Changes to the Working Holiday Maker visa program have made it even more flexible – with an opportunity to stay in Australia for up to three years.
Is your customer dreaming of a gap year in Australia? Then they’ll want to know about Australia’s Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa program. The WHM program gives young visitors aged 18 to 30 (now 35 for Canadian and Irish citizens) the chance to do just that. They can stay in Australia for an extended period, earn money to fund their travels through short-term employment and immerse in the local culture while enjoying Australia’s famously laidback lifestyle. There is already a lot to love about Australia’s WHM visa program, but new changes in 2018 have made it even better.
If you've handled a working holiday for a customer in the past, you may know they can stay for up to two years. This is true: a WHM visa only lasts 12 months, but if they meet certain criteria (including doing three months of eligible work, such as farm work, in parts of rural or northern Australia), they have the option to apply for another 12-month visa, which means they can stay in Australia for a total of two years. The new changes, however, have just made an Australian working holiday even better: from 1 July 2019, it's possible to extend their stay for a third year. If from Canada or Ireland, they’re also now eligible for a working holiday visa from the age of 18, up until the age of 35 (previously only until age of 30).
There are a few conditions, but the most important is the need to complete six months of specified work during their second year to qualify. Previously, WHM visa holders were required to work in specific areas of Australia to qualify, but to make this easier to achieve, WHM visa holders are now able to work in a wider geographical area across Australia. They can also now stay with the same agricultural employer for up to 12 months (previously six months). This gives them the chance to experience Australia’s beautiful countryside – or experience an outback adventure – while getting to know the people in Australia’s incredible countryside at the same time.
WHM visas come in two categories:
For visitors holding passports from Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, the USA and Vietnam.
For visitors holding passports from Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and the UK.
No – though they can if they want to! In their first year on a WHM visa, your customer can undertake any kind of work they like, and can usually stay with the same employer for up to six months. To qualify for a second (or third) year however, they must do specific kinds of work. Farm work, including fruit picking, offers lots of opportunities and is popular among backpackers. However, it’s not the only option. Depending which visa they're on, ‘specified work’ to qualify for a second (or third) year can also include roles in the fields of travel and tourism, mining, fishing and construction.
Yes. A brief summary of these is below:
They can only apply for their initial WHM visa from outside Australia. As well as being the right age and holding a passport from one of the countries listed above, they must also meet certain other criteria to qualify for a WHM visa. These vary depending on the visa type and country the passport is held, but include health and educational requirements and a willingness to sign an Australian values statement. They’re not allowed to travel with dependent children and must have enough money to support themselves for their entire stay (as well as evidence to get themselves home again).
AUD$450 per visa.
Seek out the most up to date information regarding visas and the WHM program on the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs wesite.