Australian visa system offers a great program - Working Holidays Visa
If you are between 18 to 30 years old, and planning a long trip to Australia, but do not have enough money to finance it, then you might want to consider the working holiday visa program.
In short – this Australian visa allows you to work legally in Australia while traveling and to get paid for your work.
What could be better?
There is no need to be afraid of the immigration authorities who might deport you from Australia if they catch you working illegally, you get an overseas work experience, which will always look good on your resume, and it is a fantastic way to meet the locals and fellow travelers from other countries.
And the best part – You get paid. Yes I know I said that already ; )
However, the work and travel program is based on reciprocal bilateral agreements between countries, so you must check if your country has signed a working holidays visa agreement with Australia. Or you can Click here for advice.
Australia offers 2 types of working holidays visa. You should check which Australian visa agreement was signed with your country.
Australian Visa - Working Holidays Visa (Subclass 417)
First Working Holidays Visa
This Australian visa allows you to supplement the cost of your holiday through short-term employment.
Australia visa requirements
- Apply from outside of Australia and be outside of Australia when your working holidays visa is granted.
- You did not enter Australia on a Working Holiday visa before
- You must be older than 18 years and younger than 30 years (inclusive) at the time of applying.
- You must apply for the Australian visa no more than 12 months before you intend to travel to Australia.
- You do not have dependent children.
- You hold a passport of a country participating with Australia in the Work and travel program. These countries are: United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Republic of Ireland, Republic of Korea, Malta, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China, Finland, the Republic of Cyprus, France, Italy, Belgium, Estonia and Taiwan.
You can find an updated list of the participating countries on the Australian visa and immigration website.
- Health requirements – To be eligible for this Australian visa you must meet health criteria and you might be asked to undertake medical examination which may include chest x-ray, HIV, Hepatitis B etc'.
- Financial requirements - You must have access to sufficient funds to support yourself for the initial stage of your holiday. You may be asked to provide evidence. Evidence may include a certified copy of a bank statement and an air ticket out of Australia.
- Character requirements - For the Australian Government to determine whether you are of good character, you may be asked to provide police certificates for each country you have lived in for 12 months or more over the last ten (10) years since turning 16.
What are you allowed to do in Australia with the working holiday visa?
- You have to enter Australia within 12 months of visa grant.
- stay up to 12 months in Australia.
- leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.
- work in Australia for up to 6 months with each employer.
- Study for up to 4 months.
Health insurance - Medical treatment in Australia can be very expensive. As a tourist, you are not covered by Australia's national health scheme, unless there is a reciprocal health care agreement between Australia and your country. Therefore it is recommended that you take out health insurance for the duration of your stay in Australia.
Second Working Holiday Visa
Would you like to extend your stay in Australia for another year?
The good news is you can apply for a second holiday visa while you still hold a first Working Holiday visa or at a later date.
For the second Australian visa you can apply from outside Australia or from inside Australia. If applying from inside Australia then you must be in Australia when the visa is granted and vise versa; you must be outside of Australia when the visa is granted if you applied from outside Australia.
The second travel and work visa for Australia is granted for another 12 months.
To be eligible for a second holiday visa you must prove that you have worked in a specified industry in regional Australia for a minimum of three months during your first Working Holiday visa.
Note: Specified work must actually be done within an eligible regional Australia postcode area.
So make sure to check the postcode list before starting a specified work to ensure it is in an eligible area. Otherwise you might not be eligible for a second working holiday visa.
What is considered a specified work?
Plant and animal cultivation, harvesting and/or packing fruit and vegetable crops, pruning and trimming vines and trees, fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, mining, construction.
A specified work does not need to be a paid work. It can be a work undertaken as a volunteer which falls under the specified work definition.
All other requirements are the same as for the first working visa.
Australian Visa - Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462)
The work and holiday Australian visa agreement was signed between Australia and the following countries: Chile, Thailand, Turkey, and The U.S.A
Australia has also signed work and holiday visa arrangements with Bangladesh and Malaysia, and agreed to sign an arrangement with Indonesia. These arrangements are not yet in effect.
The Work and Holiday visa is for tertiary educated people aged 18 to 30 who want to travel and work for up to 12 months in Australia. This visa allows you to supplement the cost of your holiday through periods of temporary or casual employment. Most countries under this visa program have a limit on the number of Work and Holiday visas issued per year.
Note: It is not possible to qualify for an additional Work and Holiday visa by working in a specified work in regional Australia. This option is only available under the Working Holiday visa.
Australia visa requirements:
- To be eligible for this Australian visa you must be older than 18 and younger than 30 years (inclusive) on the date you apply.
- Hold a passport from a country that has a Work and Holiday arrangement with Australia – Chile, Thailand, Turkey and the U.S.A.
- You must meet health requirements. Health requirements will vary depending on your personal circumstances.
- have approval from your government (not required for applicants from the USA)
- You must have relevant education qualifications –
Chile: hold tertiary qualifications or have completed/been approved to undertake a third year of undergraduate university study.
Thailand: You must hold a degree or post high school diploma from an accredited institution.
Turkey: You must hold tertiary qualifications, or have successfully completed at least two years of undergraduate university study.
U.S.A: You must have graduated from High School.
- You are able to speak English at a functional level (does not apply for people from the U.S.A).
- Financial requirements - You must have access to sufficient funds to support yourself for the initial stage of your holiday. You may be asked to provide evidence. Evidence may include a certified copy of a bank statement and an air ticket out of Australia.
- Character requirements - For the Australian Government to determine whether you are of good character, you may be asked to provide police certificates for each country you have lived in for 12 months or more over the last ten (10) years since turning 16.
What are you allowed to do with the work and holiday Australian visa?
- Enter Australia at any time within 3 months of the visa grant date.
- Stay for up to 12 months in Australia.
- Leave and re–enter Australia any number of times in the 12 months from the date of first entry.
- Undertake any type of work on a temporary basis in Australia.
- Study for up to 4 months.
- Work in Australia for up to 6 months with same employer. Working beyond the 6 months without the required permission, may result in your visa being cancelled and you may be required to leave Australia.
- You cannot include family members in your application Employers.
What type of work are you allowed to do in Australia with the Working Holiday visa?
Almost everything:
Specified work at regional Australia: Harvest and fruit picking jobs, pearling and fishing, mining, cattle job, construction and farming.
Temp secretarial and office admin Jobs: Audio typists, data entry clerks, filing and mailing Clerks, general administrative assistants, receptionists etc'.
Hospitality industry jobs: Cafes, pubs, restaurants, hotels, Festivals or functions.
You can even work in your own profession; For example there is a great demand for nurses in Australia.
Note: if you would like to work in your own occupation you should check if you need to be registered or licensed by contacting the relevant registration board or licensing authority in Australia.
Disclaimer: The contents of this page are provided as an information guide only. The use of this website is at the viewer/user's sole risk. While every effort is made in presenting up-to-date and accurate information, no responsibility or liability is accepted by the owners to this website for any errors, omissions, outdated or misleading information on these pages or any site to which these pages connect or are linked.
Source & Copyright: The source of the above visa and immigration information and copyright owner/s is the:
The department of immigration and Citizenship Australia URL: http://www.immi.gov.au/
The viewer/user of this web page should use the above information as a guideline only, and should always contact the above sources or the user's own government representatives for the most up-to-date information at that moment in time, before making a final decision to travel to that country or destination.
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