Renewals

EXISTING HOSTS who are ALREADY WWOOF AUSTRALIA Host Members can renew their membership online using an online order form. Renewals cost $50.00 each year or $35.00 if you have a concession card.  If you provide us with a copy of your current certification with an AQIS accredited Certifying body (eg. NASAA, ACO/BFA, OGA, TOP, SFQ or OFC) membership renewal is free.

Hosts will be sent an invoice in either March or September each year.  The deadline for payment and alterations to entries in the WWOOF Book is 15th of April and 15th of October each year. Your membership renewal includes a copy of the next WWOOF Book if you require it.  This will be sent to you once it is printed in the following January or July.

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WWOOF Host Guestbook

It is a requirement that Hosts keep a Guestbook to register the WWOOFer’s membership number and matching ID (passport, drivers license, etc) and type of Visa when they arrive. Failure to do this may result in problems.

Reasons to keep a Guestbook. We issue a sample Guestbook page to each new host and ask that every host keep a log of every WWOOFer hosted. It is vital to know who you are hosting. Hosts should keep WWOOFers’ membership numbers, passport numbers, dates worked and get them to write comments in your Guestbook. Then you have a record in case something or someone goes missing, also you have all you need in case the Dept of Immigration contacts you about hosting visitors who are extending their visas. DIAC can call several years after a WWOOFer has stayed with you to check on the dates they were there, so it is advisable to keep your guestbook long term (or keep the guest book page with a copy of the Form 1263 that you sign for each WWOOFer in a separate folder for DIAC enquiries). It is also helpful in assessing complaints for any reason. Needless to say, the Guestbook tends to eliminate theft because you have all their details written down in case of the need for police action. We can email or post a Guestbook page if requested, or you can download one from the Host Information page on our website.

Signing up a WWOOFer

If someone contacts you (or arrives at your property) wanting to WWOOF with you but they have not yet joined, you can check their Photo ID, collect $65.00 from them for their membership and call us on 03-5155-0218 to sign them up over the phone.  You then pay us $55.00, keeping a $10 commission to cover the cost of your phone call etc.  We will issue them with a membership number over the phone and send their book to them at your property.

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WWOOF Guidelines

WWOOFing Guidelines for WWOOFers and WWOOF Host guidelines 

To read these guidelines in other languages, please use Google Translations

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WWOOF Hosting: A Practical Guide

This book is written by WWOOF Australia Hosts, Trevor & Amanda Roberts, specifically for WWOOF Hosts, as a practical guide to Hosting WWOOFers. This Book is filled with over 100 pages of practical advice for WWOOF Hosts.  This is a fantastic resource for people contemplating becoming a WWOOF Host as well as for existing WWOOF Hosts.

It is available as a PDF document in Adobe Acrobat PDF format via e-mail for AUD$15.00.  You will need the Acrobat viewer to view these files. which can be downloaded free of charge from Adobe

"Prospective WWOOF Hosts awake!  Thinking of WWOOF Hosting but not sure if you're up to it?  Don't know what you need to do to be ready to welcome WWOOFers?  Unsure of how to house and feed them?  How do you go about attracting the right kind of volunteers?  Hosting already but finding parts of it a struggle?  Confused because the people looking for a host farm are not what you expected?  Not sure what it might cost?  Find yourself a bit hung up about volunteers' behaviour?  Like to know how other Hosts are surviving?  So many questions.  When we started WWOOF Hosting, we were as green as they come, which made us ripe (to mix metaphors) for falling victim to all the tricks in the book.  Now, with the benefit of experience and hindsight, we are in a position to help you through the maze.  WWOOF Hosting: A Practical Guide is just that - practical; not filled with our comical or tragic stories, but over a hundred pages full of advice and information.  For a modest outlay, you could save yourself loads of time and money while, more importantly, retaining your sanity.  We wish we had this information available to us when we embarked on this journey two years ago.  Buy this PDF copy and, provided you register with the authors (by completing and sending  the form in the book), you will receive a free replacement when we publish a new version in the future (which is on the cards, as we are still learning something new about WWOOFers every day)." Trevor & Amanda Roberts, WWOOF Hosts NU200  Click here to order

WWOOF Hosts SA246 Katja & Paul made the following comments about "WWOOF Hosting- A Practical Guide", in February 2011:

"Paul has been taking backpackers, then WWOOFers for over 20 years and has hosted thousands by now. We purchased the Host Guide and feel that many more hosts would stick with the program and be more successful with it. I thought it would be great if you could offer the Guide for an additional fee with every initial membership.*

Despite being quite 'experienced' at this we found it extremely helpful. For several organizational tips as well as knowing that, no, we are not insane or nasty. It takes a long time to develop the backbone to make rules and occasionally send a WWOOFer on their way, which allow you to feel comfortable in your own home. Having this guide, we believe will really make for a much better experience for a majority of hosts. In turn, there will be more hosts around which will benefit the many brilliant WWOOFers out there."

*Note: WWOOF is now offering WWOOF Hosting- A Practical Guide to all new Hosts for a discounted price of $10.00 if they order it at the same time as they send in their Host Application.

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VISA Information

WWOOFing can be done on a Tourist visa, please see the conditions for this on the The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) website.  Student Visa holders are also able to go WWOOFing, please see the DIAC website for conditions. WWOOFers travelling on a Tourist  or Student Visa must not do any work that would normally be done by a paid Worker, WWOOFing must be a part of their holiday, not the main reason for it.  If these WWOOFers are doing work for you that you would not normally pay someone to do, this should be fine. On both of these visas WWOOFers are allowed to volunteer in exchange for their food and accommodation.

Work is defined by the Department of Immigration and Cultural Affairs as, “an activity that, in Australia, normally attracts remuneration”. This means that any activity that normally attracts payment, irrespective of whether you are paying money or giving some other kind of reward, (eg food and accommodation) it is still deemed to be work. If you are going to offer “work” as defined by DIAC you must ensure that the WWOOFer has a visa that entitles them to “work”. You can check this by ensuring their visa/passport is stamped appropriately. If they possess a Working Holiday Visa (WHV), there is a time limit on how long they are allowed to work at any one establishment at a time.

WWOOFers can now qualify for a second Working Holiday Visa if they spend a total of 88 days WWOOFing in specified regional areas, performing specified work (This can be worked with a number of different hosts). WWOOFers with a Tourist visa must not do any work that would otherwise be done by a paid worker. For more information on this issue, visit the Australian Immigration Department's Website and read the section on Volunteer Work Tourism Schemes

If you need to check on a WWOOFers visa there is a free, online facility, VEVO, that allows an organisation or employer to check the visa entitlements of a non-Australian passport holders' visa. You to register to use VEVO and will need the WWOOFers permission to do check their visa details and will need the following information: name, date of birth, passport number & passport country of issue.

Visa Extensions

DIAC is now allowing those WWOOFers who have worked for at least 88 days to lodge applications retrospectively, even as long ago as 2006. This means that you may get a WWOOFer from the past contacting you to provide proof that they visited you and worked for ‘x’ number of days, this is a good reason to keep an accurate Guestbook. This is legitimate, and we are following directives as they are received by DIAC. Go to our visa page for any information regarding Visas, which forms are appropriate, and how to lodge applications.  DIAC has released an information sheet entitled "Employing working holiday makers-understanding the program" which is has some useful information and links.

The work need not be paid work DIAC say: "work undertaken as a volunteer or through the WWOOFing scheme (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) may be counted toward the three months of specified work if your WWOOF Host property is in one of the correct postcodes in regional Australia. You will still need to provide evidence that you have done a minimum of three months of specified work. The specified work and postcodes do change from time to time, so it is a good idea to check regularly to ensure the work you give these WWOOFers is the correct type of work and your property is still in an eligible postcode.

DIAC has told us “The primary aim of the Working Holiday Visa is a cultural exchange between reciprocal countries through an extended holiday with short term work to supplement funds. “

With regards to visa extensions through the WWOOF program, WWOOF has confirmed with DIAC that you do not need to be a Primary Producer (PP) or have an ABN and you do not need to be a commercial operation/entity. The WWOOFers MUST be involved in Specified work, whether it be for a PP or anyone else, DIAC say: “While some work for PP’s would mean the visa holder had undertaken activities as per the definition of specified work, not all work for a PP is necessarily eligible under the scheme”. It is wise to read the list of Specified work carefully, the majority of the specified work is of a commercial nature, it may be difficult to find enough work for WWOOFers that fits this list on a non commercial property. DIAC does check the majority of applications and will ring Hosts to check that the application they signed is genuine. They may also ask what work was done and what you do (grow/produce etc) on your property.

As an employer (you, the host), in signing Form 1263, you are confirming that the information provided about the client’s employment details are correct and verifying that the information relates to the person whose name appears is on the form. DIAC recommends that you verify the persons identity from their photo ID, or do not sign the Form.

DIAC monitors the information provided in applications lodged via their online system and closely scrutinizes the specified work done, including contacting the employer and cross checking the information provided, so keep your Guestbook handy. It is also a good idea to photocopy or scan the Form 1263 after you have signed it and keep that with the relevant guestbook page if you can.  Some hosts keep a DIAC folder with copies of these forms and guest book pages to make it easier for them to find the correct information if DIAC calls. Many hosts also give their WWOOFers a letter on letterhead to submit with their application, outlining the dates they stayed, the number of days they worked and the types of work they did (from the specified work list). This makes DIAC's job easier when they are assessing WWOOFer applications as volunteers do not have the same paper trail that paid workers have, such as payslips and tax records proving they were at your farm it is important that you keep clear records of which WWOOFers have stayed with you and the dates they were there. It is a good idea to also suggest your WWOOFers keep their bus/train tickets & other receipts to show they were staying in the area (and not laying on Bondi Beach!).

If a WWOOFer asks you to falsify the amount of time spent at your property, please do NOT fraudulently fill in the document! One host contacted us to say that she has been contacted 5 times by DIAC regarding the legitimacy of the WWOOFers’ documentation. So DIAC is definitely checking closely. It is not worth getting caught trying to help a WWOOFer extend their visa.  DIAC tell us that around 40% of forms submitted are fraudulent so they are working on ways to ensure genuine volunteers can be verified and may soon be checking every form.

If you believe a person has provided fraudulent information or breached their Visa conditions, you can contact DIAC's Dob-In line: 1800-009-623.  DIAC treats any information of this kind provided by members of the public about people working or living illegally in Australian in the strictest confidence.

Hours of Work for the 2nd Working Holiday Visa Extension

This information is correct as at 1st April 2012. Please check www.immi.gov.au for up to date information as this does change from time to time. It is the applicants responsibility (the WWOOFer) to ensure they are doing the Specified Work in the correct postcode area for the correct number of hours per day.

The Immigration Department (DIAC) states that the days worked must be whatever the standard for that particular industry is.  For example in some industries the workers would work 2 weeks on, then have 2 weeks off each month.  In that case 2 weeks of work will equal 4 weeks on their form.  This means that if a WWOOFer stays at a host for a month, they cannot be expected to work for 7 days a week, they do need to have free days, just as one would expect that people who live on farms and farm workers have free days.  WWOOFers who work over one week can count each week as 7 days even when they are having weekends off, 3 months is counted as 88 days including weekends or even whole weeks off as in the first example above.

Hours of Work for the 2nd Working Holiday Visa Extension

Three months is considered to be three calendar months or 88 days. Time worked is taken from start date to end date e.g., if a person works for one employer for two weeks, weekends will not be deducted (i.e. this counts as 14 days). Work must be full time. Full time work is taken to be the norm for that employer, that region and that industry. Any period of specified work undertaken with WWOOF registered employers must conform to the 7 day Australian working week (35 to 40 hours, consisting of 7-8 hours worked each day) if a client wishes to count it towards their second Working Holiday visa eligibility.

DIAC specify the length of day and week as follows:

" Any period  of specified work undertaken with WWOOF registered employers must conform to the Australian working week (35 - 40 hours, consisting of 7 - 8 hours worked each day) if a client wishes to count it towards second Working Holiday Visa eligibility. "

"The only way in which a working day of less than 7 - 8 hours will be acceptable to the Department, is where an individual employer is able to show that there is a definitive and clear cut industry work day standard less than this."

"If the question of a particular industry standard arises, it will be determined based on the type of work being performed by the employee, not whether the employer is a registered WWOOF Host. For example, if a client undertakes 10 days of banana harvesting and packing for a WWOOF Host, the Department will be assessing the length of these 10 working days based on the industry work day standard for the banana grower sector generally. "

DIAC advise that WWOOFers must work the within the hours specified above (35 to 40 hours) for their visa extension application.  A week is counted as 7 days.

As with all WWOOFing arrangements flexibility is the key, but in all cases flexible hours must be negotiated in advance with your WWOOF Host to avoid misunderstandings and conflict.

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Insurance Information

In the past WWOOFers were not regarded as workers, and were not granted cover under Workers Compensation Insurance packages. As a result, we searched for a means of providing WWOOFers with some cover, and our current WWOOFer Insurance came into being.

This very small basic accident policy is based on a $10-00 premium built into each WWOOFer's membership. A summary of cover is on the inside front cover of every WWOOF Book. This insurance is only applicable to registered WWOOFers while on a registered WWOOF Host property, and will offer a small amount of cover to WWOOFers in states where WorkCover does not apply.

The other way an injured WWOOFer can seek compensation is to sue the Host. To do this, they must prove the Host was negligent. For the Hosts protection it is important to have public liability insurance as part of their property insurance. Some Hosts have “Domestic Workers Compensation” included in their household insurance which covers cleaners, gardeners and their WWOOFers.

Please contact your own insurance provider to check your cover as every policy is different

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Workers Compensation / Workcover

Recently there have been changes in Workers Compensation provisions. We have been in contact with Work Cover Authorities in all States and Territories and have prepared information sheets for each state. Northern Territory and South Australia do not need to have Work Cover Insurance as volunteers are not covered. You are advised to check this with the authorities.

We have compiled a Workcover Information for WWOOF Hosts PDF which covers all States & Territories, you may download this and print off the information for your own State. There are severe penalties for breaching Workcover regulations.

WWOOF P/L advises you to follow the laws of your state. Disregarding the WorkCover laws may result in heavy penalties.

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