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What this working holiday visa lets you do

This visa allows you to:

·         stay in Australia for up to 12 months

·         work in Australia, generally for up to six months with each employer

·         study for up to four months

·         leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.

Before you apply

Your passport

You need a valid passport or other travel document for this visa. If you plan to get a new passport, you should do so before applying for your visa. If you get a new passport after you have lodged your application, give the details of your new passport to one of  the department of immigration and border protection  offices.

You might be able to update your passport details using ImmiAccount.

No further stay condition

You cannot apply for this working holiday visa if you already hold another visa that has a ‘No further stay’ condition.

Contact the department of immigration and border protection if you are not sure whether your current visa conditions prevent you from applying for a further visa while you are in Australia.

Cost

The visa application charges are listed in Fees and charges.

You might have to pay other costs, such as the costs of health assessments, police certificates, or any other certificates or tests. You are responsible for making the necessary arrangements.

Who could get this visa

You might be able to get this working holiday visa if you:

·         have not previously entered Australia on a Work and Holiday (Temporary) visa (subclass 462)

·         hold a valid passport from a country involved in the Working Holiday Program with Australia

·         have turned 18 years of age but have not yet turned 31

·         are a genuine visitor who wants to have a holiday in Australia

·         have enough money to support yourself on a working holiday (about AUD 5000)

·         have enough money to buy a return or onward travel ticket at the end of your stay

·         will not be accompanied by dependent children at any time during your stay.

Second Working Holiday Visa

To apply for a second Working Holiday (Temporary) visa (subclass 417), you must:

·         have complied with all the conditions on your first Working Holiday visa

·         have not previously held more than one Working Holiday visa

·         have completed three months of specified work in regional Australia while on your first Working Holiday visa

·         have not yet turned 31 years of age.

If you are already in Australia, and wish to remain onshore, you should apply for a second Working Holiday visa before your current visa expires and before you have turned 31 years of age.

Health requirements

You must meet certain health requirements. The health examinations you need will depend on your personal circumstances, including your period of stay, country of citizenship, time spent in another country during the last five years and your intended activities in Australia. The results of your health examinations are generally valid for 12 months.

Health insurance

You are responsible for all your health costs while you are in Australia. You will not be covered by Australia's national health scheme (Medicare) unless your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.

We recommend that you take out health insurance each time you travel to Australia.

Character requirements

You must meet certain character requirements. You must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16 years of age. Do not arrange for police certificates until we ask you to.

Debts to the Australian Government

You must have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts to the Australian Government before this working holiday visa can be granted.

Provide biometrics

You might be asked to provide biometrics (a scientific form of identification) as part of the application. Countries and visa subclasses included in the biometrics program has more information.

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Eligible countries

To apply for this visa, you must hold a valid passport from a country involved in the Working Holiday Program with Australia. Eligible countries are:

·         Belgium

·         Canada

·         Republic of Cyprus

·         Denmark

·         Estonia

·         Finland

·         France

·         Germany

·         Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (including British National Overseas passport holders)

·         Republic of Ireland

·         Italy

·         Japan

·         Republic of Korea

·         Malta

·         Netherlands

·         Norway

·         Sweden

·         Taiwan

·         United Kingdom.

Specified work

To apply for a second Working Holiday visa, you must have already completed three months of specified work in regional Australia. This specified work must have been completed while on your first Working Holiday visa.

Specified work is work that is undertaken in a 'specified' field or industry in a designated regional area. See the section on Regional Areas below to check the postcode list of designated regional areas.

All specified work performed on or after 1 December 2015 must be remunerated in accordance with the relevant Australian legislation and awards. Voluntary work performed after 1 December 2015 will not be accepted for the purpose of applying for a second Working Holiday visa. See Second Working Holiday visa applications – evidence of payment for specified work for more information.

Approved industries for specified work include:

·         plant and animal cultivation

·         fishing and pearling

·         tree farming and felling

·         mining

·         construction.

Specified work is any type of work described in the list below:

·         plant and animal cultivation

o    the harvesting and/or packing of fruit and vegetable crops

o    pruning and trimming vines and trees
Note: This must be the applicants primary employment task and directly associated with the cultivation and commercial sale of plant produce, such as fruit and nut crops (commercial horticultural activities). General garden maintenance is not eligible.

o    general maintenance crop work

o    cultivating or propagating plants, fungi or their products or parts

o    immediate processing of plant products

o    maintaining animals for the purpose of selling them or their bodily produce, including natural increase
Note: Maintaining animals for tourism or recreational purposes is not eligible.

o    immediate processing of animal products including shearing, butchery, packing and tanning
Note: Secondary processing of animal products, such as small goods processing and retail butchery is not eligible.

o    manufacturing dairy produce from raw material.

·         fishing and pearling

o    conducting operations relating directly to taking or catching fish and other aquatic species

o    conducting operations relating directly to taking or culturing pearls or pearl shell.

·         tree farming and felling

o    planting or tending trees in a plantation or forest that are intended to be felled

o    felling trees in a plantation or forest

o    transporting trees or parts of trees that were felled in a plantation or forest to the place where they are first to be milled or processed or from which they are to be transported to the place where they are to be milled or processed.

·         mining

o    coal mining

o    oil and gas extraction

o    metal ore mining

o    construction material mining

o    non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying exploration

o    mining support services.

·         construction

·         residential building construction

·         non-residential building construction

·         heavy and civil engineering construction

·         land development and site preparation services

·         building structure services

·         building installation services

·         building completion services

·         other construction services.

Work undertaken in the areas of plant and animal cultivation, fishing and pearling, and tree farming and felling must be described in the list above to meet the specified work requirement.

The Australian New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC) provides further detail about eligible work in mining and construction​. Work undertaken in the mining and construction sectors must appear in the ANZSIC division for these sectors to meet the specified work requirement

Supporting work, such as book-keeping, in any industry described in the list above does not meet the definition of specified work.

Specified work:

·         must be an activity listed above

·         must be the primary role, function or activity performed during the applicants employment.

Examples of eligible specified work:

·         picking fruits on an orchard

·         feeding and herding cattle on a farm

·         horse breeding and stud farming

·         landscaping the grounds of a construction/house site

·         painting the interior/exterior of new buildings

·         conservation and environmental reforestation work

·         zoo work involving plant or animal cultivation

·         erecting fences on a construction site  

·         scaffolding.

Examples of ineligible specified work:

·         ship/boat building

·         performing specialised social science services (such as anthropological and archaeological assessments) for mining companies

·         town planning or architecture

·         working as a nanny on a farm

·         working at a cellar door providing wine tastings

·         manufacturing materials used on a construction site (such as concrete or steel)

·         cooking/catering on a mine site

·         cleaning the interior of mine complexes or buildings.

Specified work in disaster affected areas

Construction work can be vital in helping regional disaster zones, such as those affected by flood or bushfire, to rebuild and recover from disaster.
Working Holiday visa holders who conduct construction work in eligible regional areas of Australia following disasters can count the work as specified work.

Examples of construction work that qualify as specified work include:

·         demolition of buildings, trench digging, land clearing and earth moving

·         residential and non-residential construction or renovation/repair, including of roads, footpaths, bridges, parking lots, fencing, railways, dams, irrigation systems, sewage and storm water drainage systems.

A full list of eligible construction activities is available from the Australia Bureau of Statistics website.

How to find specified work

Applicants can find specified work vacancies in the same way as they would find other job vacancies, such as through employment pages in newspapers, the Internet and job placement service providers. Vacancies specifically for plant and animal cultivation can be found on the Harvest Trail website.
Note: Not all vacancies advertised on the Harvest Trail website will qualify an applicant for a second Working Holiday visa.

Applicants should ensure that the vacancy meets the definition of specified work listed above and that the work will take place in an eligible postcode of regional Australia.  See the section on Regional Areas below to check the postcode list of designated regional areas.

How to calculate specified work
'Three months' means three 'calendar' months or 88 days. Work can be either:

·         in one block with one business

·         in separate blocks with one business or a number of businesses. Blocks of work may be in different kinds of specified work.

One full day of work is defined as having worked the minimum number of hours considered to be a standard day by the particular industry in which the applicant is employed.  Generally, the Australian working week is 35 to 40 hours, consisting of seven to eight hours of work each day.  Individual employers can not set a smaller period of time than the industry standard to satisfy the specified work requirement.

In calculating the period of time for which the applicant has undertaken specified work, the type of employment relationship the applicant may have with their employer, including full/part time employment or casual employment, is not as important as whether the relevant industry considers the period of work completed to be equivalent to full time work for that industry. For example, if the applicant's paid employment involved two weeks on and then two weeks off, and this is standard practice in the industry, the applicant would be considered to have worked for four weeks (28 days). If the employer is satisfied that the applicant has undertaken the equivalent of full time work for that industry for the specified period, the visa decision maker may be satisfied that the applicant has undertaken full time work for the specified period.

Applicants whose work is equivalent to full time employment may count weekends in the 88 day period. However, if the applicant's work is not equivalent to full time employment, for example, part time or casual, they may only count the full days actually worked.

In circumstances where the applicant is employed by more than one employer at the same time, they may only count each calendar day of work completed once towards their 88 day specified work requirement.

The shortest period that may be counted towards the specified work requirement is one day of full time work (for that industry). Applicants cannot count a long day of work as more than one day of specified work. For example, if the industry's standard day is six hours long, working a 12 hour day does not count as two days of specified work.

Full time workers can count sick days only during periods where they were in paid employment and entitled to sick leave or covered by a workers compensation scheme. In these situations, supporting evidence must be provided by the employer.

Applicants who were prevented from obtaining employment because of injury or seasonal circumstances cannot count any time they were unable to work towards the three month period. For example, cyclones interrupting harvest activities.

Some possible examples to help clarify the definition of three months of specified work are outlined below.

Examples that meet the three month requirement

·         Working week
Working on a farm for three months for five days each week, where the industry standard is five days a week of full time work.

·         Shift work
Employed as a miner for three months and under the employment contract are only required to work every second week, which is the standard full time contract for the industry.

·         Blocks of work
Completing 60 days of harvest work, followed by a period of travel for two months. Then completing another 28 days in construction, bringing the total days worked to 88 days.

·         Sick days
Employed for a three month period but take several days of sick leave during the period.

Examples that do not meet the three month requirement

·         Working week
When five days of work a week is the industry standard on a farm, but the applicant only works four days a week for three months.

·         Work done on another visa type
Completing three months of specified work during the summer break while on a Student visa.

·         Seasonal circumstances
Picking bananas for 80 days on a casual basis, but the applicant cannot find more work as there is a cyclone and their first Working Holiday visa ceases.

Evidence of specified work

·         If the Working Holiday visa holder applies for a second Working Holiday visa, they will need to provide evidence that they have satisfied the specified work eligibility requirement. Acceptable evidence of specified work (completed while on their first Working Holiday visa) includes original or certified copies of the following:

·         pay slips (must be supplied for all specified work performed from 31 August 2015)

·         group certificates

·         payment summaries

·         tax returns

·         employer references

·         a completed employment verification form signed by the applicants employer

·         original Australian bank statement covering the period of declared specified work, Form 1263 (Working Holiday visa: Employment verification (75 kB PDF file)

Note: Providing a completed Form 1263 and additional forms of evidence will allow a Working Holiday visa application to be assessed more quickly. Please ensure that all information provided is correct. Contacting third parties to verify the claims of applicants for second Working Holiday visas will now be a standard component of second Working Holiday visa application assessments.

Providing a false or misleading declaration or fraudulent evidence for any visa application can result in the application being refused or cancelled. If the applicant's visa is cancelled they may be prevented from lodging further applications and be excluded from Australia for a period of three years.

Regional areas

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Including family in your application

·         You cannot include a dependent child on your application for a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417).

·         A dependent child cannot accompany you at any time while you are in Australia.

·         Your partner can accompany you to Australia, but they will need to apply for their own visa.

How to apply

This information explains what you need to do to apply for a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417).

If you apply online and provide the department of immigration and border protection with a valid email address, you can minimise delays in the processing of your application.

Prepare your documents

You need to provide documents to prove the claims you make in the application. The documents are listed in the Document checklist.

Some documents could take some time to obtain. You should have them ready when you lodge the application to reduce any delays in processing.

Lodge your application online

If you do not have any dependent children, you can apply for this working holiday visa online:

·         First Working Holiday visa: Application for a Working Holiday visa

·         Second Working Holiday visa (outside Australia): Application for a Working Holiday visa

·         Second Working Holiday visa (in Australia): Application for a Working Holiday visa.

You must provide all relevant documents and pay the visa application charge by credit card when you apply.

You should provide an email address that we can use to communicate with you about your application.

You are not able to apply online if you have any dependent children. You must use the paper application form and apply by post or in person.

Lodge your application by post or in person

If you cannot apply online, use the following form:

·         Form 1150Application for a Working Holiday visa (196 kb PDF)

First Working Holiday visa:

Lodge your application at one of the immigration offices outside Australia, which will tell you how you can pay. There is also further information available on the methods of payment accepted by  the department of immigration and border protection  offices.

Second Working Holiday visa:
Lodge your paper application at the Cairns office in Queensland - attention Cairns Second Working Holiday Centre. Note: You can lodge this application by post only.

Email enquiry form: Working Holiday Maker Application Enquiry Form

More information

There is more information to help you prepare your application, such as certifying and translating documents into English, communicating with us, using a migration agent, authorising another person to receive information from us, and receiving assistance with your application.​​

After you have applied

After you have lodged your application and documents, we will let you know that we have received your information.

You can track and manage your application using ImmiAccount.

Note: If you submitted a paper application you can import your application into ImmiAccount.

Wait for a decision

We have visa processing times for each visa.

Your application could take longer if you need character or health checks (including x-rays), if you need to provide more information, or if your application is incomplete.

Outside Australia:
Do not make arrangements to travel to Australia until you are advised in writing that you have been granted a visa.

Provide more information

You can provide more information to us, at any time until a decision is made on the application. If you want to correct information you provided, use:

·         Form 1023 Notification of incorrect answer(s) (99 kB pdf).

We could also ask you for more information. You will have to respond by a set date. After that date, we can make a decision about your application using the information that we have.

You might be able to provide additional information, including Form 1023, using ImmiAccount.

If another person gives the department of immigration and border protection information that could result in you being refused a visa, we will usually give you the opportunity to comment on the information.

You might also be interviewed. If you are asked to attend an interview in person, bring your passport or other identification and any requested documents to the interview.

Report changes in your circumstances

You must tell the department of immigration and border protection if your circumstances change. This includes a new residential address, a new passport, or a pregnancy, birth, divorce, separation, marriage, de facto relationship or death in your family.

You can use the following forms:

·         Form 929 Change of address and/or passport details (86 kB pdf) — if you move to a new address or change your passport

·         Form 1022 Notification of changes in circumstances (77 kB pdf) — if there are other changes in your circumstances.

You might be able to update your address and passport details using ImmiAccount.

If you do not provide the department of immigration and border protection with the details of any new passport issued to you, you could experience significant delays at the airport and may be denied permission to board your plane.

Withdrawing your application

You can withdraw the application by advising us in writing at any time before we make a decision about your application. To do this, you must send the department of immigration and border protection a letter or email requesting the withdrawal. Your request must include your full name, date of birth, date of application, and file reference number/transaction reference number (if known).

Visa decision

If the visa is granted, we will let you know:

·         when you can use the visa

·         the visa grant number

·         any conditions attached to the visa.

You will not have a visa label placed in your passport.

If the visa is not granted, we will let you know:

·         why the visa was refused

·         your review rights (if any). Where applicable, your sponsor can apply for the decision to be reviewed

·         the time limit for lodging an appeal.

Document checklist

You must provide documents to support your application for this visa.

Use the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) document checklist to make sure your application is complete.

How long your visa lasts

First Working Holiday visa

With this visa, you can:

·         enter Australia within 12 months from the date your visa is granted (this cannot be extended or deferred)

·         stay in Australia for up to 12 months from the date you first enter Australia

·         leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.

Second Working Holiday visa

If you are already in Australia on a Working Holiday visa and have been granted a second Working Holiday visa, you can:

·         stay in Australia for up to 24 months from the date you entered Australia on your first Working Holiday visa

·         leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.

If you are in Australia but do not hold a current Working Holiday visa, you can:

·         stay in Australia for 12 months from the date your second Working Holiday visa is granted.

·         leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.

If you are outside Australia, you can:

·         travel to Australia at any time in the 12 months from the date your second Working Holiday visa is granted (this cannot be extended or deferred)

·         stay in Australia for 12 months from the date you first enter Australia on your second Working Holiday visa.

·         leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.

When the 12-month stay period on your Working Holiday visa starts

If you are offshore, the 12-month stay period on your Working Holiday visa will start when you enter Australia. This period will start even if you enter Australia:

·         as a transit passenger

·         on an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)

·         on a Crew Travel Authority (CTA)

·         on a Maritime Crew Visa (MCV).

Once the stay period on your Working Holiday visa starts, it cannot be delayed or deferred.

If you hold a Working Holiday visa on which the stay period has not started and want to enter Australia on another visa, you should:

·         ask the department of immigration and border protection to cancel your Working Holiday visa before you travel to Australia (you might be eligible to reapply for another Working Holiday visa at a later stage)

·         after you have confirmation that your Working Holiday visa has been cancelled, apply for another visa.

This will allow you to avoid accidentally using your Working Holiday visa.

To cancel your Working Holiday visa, contact the department of immigration and border protection through the:

·         Working Holiday Maker application enquiry form.

If you want to cancel your Working Holiday visa to claim superannuation, refer to Accessing superannuation benefits—Former temporary residents.

Extending your stay

The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) lets you stay in Australia for 12 months. Any time spent outside Australia after the 12-month stay period on your visa has started does not extend the length of the visa. You can only apply for another visa to extend your stay if your visa is not granted with a 'no further stay' condition. You will be advised of this in your visa grant letter.

Visa holders without this condition can apply for a second Working Holiday visa. -You should contact your nearest immigration office to discuss your options.

What this working holiday visa lets you do

This visa allows you to:

·         stay in Australia for up to 12 months

·         work in Australia, generally for up to six months with each employer

·         study for up to four months

·         leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.

Superannuation

Australia has a compulsory superannuation scheme. You are entitled to access your retirement savings (superannuation) when you leave Australia. Accessing superannuation benefits—Former temporary residents has more information.

Your obligations

You must comply with all visa conditions and Australian laws. You cannot be accompanied by your dependent children at any time during your stay.

Working in Australia

If you hold a Working Holiday (subclass 417) or Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa, the main purpose of your visit must be for an extended holiday. You can do any kind of work over the course of your 12 month stay in Australia, however the conditions of your visa limit you to a maximum period of six months work with any one employer, unless you’ve been given permission by the Department of Immigration and Border Protection to work longer.

See: Working in Australia – six months with one employer

Study

You can study in Australia for up to four months. Four months means 17 weeks of actual study.

Holidays and orientation periods do not count. However, weekends, public holidays and non-teaching periods prior to exam period are counted.

Report changes in circumstances

Tell the department of immigration and border protection if your circumstances change. This includes a new residential address, a new passport, or a pregnancy, birth or death in your family.

You can use the following forms:

·         Form 929 Change of address and/or passport details (86 kB pdf) — if you move to a new address or change your passport

·         Form 1022 Notification of changes in circumstances (77 kB pdf) — if there are other changes in your circumstances.

You might be able to update your address and passport details using ImmiAccount.

Source: The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection. Please visit www.border.gov.au to get updated information.