Australian Working Holiday Visa: A Guide for Pilates Teachers

Thinking about teaching Pilates in Australia?

If you are passionate about travel, teaching pilates and happen to be under the age of 30, applying for the Australian working holiday visa is a fantastic opportunity! The application process is straightforward and finding work even if it’s just seasonal is totally achievable.

Since I am the proud dog mom of pup Sheila, who could not accompany me on this journey for reasons explained in my blog, The Cost of Traveling to Australia with Your Dog, I will be spending a total of 3 months teaching pilates in Australia.

This blog breaks down my process for how I found temporary work down under.

Blog Guide

• How to get your Working Holiday Visa as a Pilates Instructor (subclass 417) in Australia
• Restrictions on Pilates Instructors Working Overseas
• Where to Find Work as a Pilates Instructor on Working Holiday Visa in Australia
  • Popular Facebook Groups
  • Network List Serves
  • Google Maps Magic
• What to do the Week You Land in Australia with your Visa
  • Applying for Your TFN
  • Opening your Australian Bank Account
  • Applying for Your Australian Business Number (for free!)
  • Finding Australian Insurance The Cheap Way
  • Signing up for your Half Day First Aid Course (required for many studios)
  • Creating Your Australian phone number (or not)
• Saving Money as a Pilates Instructor in Australia
• Conclusion: Australian Working Holiday Visa: A Guide for Pilates Teachers

How to get your Working Holiday Visa as a Pilates Instructor (subclass 417) in Australia

If you are under the age of 30, and have your Pilates Certification Paperwork handy to accompany your application, applying for your Subclass 417 visa is very straightforward and simple. In this application they will require you submit the following.

• Passport
• Headshot
• Proof of Savings- the recommended amount here is about $5,000 USD.
• Other supporting materials: For pilates instructors, this can easily be your Pilates Certification Paperwork as I mentioned above.
• About $335 USD ($510 AUD)

My visa paperwork processed in one week’s time, but it can range depending on the application.

To apply, visit the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs.

Restrictions on Pilates Instructors working overseas

Not to worry! Your work as a pilates instructor is not apart of any kind of regulated industry in Australia. After acquiring your Working Holiday Visa, and the required tax documents detailed below, you will be legally qualified to apply for work anywhere.

Like in the states, it helps to have teaching liability insurance. This is required in franchises, but not always boutique studios. See below for more information on finding liability insurance in Australia the cheap way.

Where to Find Work as a Pilates Instructor on Working Holiday Visa in Australia

1. Facebook Groups

Pilates Covers Melbourne & Pilates Covers Sydney are fantastic places to find temporary work as an instructor in Australia! They are both active groups with new posts regularly requesting both more permanent job opportunities, as well as seasonal, and even one time cover requests.

As a result of my networking on these pages I have been placed on the “cover list” for two different studios and was offered a job in a studio in North Melbourne that I chose not to take due to the commute.

I recommend engaging in this group by responding to posts, keeping tabs on who is looking to hire for future job opportunities, and even introducing yourself by including your skill set, availability, and the area you plan to be based.

2. Network List Serves

Leveraging your network at hand is also a fantastic way to see what Pilates studios exist outside of the social media sphere who might strike your interest. I am a huge fan of Polestar Pilates, so after registering for a Barrels of Fun workshop in the Melbourne area, I decided to introduce myself to the Australian Pilates Program Manager to ask if she knew of any studios in Melbourne who might be seeking seasonal help.

To my delight, she responded with an excel spreadsheet of the entire Polestar Pilates Australia network, including contact info, website, the works!

3. Google Maps Magic

Never under estimate the power of Google Maps! This piece of advice might seem obvious, but it ended up turning up the strongest leads for temporary employment in Australia. Once you nail down where you want to stay and spend your time, have a look at the surrounding businesses.

By doing this and reaching out prior to my journey, I found both Fernwood and Soul Pilates. While Fernwood is a huge franchise located all across Australia, Soul Pilates is a smaller boutique in a charming neighborhood in South Melbourne. Both have provided unique experiences and have different benefits.

I recommend finding employment with a franchise because they might be able to provide the opportunity for you to travel and pick up classes in their various locations across Australia. Generally, franchises provide a really fun environment with high intensity classes that you get the opportunity to take as well.

The only thing to be aware of in the franchise setting is that often times they have a required training program. Fernwood offers a pretty seamless transition to acclimate to their teaching style, with no additional training fees, etc, but many other franchises across Australia do.

I also highly recommend finding employment with a boutique studio because your skills as a pilates instructor will likely seamlessly integrate with their class structure. It’s certainly worth taking a few hours to observe a lead instructor at any boutique you find work with to learn “how things work,” but generally speaking it’s a very straight forward onboarding process.

What to do the Week You Land in Australia with your Visa

Applying for Your TFN

The day you land in Australia, I recommend you go ahead and apply for your Tax File Number (TFN). To apply, you’ll be required to submit your passport and visa information as well as your Australian address.

Unfortunately, your TFN will come in the mail and will take about 1.5-2 weeks to arrive. Until you acquire your TFN, no matter where you work, legally, you can’t receive a paycheck.

Applying ahead of time is technically strongly discouraged by the Australian government as well. Technically, I don’t think there’s any way they would know if you apply in your home country prior to your travels, but it is not encouraged. They prefer for you to be in the country first.

Opening your Australian Bank Account

The next step I recommend taking upon landing to get settled for the working portion of your working holiday is visiting a branch of Commonwealth Bank to set up your Australian Bank Account.

Visit Commonwealth with your passport, and your visa (either printed or ready to be emailed), and expect the process to take about 15 minutes, maybe more if there is a wait.

Download the Commonwealth Bank app to manage your Australian money, and wait about a week for your Australian Bank Card to come in the mail! If you time things well, your TFN and bank card should arrive around the same time.

You can legally use any bank to create your Australian bank account, but Commonwealth is known as the easiest and most efficient bank across the continent. It is highly recommended by everyone I’ve encountered- locals included.

I recommend holding onto the email address of the banker who sets up your account to assist with transferring any left over earnings to your American bank account at the end of your working holiday.

Applying for Your Australian Business Number (for free!)

Attaining an Australian Business Number (or ABN) sounds like a daunting task as a foreigner abroad for a brief period of time. I quickly learned from the locals that the application is simple, easy and FREE (there are scams out there that try to sell ABNs to foreigners).

Within a matter of minutes I applied for my ABN to start my pilates work as an independant contractor. Most studios require you have one so it is worth checking the box! You can do so here.

Finding Australian Insurance The Cheap Way

Many studios in Australia require liablilty insurance in order to work for them, even if it’s just as a substitute. In order to go about finding this, I discovered Dual Insurance through Finders.com.

Most liability groups in Australia require that you pay a yearly premium, with no option for a prorated refund for those working down under for a limited few months. Finders.com helped me identify a monthly option that checked this box as a teacher, without spending a boat load.

Signing up for your Half Day First Aid Course (required for many studios)

To my surprise, a course in first aid is required in order to teach at several boutiques and franchises in pilates studios across all of Australia. Thankfully, courses run every day and are easy to register for last minute.

To check this box prior to teaching, you can register with the CBD College and present your completed course certificate to the studios you intend on working for. It is $129 AUD/ $87 USD.

Creating Your Australian phone number (or not)

Due to the limited 3 month season of my working holiday visa, I chose not to acquire an Australian phone number. WhatsApp ended up being a perfectly fine solution to my communication needs abroad.

If I did decide I needed an Australian phone number, I would go through the app, Ringover. After the 7 day free trial, it is only $19 a month and you can cancel at any time. Most SIM cards are a minimum of $30 a month and not all phones take SIM anymore, so the app provides an affordable solution.

Saving Money as a Pilates Instructor in Australia

Upon landing in Melbourne and going to my hostel, Selina St. Kilda, I learned that they were in search of a yoga and pilates resident. The yoga/pilates resident teaches one hour a day in exchange for free accommodation and 2 daily meals from their restaurant. This residency has been a major money saver!

If you’re open to the hostel lifestyle, I recommend doing some research on similar opportunities in Australia. Selina has been a fantastic place to plug in and teach. They also have branches all over Australia and the rest of the world, providing further residency opportunities if all goes well!

Conclusion: Australian Working Holiday Visa: A Guide for Pilates Instructors

Teaching Pilates on the Australian working holiday visa, even seasonally is totally achievable! The more you plan, and set up your network prior to your trip, the more successful you will be.

Like any adventure however, there will be some hiccups you can’t avoid, so it’s best to keep an open mind and put your best foot forward as you navigate teaching internationally in this beautiful country.