How do I find farm work for my 88 days without paying a fee or a job pack?
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Short answer
You never need to pay to get farm work in Australia. Real farms pay you, not the other way round. Find jobs free on job boards with an 88-day filter, in farm directories, through the bulk grain handlers, by calling farms directly, or via a working hostel where you pay normal rent but no job fee. Walk away from any placement fee, deposit or paid job pack.
Free ways to find 88-day work
Job boards with an 88-day filter
Matey lists live farm jobs tagged by whether they count, free to browse. The government's Workforce Australia job search is free too.
A farm directory, then the phone
Pick a town in season, look up the farms there and call or email them directly. Many farms hire from the people who ask first, before they advertise.
The farms' own websites
Big growers, packhouses and the grain handlers (CBH in WA, GrainCorp and Bunge in the east and south) recruit on their own careers pages.
Working hostels
A good working hostel places guests with local farms. You pay normal weekly rent for the bed; the job itself should cost nothing.
Word of mouth
Ask backpackers leaving a town where they worked and whether the farm paid properly. Town pages on Matey carry their reviews.
Local noticeboards
Ag stores, the post office and the pub in harvest towns still carry handwritten job ads. Ask for the business name before you go.
What a 'job pack' really is
A job pack, placement fee or paid contact list is not a job. Legitimate employers do not charge you to be hired, and you can find farm contacts like these for free in directories and on job boards. Paying a deposit to secure farm work is the most common farm job scam backpackers report.
Scam checklist: walk away if
- Anyone asks for money to get you the job: a fee, a deposit, a 'uniform cost', a contact list or a job pack.
- There is no business name or ABN. Ask for both and check the ABN on ABN Lookup.
- A labour hire provider has no licence. Queensland, Victoria, South Australia and the ACT require one; check the state register.
- The pay is vague ('great piece rates') or far above what the award pays.
- It is cash only with no payslips. Payslips are a legal requirement and the main proof of your 88 days.
- A hostel wants weeks of rent upfront while you wait for work that has no start date.
- The ad has no farm name or town, uses a shortened link or only a WhatsApp number, and pushes you to decide today.
- Someone offers to 'sign off' days you did not work. Fake evidence can get your visa refused and affect future applications.
Before your first shift
- Get the farm's legal name, ABN and the worksite postcode, and check the postcode counts.
- Ask the pay rate in writing. Casual farm work under the Horticulture Award has a minimum hourly floor, and piece rates must let an average picker earn at least 15% more.
- Agree in writing to any deductions for rent or transport.
- Log every day with the employer and postcode, and keep every payslip.
Common follow-up questions
Is it normal to pay for a farm job pack in Australia?
No. Legitimate farms and working hostels do not charge a fee to get you work. A paid job pack or contact list is not a job, and the same farm contacts can be found free in directories and job boards.
Can a working hostel charge me for farm work?
It can charge normal rent for your bed and sometimes transport to the farm, ideally week by week. It should not charge a fee for the job itself. Ask which farms it supplies and call one before you book.
Where can I find free 88-day farm jobs?
On job boards with an 88-day filter such as Matey, the free Workforce Australia job search, the careers pages of big growers and grain handlers, farm directories, working hostels and by calling farms in towns that are in season.
How do I check if a farm job is real?
Ask for the business name and ABN and check it on ABN Lookup, call the farm on a listed number, check labour hire providers on the state licence register, and compare the pay with the Horticulture Award.
Where do I report a farm job scam?
Report scams to Scamwatch and underpayment or exploitation to the Fair Work Ombudsman on 13 13 94. Your visa is generally protected if you seek help from Fair Work about exploitation.
General information only, not immigration or tax advice. For advice about your situation, talk to a registered migration agent (check the OMARA register) or a registered tax agent (TPB register).
Sources
- Scamwatch (ACCC): job and employment scams
- ABN Lookup (Australian Business Register)
- Labour Hire Authority Victoria: check a licensed provider
- Fair Work Ombudsman: visa holders and migrants
- Fair Work: Horticulture Award summary (MA000028)
- Fair Work Ombudsman: pay slips
- Workforce Australia: free government job search
- Home Affairs: specified work for the Working Holiday visa (417)
General information, not migration or legal advice. Rules and pay rates change, so confirm anything your visa depends on with the official source.
More quick answers
Browse 88-day jobs, free
Live farm jobs tagged by whether they count, with the town, pay and contact on the listing. No fees, ever.
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