Each year thousands of young people around the world take advantage of the Australian Working Holiday Visa. To be eligible for the Australian Working Holiday Visa people need to be aged 18 years through to 30 years. As soon as a young person turns 31 years of age they are ineligible for the Australian Working Holiday Visa. So for those looking at coming to Australia for a working holiday as a backpacker they need to make sure they do so before they reach the maximum age.

The Australian Working Holiday Visa provides you people to come to Australia and travel while undertaking employment or study opportunities. Initially the Australian Working Holiday Visa is for a period of 12 months however, this can be extended to 2 years if certain conditions are met. The 12 month visa period provides ample time for backpackers to visit Australian cities and outback while still allowing time to work to supplement their income while holidaying.

What is the Australian Working Holiday Visa?

The Australian Working Holiday Visa was developed as part of Australia’s agreement with a number of other countries to promote tourism and cultural experiences between the designated countries. The agreement allows for young people from these designated countries to come to Australia for 12 months and work under the same conditions provided to Australian citizens and permanent residents.

Are There any Restrictions with the Australian Working Holiday Visa?

While the Australian Working Holiday Visa provides an excellent opportunity for young people to visit and explore Australia, there are a number of restrictions placed on the visa to ensure it meets its intended purpose. The Australian Working Holiday Visa essentially provides young people from designated countries to visit Australia on a gap year.

The following restrictions apply:

• The Australian Working Holiday Visa allows young people to opportunity to work full time in Australia. However, young people on an Australian Working Holiday Visa are not able to work for the same employer for more than 6 months;
• The Australian Working Holiday Visa allows young people to study in Australia for a period not exceeding 17 weeks. There are further restrictions that prohibit young people on the visa from undertaking vocational or tertiary courses. Young people are only permitted to study language courses, making this a viable option for young people from Asian and other non English speaking countries;
• The Australian Working Holiday Visa has strict age requirements as it is only intended for young people. Those looking to obtain an Australian Working Holiday Visa must be a minimum of 18 years of age and under 31 years of age. There is no discretion available for people who fall outside of the age requirements;
• The Australian Working Holiday Visa is valid for a period of 12 months. Young people who have been granted an Australian Working Holiday Visa have 12 months from when the visa is granted to enter Australia. As soon as the young person enters Australia the 12 month visa period commences. There are strict penalties for young people who overstay in Australia when their visa expires; and
• The Australian Working Holiday Visa program is only available for young people who have a valid passport from Taiwan, Sweden, the UK, The Netherlands, Norway, Malta, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Ireland, Hong Kong, Germany, France, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, Cyprus, Canada, and Belgium.

What is the Cost in Obtaining an Australian Working Holiday Visa?

The official government fee for applying for an Australian Working Holiday Visa is $440.00. However, when applying for an Australian Working Holiday Visa, it is recommended that young people use the services of a specialised agent. While there are professional fees involved in using a specialised agent, the agents are better placed to ensure that the visa application is processed smoothly and has a greater chance of success.

Are There Any Job Restrictions?

For young people who come to Australia on an Australian Working Holiday Visa there are no restrictions on the types of employment that they can find. Most backpackers coming to Australia on an Australian Working Holiday Visa generally find jobs in the hospitality industry such as working behind the bar or as a waitress or waiter. However, a lot of backpackers also secure employment in thee agricultural industry so that they can take advantage of the second year visa scheme.

Is anything else needed Before Starting a Job?

Once a young person has obtained their Australian Working Holiday Visa and come to Australia they are required to obtain an Australian Tax File Number. A Tax File Number is an individually assigned number which identifies a person for taxation and superannuation purposes.

It is often easiest for people coming to Australia on an Australian Working Holiday Visa to have their Tax File Number applied for by an agent, who will in most cases, make application on behalf of the young person free of charge. By using a specialised agent, the young person on the Australian Working Holiday Visa, can receive their tax file number quickly and efficiently.

When a young person on an Australian Working Holiday Visa obtains employment, they are required to provide their employer with their Tax File Number so that tax from wages can be paid to the Australian Tax Office.

Are You Able to Extend Your Australian Working Holiday Visa?

As identified the Australian Working Holiday Visa allows young people the opportunity to stay in Australia for a period of 12 months. After the 12 month period ends the young person is generally required to leave from Australia. However, if the young person has met certain Australian government requirements then they have the option to renew their Australian Working Holiday Visa for a further 12 month period allowing them to stay and work in Australia for a period of 2 years.

Working Holiday Visa allows you to stay in Australia for 12 months. The first Working Holiday Visa can only be required from outside Australia. This yearly visa starts from the moment you enter Australia, and allows you to enter and exit the country without any limitation.

What are the Requirements for Obtaining a Second Sear Australian Working Holiday Visa?

While the purpose of the Australian Working Holiday Visa is to allow young people to visit and work in Australia for 12 months, there are certain circumstances that allow young people to stay for a further 12 month period. To be eligible for a second year visa, young people are required to meet certain requirements such as working in rural areas within the primary industries sector.

This requirement to work in rural areas assists communities in regional Australia to find employees to assist with seasonal and other work that is often hard to find employees for. While this is of immense benefit to the economy for regional Australia it also provides unique experiences for young people on working holidays in Australia as well as providing them with additional vocational skills.

To be eligible for the second year visa, young people on an Australian Working Holiday Visa must have worked for a period of 88 whole days (not part time days) in regional locations which are identified by specific post codes. Many backpackers have failed to meet this requirement by only working part time over 88 days and unfortunately become ineligible for the second year visa. It is important to note that the maximum age for young people to obtain a second year visa is 30, the same as it is for the first years Australian Working Holiday Visa.

Do Young People Need Assistance to Gain an Australian Working Holiday Visa?

Young people intending to visit Australia on an Australian Working Holiday Visa are able to personally attend to the visa application directly through the Department of Immigration and Multi Cultural Affairs. There is no requirement for young people to use agents or lawyers in completing and submitting there Australian Working Holiday Visa application.

While the process of obtaining an Australian Working Holiday Visa is fairly straight forward, if there are any errors or omissions in the actual application, the visa may be denied or at the very least delayed. For this reason it is important for young people to consider using a reputable agent to assist them in preparing their visa application to ensure that all of the application requirements are attended to.

Some young people are of the belief that using a specialised agent to assist them in preparing their Australian Working Holiday Visa will be cost prohibitive. However, the professional services that these agents provide are often quite inexpensive and also assist in streamlining the process. Young people can shop around to find a professional agent who will not only provide them with the visa application services they require but also provide these services at a price that fits into the young persons budget.

Conclusion

The Australian Working Holiday Visa provides a unique opportunity for young people from designated countries to visit and work in Australia for a 12 month period. This visa program is designed for young people between 18 and 30 years of age to visit Australia while working and experiencing true Australian culture.

The Australian Working Holiday Visa program is only available to young people who hold valid passports from countries that are signatories to the international agreement that was put in place to assist certain countries in promoting tourism and cultural experiences.

For people living in countries other than those that are signatories to the agreement, there are still opportunities for them to visit Australia on working holidays. People from these countries do not get the full benefit of those who come to Australia under the Australian Working Holiday Visa.

It is important that any young person looking to come to Australia on a working holiday obtain advice from a specialised agent. This advice will ensure that their Australian Working Holiday Visa stands the best chance of acceptance.

The specialised agent will also be able to provide other valuable services to the young person such as assisting them in obtaining an Australian Tax File Number, setting up a bank account, and in many cases help them to find suitable employment.

While in Australian on an Australian Working Holiday Visa, young people should ensure that they do not breach any of the requirements of the visa such as working with one employer for longer than six months. There are strict penalties for young people who breach the conditions of their visa including being expelled.

All in all, the Australian Working Holiday Visa provides an ideal opportunity for young people around the world to visit and work in Australia and enjoy all that is on offer. Australia provides immense opportunities for young people to experience the tourist hot spots such as Bondi Beach through to regional destinations like Ayres Rock and the Bungle Bungles. These are experiences that will last a lifetime.