Volunteering with WWOOF, Workaway, or HelpX

Chapter 4 of 7

Do I need a visa to volunteer in Canada, Australia or New Zealand?

If you’re a Working Holiday permit holder

Working Holiday permit holders in Canada, New Zealand and Australia can work for any employer for the duration of their permit, so volunteering opportunities are totally an option for you.

This applies to all work permit holders.

If you don’t have a work permit

It gets trickier! Some countries allow travellers on a tourist visa to volunteer, but many others don’t—they consider it “work” even if you don’t get paid. This is the case in the USA, for instance.

Penalties are stiff if you get caught volunteering without proper documentation. You can be fined, deported and denied future entry. 

Note that WWOOF, HelpX and Workaway don’t provide any visa information and won’t help volunteers deal with legal matters. These platforms connect hosts and helpers, that’s it. It’s your responsibility to make sure you can legally volunteer in your chosen country.

Can I volunteer in Australia?

Travellers entering Australia on a tourist visa can volunteer as long as the main purpose of their trip is tourism and the work wouldn’t be done by an Australian resident for pay.

Remember that you cannot get paid for volunteer work.

Can I volunteer in New Zealand?

Technically, backpackers do volunteer work on a tourist visa while in New Zealand, but “provided you receive no gain or reward”—and New Zealand includes “accommodation” and “food” as rewards, so you would be breaking the law!

If you’re eligible, apply for a Working Holiday Visa. Otherwise, don’t volunteer on a tourist visa, you’d be breaking the law!

Can I volunteer in Canada?

Four conditions must be met to volunteer without a work permit. It gets a bit tricky, so make sure to read the fine print.

Working Holiday permit holders can volunteer with no restrictions.