Australia White Card Complete Guide (2025)

"I heard construction jobs pay high wages. How do I start?"

Answer: Get your White Card first!

White Card is a mandatory certification for Australian construction sites. Entering construction sites without a White Card is illegal.

White Card Benefits:

• ✅ 1-day obtaining (online or face-to-face)
• ✅ Low cost ($60-200)
• ✅ Valid for life (no renewal needed)
• ✅ Construction hourly rates $30-50+ (higher than cafes/serving)

This guide was created based on experiences from over 1,000 construction working holidaymakers. Complete coverage from White Card obtaining to construction jobs.

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1. What is White Card?

1.1. Definition

White Card (Official name: General Construction Induction Card)

Safety training certificate required to work on Australian construction sites. Similar to Korea's "Construction Site Safety Training Certificate".

1.2. Requirement

Required ✅:

• Construction sites (Commercial, Residential)
• Labourer (General worker)
• Trades Assistant (Tradesperson's helper)
• Demolition
• Scaffolding

Not Required ❌:

• Cafes & Restaurants
• Retail
• Farms (second visa)
• Office work

1.3. State Differences

⚠️ Important: White Cards vary by State!

State	Card Color	Online Available?
NSW (Sydney)	White	✅ Online OK
VIC (Melbourne)	White	✅ Online OK
QLD (Brisbane)	Blue	❌ Face-to-face only
WA (Perth)	White	✅ Online OK
SA (Adelaide)	White	✅ Online OK

💡 Tip: Obtain online in NSW → Can use in VIC, SA, WA (except QLD)

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2. How to Obtain White Card

2.1. Online vs Face-to-Face

Online (NSW, VIC, WA, SA):

• Cost: $60-120
• Duration: 6-8 hours (can complete in one day)
• Advantages: Cheap, convenient
• Disadvantages: English reading required

Face-to-Face (QLD or if preferred):

• Cost: $150-200
• Duration: 1 day (usually 8am-4pm)
• Advantages: Can ask instructor questions, only English listening required
• Disadvantages: Expensive, booking required

2.2. Online Obtaining Step-by-Step Guide (NSW Example)

Step 1: Choose Provider

Recommended Providers:

1. GetInduction.com.au - $60 (cheapest)
2. OnlineWhiteCard.com.au - $79
3. EasyWhiteCard.com.au - $89

Step 2: Register and Pay

• Enter email, name, address
• Credit card payment

Step 3: Online Training (6-8 hours)

Training Content:

1. Construction site hazards
2. PPE: Personal Protective Equipment
3. First Aid
4. Fire Safety
5. Electrical Safety
6. Working at Heights

Format:

• Watch videos (10-15 minutes each)
• Read text
• Quizzes (after each chapter)

⚠️ Note:

• No fast-forward (must watch each video to end before proceeding)
• Must score 80%+ on quizzes to pass
• Can retry if failed (unlimited attempts)

Step 4: Final Exam

• 20-30 questions (multiple choice)
• 80%+ correct answers required (16-24 questions)
• Can retry if failed

Step 5: Card Issuance

• Immediate PDF download after passing (temporary card)
• Physical card arrives by mail in 2-10 days

2.3. Face-to-Face Training (QLD Example)

Step 1: Book Training

• Website: Search RTO (Registered Training Organisation)
• Example: Google search "White Card QLD"
• Book: Online or by phone

Step 2: Attend Training (1 day, 8am-4pm)

• Location: Training center
• Bring: ID (passport), pen, notebook
• Lunch break: 1 hour

Training Content:

• Same as online but instructor explains directly
• Group activities (simulations)
• Final exam (paper test)

Step 3: Card Issuance

• Temporary card same day
• Physical card arrives by mail in 2-3 weeks

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3. White Card Cost Comparison

Method	Cost	Duration	Difficulty
Online (NSW)	$60-120	6-8 hours	English reading required
Face-to-face (NSW)	$150-200	1 day	Easy
Face-to-face (QLD)	$150-200	1 day	Easy (mandatory)

💡 Recommendation:

• Intermediate+ English → Online (cheap & fast)
• Beginner English → Face-to-face (instructor help)

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4. Construction Job Types

4.1. Labourer (General Worker)

Duties:

• Carrying materials
• Cleaning
• Setting up tools
• Digging assistance

Hourly Rate:

• Beginner: $30-35
• Experienced: $35-45
• Weekends: $45-60

Advantages:

• No experience required
• Just White Card needed

Disadvantages:

• Physically demanding

4.2. Trades Assistant (Tradesperson's Helper)

Duties:

• Carpenter's Assistant
• Plumber's Assistant
• Electrician's Assistant

Hourly Rate:

• $35-45

Advantages:

• Learn skills
• Higher pay

Disadvantages:

• Some experience preferred

4.3. Demolition

Duties:

• Building demolition
• Material sorting
• Cleaning

Hourly Rate:

• $35-50

Advantages:

• High pay

Disadvantages:

• Lots of dust and noise
• Dangerous

4.4. Traffic Control

Duties:

• Road construction site traffic control
• Sign installation

Hourly Rate:

• $35-50

Additional Certification:

• Traffic Control Ticket (separate training 1-2 days, $300-500)

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5. Finding Construction Jobs

5.1. Online Recruitment

온라인 채용 플랫폼 1:

• Search: "Labourer Sydney" or "Construction Labourer"
• Filter: Job Type (Casual, Full-time)

온라인 채용 플랫폼 2:

• Search: "General Labourer"
• Set alerts (daily new job emails)

Gumtree:

• Construction section
• Many Korean employers too

5.2. Korean Community

Naver Cafe:

• Australian Working Holiday Cafe → Job Board → Construction

Facebook:

• Sydney Korean Job Board
• Melbourne Korean Community

5.3. Labour Hire Company

Definition:

• Recruitment agency
• Supply workers to various construction sites

Advantages:

• Stable employment
• Experience multiple sites

Disadvantages:

• Commission fee ($2-5/hr)

Recommended Companies:

• Randstad
• Chandler Macleod
• Programmed

5.4. Direct Visit

Method:

1. Find construction sites (Google Maps: "Construction site Sydney")
2. Visit sites at 7-8am
3. Give resume to manager/supervisor

Script:

Hi, I have my White Card and I'm looking for labourer work.
Do you have any positions available? I can start immediately.

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6. Construction Site Preparation Items

Essential Items:

• 🦺 High-Vis Vest (fluorescent vest): $10-20
• 👷 Hard Hat (safety helmet): $15-30
• 👢 Steel-Toe Boots (safety boots): $80-150
• 👖 Work Pants: $30-50
• 🧤 Gloves: $10-20
• 😎 Safety Glasses: $10-20

Where to Buy:

• Bunnings Warehouse
• Kmart
• WorkWear Stores

Total Cost: $155-280

💡 Tip: Must prepare everything before first day!

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7. Construction Site English Expressions

Basic Terms

• Site: Construction site
• Supervisor: Supervisor
• Foreman: Site manager
• PPE: Personal Protective Equipment
• Smoko: Break time (Morning Tea)

Common Phrases

- "Put on your hard hat." (Put on safety helmet)
- "Grab that timber." (Get that timber)
- "Watch out!" (Be careful!)
- "Knock off at 3pm." (Finish work at 3pm)
- "Sign in the logbook." (Sign attendance book)

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8. Frequently Asked Questions

Q1. Is White Card valid for life?

A. Yes, no renewal required. However, if you lose your card, reissue costs $20-40.

Q2. Can I use it in other states?

A. Mostly yes. However, QLD requires a QLD card (Blue Card).

Q3. Can I get construction jobs without experience?

A. Yes! Labourer positions don't require experience. Just White Card + fitness.

Q4. Can women work in construction?

A. Yes, definitely. Traffic Control, Cleaning, etc. have many women workers.

Q5. Does construction work count toward second visa?

A. Yes, if working in Regional Australia. Sydney/Melbourne CBD doesn't qualify.

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Conclusion

White Card is the best value certification - invest 1 day and $60-200 to access $30-50 hourly jobs.

Key Summary:

1. ✅ Online obtaining (NSW, VIC, WA, SA) - $60-120, 6-8 hours
2. ✅ QLD requires face-to-face - $150-200, 1 day
3. ✅ Valid for life, no renewal
4. ✅ Construction hourly rates $30-50+
5. ✅ Preparation: High-Vis, Hard Hat, Steel-Toe Boots

Next Steps:

1. Obtain online White Card (GetInduction.com.au)
2. Purchase safety equipment (Bunnings)
3. Prepare resume
4. Search "Labourer" on Seek/Indeed

Best of luck with construction jobs! 🏗️👷🇦🇺✨

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Related Articles

• Australian Working Holiday Resume Writing Guide
• Australian Farm Work Guide
• Australian TFN Application Guide

About the Author The WHRESUME team is in their 3rd year living in Melbourne and genuinely supports Australian working holiday makers. This guide is based on feedback from the working holiday community and analysis of official Australian sources.

💬 Feedback Welcome: If you find outdated or inaccurate information, please let us know via Contact Us!

📌 Latest Information:

• Safe Work Australia - Construction safety regulations
• Fair Work Ombudsman - Minimum wages and working conditions