I was talking with a friend who is from Germany and here on a working holiday visa. Her year is almost over and so I asked if she planned on staying for longer. She said that she had indeed planned on staying as she had fallen in love with Australia and was contacting farms already. I was confused as to what farms had to do with her wanting to stay but she informed of the process of renewing a visa in Australia:
To renew a visa in Australia one must work on a farm for 3 months. The labor is unpaid but your basic needs are met during the three months by the farm that hosts you. For example, my friend is looking into working on a blueberry farm. She will help the farm owners by picking blueberries (among other things) for three months and they will in turn house her and feed her. At the end of the 3 months she will be eligible to renew her visa.
The beautiful thing about this is that you cannot get around it. As far as I am aware, you cannot pay a certain amount extra to avoid the farm work. I find this absolutely beautiful because it provides much needed labor to agriculturalists nationwide and promotes the sustainability of the farming industry in Australia. It also ensures that any international individuals seeking to remain in Australia are supporting the country in some way. Way to go Australia!
Brea Baker
<p><span style="color: rgb(29, 29, 29); font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(237, 237, 237);">My name is Brea Baker and I'm a junior at Yale University (Boola Boola!). I'm obsessed with all things related to travel, sushi, Beyonce, activism and Scandal. Freshman year I was bitten by the travel bug and I've been traveling ever since. Follow me on the next journey of my life to the great outback, Australia, where I hope to find nemo, pick up an Australian accent, and become a world class surfer.</span></p>
