THE WORKING HOLIDAY VISA

Australia's Working Holiday programme allows working holiday makers to have an extended holiday in Australia by supplementing their travel funds through incidental employment and to experience closer contact with a local community.

Australia has reciprocal working holiday arrangements with Belgium, Canada, the Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) of the People's Republic of China, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.

Most working holiday-eligible passport holders are able to apply for a first Working Holiday visa anywhere outside Australia. However, passport holders from the following places can only lodge first Working Holiday visa applications in the place of their passport: Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malta, the Republic of Cyprus, Taiwan and HKSAR (including British National Overseas). Second Working Holiday visa applications may be made from any location either in or outside Australia.

The reciprocal nature of the arrangements ensures young Australians are also offered similar opportunities for cultural understanding through working holidays overseas.

Second Working Holiday visa
Working holiday makers, who have worked as a seasonal worker in an eligible regional Australian area for a minimum of three months while on their first Working Holiday visa, will be eligible to apply for a second Working Holiday visa.

Seasonal work is any type of work that is undertaken as the employee of a primary producer. Regional Australia is defined by postcode and further details can be obtained from the team at Migrateonline.

Visa eligibility
Applicants need to be:

They should have a return ticket or sufficient funds for a return or onward fare as well as sufficient funds for the initial stage of their stay.

Applicants for a first Working Holiday visa MUST be outside Australia when lodging their application.

For first Working Holiday visa applications, working holiday makers must enter Australia within 12 months from the date of visa grant and are permitted a stay of 12 months from date of initial entry to Australia regardless of whether or not they spend the whole period in Australia.

Second Working Holiday visas
Second Working Holiday visa applications may be made from either in or outside Australia.

To meet the requirements for the second Working Holiday visa, applicants will need to continue to meet the criteria for a Working Holiday visa outlined above, and have evidence of their three months of employment as a seasonal worker in regional Australia (see Second Working Holiday visa above).

For second Working Holiday visa applications made outside Australia, working holiday makers must enter Australia within 12 months from the date of visa grant and are permitted a stay of 12 months from the date of initial entry to Australia regardless of whether or not they spend the whole period in Australia.

For second Working Holiday visa applications made in Australia, the length of stay permitted depends on the type of visa held at the time of application. If the applicant holds a first Working Holiday visa when they apply, their second Working Holiday visa will permit them a total stay in Australia of 24 months from the date they first arrived on their first Working Holiday visa

Work conditions
Working holiday makers are permitted to do any kind of work in Australia. However, work for longer than six months with any one employer is not allowed.

People working in Australia on a Working Holiday visa are entitled to the same pay and work conditions as Australian residents and citizens.

Working holiday makers are permitted to study or train in Australia for up to a total of four months.