Working Holiday Visas for Australia

Working Visa's are Available in Australia for;

citizens aged 18 to 30 years from countries which have reciprocal arrangements with Australia (i.e. Australian citizens can apply for Working Holiday Visas when visiting their countries).

Currently they are;

Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan and the U.K.

A different WHV Sub-class 462 is available to 18 to 30 year olds from Chile, Thailand, Turkey and the U.S.A. here This may/will change to a ordinary visa

If you are aged over 30 there are other work visa's for which you may be eligible here

AUSTRALIA CURRENTLY HOSTS MORE THAN 150,000 WORKING HOLIDAY VISITORS ANNUALLY

WHV's can ONLY be applied for; before arriving in Australia. Working Holiday Visa's* can only be granted before you arrive in Australia. For details about applying visit   Australia's official website here (www.immi.gov.au) or visit a Travel Agent or an Australian Embassy or Consulate in the country you are in.

*You don't have to leave Australia to apply for your second term WHV i.e. the 12 months extension for eligible applicants.

For how long will my visa be valid; Most WHV's are valid for 12 months from the date you first enter Australia*. They can be extended for a further 12 months if you accumulate at least 88 days (3 calender months) participating (can be as a volunteer, contractor or employee) in what is classed as Specified Work in a Designated Regional Area. For example: you may work for a few weeks here and a few more weeks there and so on until you have worked at least 88 days or you might do it all in one hit with one employer. You will still need to meet all the other requirements of a normal WHV to qualify for a second 12 month term.

*Your WHV is Activated on your first entry into Australia and will expire 12 months later, irrespective of whether you leave Australia and re-enter later.

Six months is the maximum time a working holiday visa holder can work for the same employer i.e. 183 day's. The authorities are very strict on this and will cancel anyones visa found to be in breach.

For Basic requirements & Applying online here

Remember a working holiday visa (first one) is activated on arrival in Australia i.e. through Passport Control.

As for the second visa...

If you're applying for it while still in Oz, then it starts from the day your first WHV expires and ends no later than 24 months after you first arrived in the country.

You may find that you are granted a bridging visa if your first WHV expires while you are waiting for your second one to be processed, in which case your second WHV will still expire exactly 24 months after you first arrived in Oz. Your second WHV does not start when your bridging visa ends. Lots of people make this mistake.

Also, for the second WHV, you have to undergo a medical exam and chest X-ray at a government approved clinic - and you have to pay for it. The second WHV application fee is the same as the first one - approx £85.

All medical and WHV application fees included, your second WHV will end up costing you between $450 and $650 (approx £200-250). It varies depending on how much the different clinics charge.

Oh, and remember to check the post code list on the Aussie immigration website if you're working with a view to getting your second WHV. Not all of Australia is covered under the second WHV scheme and the last thing you want to is to pick fruit for 3 months only to find that the area you're in isn't classed as 'rural Australia', as defined by immigration. It happens. This is very important. Read it carefully - don't just assume you're in an eligible area. Often, a matter of miles separates valid areas from invalid areas, especially up on the east coast of QLD.

Check post codes

If you leave Oz and then plan to return on a second WHV, then the same application rules apply as for the first one. You can be no older than 30 at the time of application, but you can be 30. You can apply for the WHV right up until the day before your 31st birthday. When granted, you've got 12 months to travel to Oz and activate it, so you could actually still get into Oz on a WHV right up until the day before your 32nd birthday. This is the same with the first WHV - so those of you over 30, don't despair!