nov – Dec | Cherry | Young / Orange |
| Nov – Apr | Orange | Leeton |
| Dec – Jan | Onion | Griffith |
| Dec – Mar | Stone fruit | Tumut / Batlow |
| Dec – Apr | Blueberry | Tumbarumba |
Victoria
Peak season from November to April, with February as the strongest month. The best areas are north-central around Shepparton and the Murray River area, with Mildura and Swan Hill.
| Era | Cultivation | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Jan – Apr | Pear / Peach / Apple | Ardmona / Shepparton / Tatura / Cobram / Kyabram |
| Jan – Apr | Tomato | Shepparton / Tatura / Echuca / Rochester / Elmore |
| Feb – Mar | Grape | Swan Hill / Robinvale / Sunraysia |
| Feb – Apr | Grape | Ovens / King & Kiewa Valleys |
| Mar – Apr | Apple | Buckland Valley / Stanley / Red Hill |
| Sep – Nov | Asparagus | Dalmore |
| Oct – Dec | Strawberry | Silvan |
| Nov – Feb | Cherry / Red fruits | Wandin / Silvan |
| Nov – Feb | Cherry | Glenrowan / Boweya |
| Nov – Dec | Tomato pruning | Echuca / Rochester |
Tasmania
The "Apple Isle" produces almost a fifth of Australia's apples, mostly in the Huon district south of Hobart. The season lasts about six months, from December to late May. Major advantage: All Tasmanian ZIP codes qualify for the visa.
| Era | Cultivation | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Dec – Jan | Soft fruit | Channel District / Huon / Kingborough / Derwent Valley |
| Jan – Feb | Scallop processing | Bicheno |
| Feb – Apr | Grape | Huon / Tamar Valley |
| Mar – Apr | Hops | Scottsdale / New Norfolk / Devonport |
| March – May | Apple | Tasman Peninsula / West Tamar |
South Australia
There is harvesting all year round in the Riverland region, with citrus fruits and berries. From February to April, the Barossa Valley is filled with grape harvesting work. Another advantage: the whole state counts for the visa, including Adelaide.
| Era | Cultivation | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Jan – Mar | Dried fruit | Riverland |
| Feb – Apr | Apple and pear | Adelaide Hills |
| Feb – Apr | Grape and peach | Riverland |
| Feb – Apr | Grape | Barossa Valley |
| Feb – Apr | Grape | Southern Vales |
| Feb – Aug | Brussels sprouts | Adelaide Hills |
| Jun – Aug | Orange | Riverland |
| Jun – Sep | Prune | Riverland |
| Sep – Jan | Orange (juice and packaged) | Riverland |
| Oct – Feb | Strawberry | Adelaide Hills |
| Dec – Feb | Apricot | Riverland |
Western Australia
The largest state in the country. Harvesting is concentrated in the southwest from October to June. From March to November, there is fishing and seafood processing work on the west coast between Fremantle and Carnarvon. And from May to October, harvesting and packing in the northeast around Kununurra. Note: the Perth metropolitan area does not count for the visa.
| Era | Cultivation | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Jan – Mar | Grape | Margaret River / Mt. Barker / Swan Valley |
| March – May | Apple and pear | Manjimup / Pemberton / Donnybrook |
| Mar – Oct | Prawn and scallop | Carnarvon |
| Apr – Nov | Melon | Coorow |
| May – Sep | Zucchini and melon | Kununurra |
| Jun – Dec | Melon and tomato | Carnarvon |
| Jul – Aug | Banana | Kununurra |
| Jul – Dec | Wildflower | Coorow / Muchea |
| Oct – Jan | Mango | Kununurra |
| Nov – Jun | Spiny lobster | Fremantle / Kalbarri / Dongara / Geraldton / Broome |
| All year round | Fishing | Broome |
Northern Territory
Seasonal melon work between May and October around Katherine and Darwin, and mango work in October and November. Citrus and bananas provide year-round work. Double advantage: the entire Territory counts for the visa and it is also Northern Australia, so tourism and hospitality work for you here too.
| Era | Cultivation | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Mar – Oct | Melon | Katherine / Darwin |
| October - November | Mango (picking and packing) | Katherine / Darwin |
| All year round | Citrus | Katherine / Darwin |
| All year round | Banana | Katherine / Darwin |
| All year round | Asian vegetable | Darwin |
| All year round | Wildflower cutting | Darwin |
Frequently asked questions
Can I do the 88 days with a student visa?
No. The 88 days only serve to extend the Working Holiday visa. With a student visa you can work on farms within your limit of 48 hours per fortnight, but that does not give you any extension.
How much do you earn picking fruit in Australia?
It depends on the crop and your speed, but there is a legal minimum: even if you are paid piece rates, each day you must be paid at least your hourly rate for the hours worked. Check your exact rate in the Fair Work Ombudsman's Pay and Conditions Tool.
Do the 88 days have to be consecutive?
No. You can accumulate them across different farms, crops, and states, as long as each period is paid and declared work, in a valid industry for your visa subclass and in an eligible postcode.
Can I stay on the same farm the whole time?
Up to six months. Condition 8547 limits working with the same employer to six months on a Working Holiday visa, with some sectoral exceptions.
Are you looking for work in other sectors? You have the complete list of portals and agencies in our guide to how to find a job in Australia.