The seasonal work field guides

A little knowledge. A better season.

Detailed, source-checked advice on visas, specified work, pay and planning a season in every Australian state and territory.

A young adult farm worker seated alone at a shaded timber desk in a regional Australian farmhouse, organising plain unmarked payslip papers into a folder beside simple work gloves

Visas & specified work

88 days explained: eligible work, counting days and evidence

Understand the 88-day and 179-day rules, the differences between 417 and 462, and the records to keep before you move to your next season.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

Two adult backpackers arriving at an Australian regional railway platform with large hiking backpacks, one checking a plain unmarked travel folder, warm morning light, eucalyptus landscape and distant train, no station lettering or signs

Visas & specified work

Working Holiday visa 417: eligibility and the 2026 changes

Check passport and age eligibility, understand the July 2026 changes, and prepare for your first, second or third Australian working holiday.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

An adult traveller with a backpack walking along the Sydney harbour foreshore, distant harbour bridge and boats, natural thoughtful expression, soft morning light, no signs, no papers or laptop

Visas & specified work

Work and Holiday visa 462: eligibility, ballots and later visas

Understand the additional 462 requirements, the China–India–Vietnam ballot, current 2026 programme changes and the specified-work pathway.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

Two adult packing-shed employees in plain work shirts and protective gloves beside clean crates of citrus and an unmarked weighing scale, one calmly explaining the sorting task to the other

Pay & safety

Seasonal work pay: hourly rates, piecework and your rights

Know the July 2026 horticulture minimum rates, how the piecework guarantee works, and what to check on every payslip.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

A small team of adult Pacific Islander farm workers wearing plain long-sleeved sun-protective shirts, wide-brim hats and gloves, moving clean produce crates together on an Australian vegetable farm

Getting started

PALM scheme jobs: the official recruitment pathway

Find the official labour-sending unit, understand worker eligibility and know how PALM recruitment differs from a working holiday job application.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

An adult supervisor providing a calm safety induction to two adult seasonal workers beside a plain white minibus at a regional Australian farm entrance

Pay & safety

Labour hire licensing: check your employer before you start

Check the provider’s identity and licence, understand the 2026 changes in Victoria and South Australia, and keep the host and employer details separate.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

An adult backpacker seated alone at a quiet regional Australian cafe reading a smartphone carefully before accepting work, backpack beside the chair, reflective rather than alarmed expression, warm window light

Pay & safety

Seasonal job scams: check the offer before you pay or travel

Recognise fake recruiters, upfront-fee demands and identity theft, then check the employer through independent sources.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

Travellers arriving at a regional cottage

Getting started

Seasonal work accommodation and transport: the checks that matter

Compare the full weekly cost, understand deductions, and confirm how you will get between your room, the worksite and essential services.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

An experienced adult farm worker demonstrating correct pruning-tool handling to a new adult colleague in an Australian orchard, both in long sleeves, broad-brim hats and gloves

Getting started

Your first week in seasonal work: arrive ready, keep good records

A practical first-week plan for your worksite, induction, pay records, accommodation and the Australian weather.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

A new adult seasonal worker listening attentively to a colleague during a practical berry-picking induction beside waist-height raspberry rows, both wearing hats and sun-protective shirts

Getting started

Farm work with no experience: how to make a useful application

Find entry-level roles, explain transferable skills honestly, and check training, pay and travel before accepting your first farm placement.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

Two adult seasonal workers harvesting ripe strawberries at ground level on a coastal Queensland farm, long sleeves, broad-brim hats, safe natural posture and trays, expansive strawberry rows and bright Queensland morning light

State guides

Seasonal jobs in Queensland: regions, harvests and practical checks

Plan seasonal work in Queensland with sourced regional windows, travel checks and the right questions about pay and specified work.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

Two adult seasonal workers picking cherries from reachable branches in a central-west New South Wales orchard, plain sun-protective clothing and broad-brim hats, red cherries visible, gently rolling dry-green countryside

State guides

Seasonal jobs in New South Wales: regions, harvests and practical checks

Plan seasonal work in New South Wales with sourced regional windows, travel checks and the right questions about pay and specified work.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

Workers hand-picking grapes in vineyard rows

State guides

Seasonal jobs in Victoria: regions, harvests and practical checks

Plan seasonal work in Victoria with sourced regional windows, travel checks and the right questions about pay and specified work.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

An adult citrus worker carrying an orange-filled harvest crate along a Riverland orchard row in South Australia, ochre soil and irrigated greenery, broad-brim hat and long sleeves, warm afternoon light

State guides

Seasonal jobs in South Australia: regions, harvests and practical checks

Plan seasonal work in South Australia with sourced regional windows, travel checks and the right questions about pay and specified work.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

An adult farm worker inspecting a neat row of capsicum plants on a Carnarvon vegetable farm in Western Australia, warm reddish sandy soil, shade cloth in the background, long sleeves and broad-brim hat, natural focused expression

State guides

Seasonal jobs in Western Australia: regions, harvests and practical checks

Plan seasonal work in Western Australia with sourced regional windows, travel checks and the right questions about pay and specified work.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

Two adult workers hand-picking apples at ground level in a cool-climate Tasmanian orchard with lush distant hills, soft overcast light, practical long-sleeved clothes and gloves

State guides

Seasonal jobs in Tasmania: regions, harvests and practical checks

Plan seasonal work in Tasmania with sourced regional windows, travel checks and the right questions about pay and specified work.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

An adult tourism worker welcoming an adult traveller at a modest Northern Territory lodge verandah with tropical greenery and an ochre landscape beyond, relaxed natural interaction, plain unbranded clothing, no signs or logos

State guides

Seasonal jobs in Northern Territory: regions, harvests and practical checks

Plan seasonal work in Northern Territory with sourced regional windows, travel checks and the right questions about pay and specified work.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗

An adult hospitality employee setting outdoor tables in a Canberra garden cafe with autumn deciduous trees and subtle Australian Capital Territory landscape, natural morning light, plain unbranded apron, no menus or signs

State guides

Seasonal jobs in Australian Capital Territory: regions, harvests and practical checks

Plan seasonal work in Australian Capital Territory with sourced regional windows, travel checks and the right questions about pay and specified work.

3 min read · Checked 8 October 2026Read the complete guide ↗