February 28, 2011 // 5 Comments

Working Holiday Australia Visa

The Working Holiday Australia Visa, also called the WHV Australia, is a great way to work and travel Australia.

The WHV Australia program is the perfect strategy for having an extended stay in Oz. It presents a golden opportunity to travelers and backpackers to earn an income for supplementing their travel funds

To be able to work and base yourself for an extended period of time makes living and getting around a lot more affordable and interesting.

The WHV Australia program gives you the opportunity to really experience life down under, to immerse yourself in the culture, and to meet locals and form life long friendships.

In terms of a gap year in Oz, the ability to gain new skills by performing different and unusual jobs, or by volunteering on worthwhile projects, can look great on any CV.

General Requirements for the Working Holiday Australia Visa:

You must have turned 18, but not turned 31, at the time of your visa application
You must apply for the WHV Australia visa when you are outside of the country.
You can’t have entered the country on a WHV program before.
You must apply no more than 12 months before you intend to travel to Oz.
You must hold a valid passport for the country or region participating in the working holiday schemes.
You can enter the country at any time within 3 months of your visas grant date.
You can work and travel Australien for up to 12 months.
Leave and re-enter as much as you like within those 12 months.
Undertake temporary employment.
Visa fee = $235

How to Get Your Working Holiday Australia Visa:

The are actually two WHV Australia categories, subclass 417 and subclass 462, and it depends on which country you come from…

Firstly….the Working Holiday Maker Visa (Subclass 417) is available to people from:

United Kingdom
Belgium
Canada
Republic of Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Republic of Ireland
Italy
Japan
Republic of Korea
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
Taiwan.

Bonus 2nd Year…Due to the high demand for workers to help with Australia’s harvest (farm work), anyone who works three months or more in an agricultural position can qualify to Renew Their Visa for a 2nd Year ….a great bonus!

This WHV Australia scheme allows you the right to short-term employment and the opportunity to work and travel Australien for up to two years (if you qualify for your renewell). It’s issued electronically, and there is no need to have a 3rd party apply on your behalf – as it’s very straightforward.

Lean more about the sub-class 417 visa at the Australian Government website.
Learn how to renew for your 2nd year here.
If you are already in Oz as a holder of a Working Holiday visa and wish to apply for a second year, Download this form.

Secondly….the Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462) is for people from:

USA
Chile
Indonesia
Malaysia
Thailand
Turkey

This visa is also for people aged 18 – 30 who want to work and travel Australien for up to 12 months. This work visa allows you to supplement the cost of your holiday through periods of temporary or casual employment.

Learn more about this visa here.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If you get a new passport after you have processed your application for a visa, then you must advise the application department of your new passport before you arrive in Oz. Otherwise you may experience problems or delays as the Visa is linked electronically to your passport.