Australia is one of the best destinations to get a job abroad or take a gap year because of its vast natural beauty and hospitable working holiday visa scheme. This visa program makes it simple for individuals traveling to Australia to earn money and explore at the same time while without having to worry about the limitations of a visitor visa.
What is a Working Holiday Visa?
If you are a citizen of Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan or the United Kingdom and under the age of 30, a working holiday visa (WHV Australia) or 417 visa is the best starting point to come and travel and work in Australia.
The Working Holiday Visa Australia allows you to travel and work in Australia for a full year (much longer than a visitor visa, and most importantly, you will have work rights!). It’s common to have some questions about the application process for a visa holiday working visa Australia, what to do once you arrive, and how to make the most of your time on this adventure.
As the name implies, a Australia working holiday visa is a mix between work and leisure. A working holiday visa is designed to let you alternate between working and travelling (or both!). It’s perfect for people who wish to take a gap year, travel for longer than 90 days at a time, and make some extra money. Additionally, it’s a good way to get a feel for Australia and determine if you might want to look at more permanent migration options in the future. It’s much easier to make connections and uncover work opportunities once you’re in the country.
Working Holiday Makers (WHM) program
What is a working holiday maker? Young individuals (18 to 30 years old) from selected nations may apply for one of two visas under Australia’s Working Holiday Maker (WHM visa) program: Working Holiday (subclass 417) or Work and Holiday (subclass 462). Depending on your place of citizenship, your options for visas vary, but generally, both visas allow young people to travel to Australia for prolonged periods of time and to support themselves throughout their stay with temporary employment in any sector.
You must be outside of Australia to apply for this visa.
You will have work rights and can study up to a maximum of 4 months.
You can stay and work in Australia for a year with the Australian Working Holiday visa.
Australian Working Holiday visa eligible countries
A Subclass 417 visa is available to citizens of Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, Philippines and the United Kingdom.
This article covers the Working Holiday Visa. If you are not eligible for the Subclass 417 visa, go and check out our article on the Subclass 462 visa.
Working Holiday Visa Age Limit
The current holiday working visa Australia visa age limit is typically 30 years old. However, if you hold a French, Danish, Italian, Canadian or Irish passport you can access the working holiday visa age 35 years old!
This visa is appropriate for young adults aged 18 to 30 who want to go to Australia for an extended period of time. With this visa, you can work overseas and gain vital experience while making money to pay for your travels.
The 417 visa is a great option if you are from one of the relevant nations and are between the ages of 18 and 30 (or 18 and 35 if you are Canadian, Danish, Italian, French, or Irish). The application fee for this visa is $510AUD . You should have at least $5,000 AUD in savings when you apply for this visa. This will help cover your living expenses while you look for a job, or if you encounter any unforeseen circumstances
For anyone 18 to 30 years old, and not a citizen of one of the nations mentioned above, you should have a look at the Subclass 462 visa (which also has the option of a second year extension).
Once you’ve obtained your visa (electronically) – printing the visa or a passport sticker is not required. You have 12 months to enter the country from grant date and the your visa will activate once you enter the country the first time. You will then have 12 months to enjoy your time in Australia. For example, you have till the first of February of the following year to enter and exit if you acquired your visa on February 1.
Working Holiday Visa Extension Australia
In this section we’re going to cover how to extend a working holiday visa in Australia. You can apply for a 2nd year visa Australia online. In order to get the second-year extension, you need to do 3 months’ worth of work that meets the criteria specified by the Australian Government. You can find all the details about the specified work requirements here.
The second working holiday processing time typically takes 1 day. 90% of applications are processed within 20 days. The second year visa Australia cost is the same as the initial WHV cost – AUD510.
On the second year visa, you can study up to 4 months.
Third Year Working Holiday Visa
In order to get the 3rd year visa Australia, you need to do 6 months of specified work. Most applications will be processed within the day. It again allows you to stay for 12 months, and costs AUD 510 to apply.
If you wish to stay in Australia after this, you must look into alternative visas.
Working Holiday Visa Australia 6 Months employer rule
You have the option to work with one employer for up to six months during this year.
The ‘6 month employer rule’ refers to Condition 8457, which will be applied to your visa. The good news is that this 6 month rule working holiday visa has been relaxed for the time being. If you started working for an employer prior to 30 June 2023, you will be able to work for them for an additional six month period. You can find more details about this rule and the temporary relaxing here: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/work-holiday-417/6-month-work-limitation
