A working holiday visa can be a great option for younger travellers from around the world to travel to Australia for an extended period. It is currently available to citizens of 44 countries with which Australia has partnered as it seeks to foster people-to-people links with other nations and regions, particularly emphasising the younger adult cohort.
It is also commonly referred to as the ‘backpacker’ visa, enabling younger people to explore and experience a new country before they embark on the next stage of their lives.
And citizens of even more countries could be eligible for a working holiday visa in future, as the Government continues its efforts to add more countries to the program on an ongoing basis, with negotiations currently underway.
Also be aware that a number of changes have been made to the working holiday visa in recent years, as the Government responds to changing conditions and priorities in the Australian economy and the community.
In this article, we explore the working holiday visa class in more detail, including the options that are available, key features and eligibility requirements to qualify.
We also take a closer look at some of the changes introduced recently to the working holiday visa program.
But let us start off by introducing the working holiday visa and the two subclasses available./p>
What Working Holiday Visa Options Are Available?
There are two types of working holiday visas available, being the Subclass 417 Working Holiday visa and Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa. Your country of citizenship/passport will determine which working holiday visa subclass you may be eligible for. The main difference between these two working holiday visa subclasses is that the subclass 462 visa is generally subject to caps on the number of visas granted in each migration program year. It is also subject to additional eligibility requirements.
What Are The Key Features Of A Working Holiday Visa?
As a working holiday visa holder, you can spend an initial period of 12 months in Australia (from your date of entry), with the option to apply for a second and third year working holiday visa thereafter, subject to meeting the prescribed requirements. This can mean an overall stay period in Australia of three years as a working holiday visa holder. This extended residence in Australia can be beneficial to applicants who are considering applying for a visa further down the track, such as a partner or skilled visa.
You can use the time you have in Australia as a working holiday visa holder (and with fairly flexible conditions) to become eligible for another visa. For example, you could use the time to gain skilled work experience to qualify for a skilled visa, or the time spent living with your Australian de facto partner may enable you to qualify for a partner visa.
There are a myriad of ways in which the time you have in Australia as a working holiday visa holder can be useful to help you to achieve your longer-term migration goals subsequent to a working holiday visa. Consider it a type of ‘springboard,’ helping you to transition from one step on your migration journey in Australia to the next.
But it is important to keep in mind that one eligibility requirement that you need to satisfy in order to qualify for a working holiday visa is that you must have an intention to remain in Australia as a genuine visitor, with your primary purpose being to have a holiday in Australia.
According to Immigration policy, a ‘genuine visitor’ is considered to mean a person who intends to abide by the conditions of their working holiday visa, including the work limitation, and who will leave Australia once they are no longer able to remain lawfully.
Further, a person who intends to apply to extend their stay in Australia after their working holiday (for example, by applying for a skilled or partner visa) may still be considered to be a genuine visitor for the purpose of a working holiday visa application. Note that although policy is not binding on the Department of Home Affairs (the Department), it nevertheless provides a good indication of how the Department is likely to interpret the migration provisions during processing of a visa application.
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