Visa condition 8547: the working holiday 6-month employer limit

What condition 8547 says

Condition 8547 provides that the holder must not be employed by any one employer for more than 6 months without the prior permission in writing of the Secretary. It attaches as a standard condition to Working Holiday (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas.

The limit is per employer, not a cap on total work: a working holiday maker can work for the full length of their visa, but generally for no more than 6 months with any single employer. The design reflects the program's purpose — the visa is for an extended holiday funded by incidental work, not for settled long-term employment with one business.

Two mechanisms soften the limit. First, specified categories of work are exempt, meaning the holder can keep working past 6 months with the same employer without seeking permission. Second, where no exemption applies, the holder can request written permission through an online form. The Home Affairs guidance also notes that the 6 months start again when a new working holiday maker visa is granted, or when a bridging visa carrying condition 8547 comes into effect.

Work that is exempt from the 6-month limit

Under arrangements in effect from 1 January 2024, and verified on the Home Affairs website, working holiday makers can work beyond 6 months with the same employer without permission in these situations.

Anywhere in Australia: work in different locations for the same employer, provided no more than 6 months is worked in any one location; plant and animal cultivation; natural disaster recovery work; and work in specified critical sectors — agriculture, health, aged and disability care, childcare, and tourism and hospitality.

In northern Australia only (defined by specified postcodes): fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, construction, and mining.

Home Affairs describes these settings as continuing while the government consults on reform of the Working Holiday Maker program, which means they can change. Anyone relying on an exemption — and any employer relying on it for rostering — should check the current list on the Home Affairs website rather than assuming last year's settings still apply. Whether a particular job actually falls within an exempt category is a factual question about the work performed, and borderline cases are worth checking carefully.

Asking permission to work longer than 6 months

Where no exemption applies, a working holiday maker who wants to stay with the same employer beyond 6 months can request permission using the online form Home Affairs publishes for condition 8547 requests.

Based on the published guidance, permission may be given where the holder has applied for another visa that would allow ongoing full-time work and is awaiting the outcome, or where the employer indicates the holder's work is critical to the business — the latter supported by a letter from the employer.

Timing matters. The guidance is explicit that the request should be submitted before the initial 6-month period runs out. A request lodged in time allows the holder to continue working while awaiting a written decision; where the 6 months have already passed, the holder must stop working for that employer until the outcome is known.

Permission is discretionary — the published criteria describe when permission may be granted, not when it must be. Neither this article nor anyone else can tell you in advance whether a particular request would succeed.

Related conditions and what breach means

Condition 8547 is sometimes confused with condition 8548, which is the separate study limitation on working holiday visas — it restricts study or training on the visa, and Home Affairs notes it has applied to subclasses 417 and 462 since 1 July 2006. The employer limit is 8547; if your question is about the 6-month work rule, that is the code that matters.

Working past 6 months with one employer without an exemption or written permission breaches the condition, which can be grounds for visa cancellation and can count against future applications — including later working holiday, skilled or employer-sponsored visas where compliance history is considered. Employers also carry their own obligations around employing people consistently with their visa conditions, which is why established employers track the 6-month dates for working holiday staff.

If you are approaching 6 months with an employer and unsure whether your work is exempt, whether to seek permission, or how the condition interacts with a planned visa change — for example, moving from a working holiday visa to employer sponsorship — a MARA-registered migration agent can review your situation against the current settings and help you sequence the next step.

Can I work more than 6 months for one employer on a working holiday visa?

Only if the work is exempt or you have written permission. From 1 January 2024, exempt work includes plant and animal cultivation, natural disaster recovery, and the critical sectors of agriculture, health, aged and disability care, childcare, and tourism and hospitality anywhere in Australia, plus certain industries in northern Australia only. Check the current list on the Home Affairs website, as the settings can change.

How do I get permission to stay with my employer past 6 months?

Submit the online permission request form before your first 6 months with that employer ends. Based on Home Affairs guidance, permission may be given if you have applied for a visa allowing ongoing full-time work and are awaiting a decision, or if your employer provides a letter showing your work is critical to the business. If you apply in time you can keep working while you wait.

Does the 6-month clock reset on a second working holiday visa?

Home Affairs guidance states the 6 months start again when a new working holiday maker visa is granted, or when a bridging visa with condition 8547 attached comes into effect. How this applies to your dates is worth confirming against the current guidance or with a MARA-registered agent.

Is the 6-month work limit condition 8547 or 8548?

The 6-month one-employer work limit is condition 8547. Condition 8548 is the separate study limitation on working holiday visas. Your grant notice lists which conditions are on your visa.