10 February 2005

UK Working Holiday makers flock to Australia

The Australian Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Senator Amanda Vanstone, announced today Australia has formalised its Working Holiday Maker arrangements with the United Kingdom.

The Australian Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Senator Amanda Vanstone, announced today Australia has formalised its Working Holiday Maker arrangements with the United Kingdom.

The Working Holiday Maker visa creates opportunities for young Britons, aged 18-30, to experience the Australian lifestyle and culture.

‘Working holiday maker arrangements have been available to young Australians and Britons for the past 30 years. Formalising the arrangement concludes negotiations that began in December 2004,’ Senator Vanstone said.

‘There are no changes to the current arrangement for UK working holiday makers travelling to Australia,’ said Vivienne Whitfield, migration consultant, Visa Bureau. ‘Holiday makers and gap-year students looking to escape the English winter and head for the sun are looking at a working holiday maker visa processing time of, on average, two weeks.’

'The working holiday maker programme is extremely popular, and is becoming increasingly so every year. It’s a fantastic opportunity for under 30’s to take a break, travel and see a bit of the world,’ said Whitfield. ‘We’re getting more and more clients who just want to take a break from the hectic pace of life in London.’

Both the United Kingdom and Australia have benefited from the reciprocal arrangement. The program provides young Australians with a chance to gain valuable skills overseas, thereby increasing Australia’s competitiveness in the global market, while enabling young people from the United Kingdom to come to Australia on working holidays.

More than 95,750 visas were issued under the program last year, of which 35,061 were to UK nationals.

Under the arrangement, young Britons aged between 18 and 30 can apply for working holiday visas for up to 12 months. Work undertaken must be incidental to the main purpose of holidaying and, employment for more than three months with any one employer is not allowed.

The program boosts tourism to Australia and benefits industries that rely heavily on casual labour at peak times, especially the hospitality, horticultural and rural industries.