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Australian Working Holiday Visa Basic Requirements

To be eligible for an Australian Working Holiday Visa, the application must be made overseas and the applicant must:

• Be aged between 18 and 30 years of age (35 if you are a Canadian or Irish citizen) and unaccompanied by dependent children;
• Be an eligible passport holder (see below) with at least 6 months until renewal on their passport;
• Be able to show sufficient funds for a return or onward fare and an adequate amount of funds for the first part of their stay; and
• Be of good character and meet the health criteria.

Working Holiday Visa Duration

The visa allows you to make your initial entry into Australia no later than 12 months from the date that the visa was granted. The visa permits you to stay in Australia 12 months from the date that you first enter Australia. You may leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you wish during your 12 month stay. However, if you depart Australia during your 12 month stay you are not able to recover the period of time you have spent outside Australia.

Australian Working Holiday Maker Visa holders are now able to apply for a second Australian Working Holiday Maker Visa. Applicants will only be eligible if they have worked as a specified worker in a designated area of Australia for 3 months.

Work Conditions

Australian Working Holiday visa holders are permitted to do any kind of work of a temporary or casual nature. The main purpose of the visa is holiday and travel, so work for longer than 6 months with any one employer is not allowed.

Working Holiday Visa Conditions

It is very important to abide by these visa conditions. Failure to do so may result in the visa being cancelled and a requirement to leave Australia.

• You must not be employed in Australia by any one employer for more than 6 months; and
• While in Australia you must not engage, for more than 4 months, in any studies or training.

Processing Times

Even for a straightforward application, an Australian Working Holiday Visa can take up to 8 weeks to process. This time may be extended by the presence of a criminal offence on the application or the need for a medical.

Financial Requirements

You must have access to sufficient funds to support yourself for the initial stage of your holiday in Australia and you may be asked to show evidence of this on arrival.

A sufficient amount is generally regarded as being a minimum of AUD$5,000, although the amount may vary depending on your length of stay and how much travelling you intend to do. You should also have a return or onward ticket or the funds for a fare to depart Australia if travelling on a one way ticket.

Evidence may include a certified copy of a bank statement and an air ticket out of Australia.

Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462)

Travellers from the United States should note that while they are not eligible for the Australian Working Holiday Visa, they can instead apply for the Australian Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462).

The Australian Work and Holiday Visa is very similar to the Australian Working Holiday Visa in many ways, but differs in that only United States passport holders are eligible.