As of July, migrating to Australia just got easier for UK passport holders. Find out the details here.
What is the Working Holiday visa?
The Working Holiday visa is designed for young people who want to explore Australia and earn money as they do. The first visa costs €650 and is eligible for 12 months. You can find out more here.
Fancy exploring Australia on a Working Holiday visa?
What are the recent changes?
In line with the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement, significant changes have been made to the Working Holiday Visa.
Now, UK passport holders no longer have to meet the specified work requirement for a second or third Working Holiday visa. Specified work requirements meant a minimum of 88 days of agricultural work. So, you can now stay for longer in Australia without fishing or mining – unless, of course, you want to.
Get tips on how to make the move Down Under – download the free How To Emigrate guide.
Who are these rule changes applicable to?
These rule changes are specifically for UK passport holders. If you used a different passport to apply for a Working Holiday visa (for example, from the Republic of Ireland) and then apply for a second or third Working Holiday visa using a UK visa, you will not have to do the specified work requirement.
If you entered Australia before July 1st on a Working Holiday visa and go on to apply for another, you are eligible for these rule changes.
Increased eligible age
The Working Holiday visa is now available to those aged 18 to 35, inclusive. You can apply at five to midnight before your 36th birthday.
Passport holders from the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, France, Italy and Canada are also able to apply at 35. For other countries, the cut off is 30.
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Maximum stay of three years
The Working Holiday visa is broken up into three separate visas that are granted for 12 months each and total three years.
However, UK passport holders do not stay for three years in a row. For example, if you spent two years in Australia and then returned to the UK for a year, you could subsequently apply for a third Working Holiday visa.
This rule change applies if your initial visa used a different passport.
It is worth noting that you must still fall within the subscribed age bracket.
Find out more on the Australian government website.
Requirements for a working holiday visa
As well as being between 18-35 years old, you must have enough money to support your stay and travel home. This is usually about €5,000. You must also meet health and character requirements.
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