Working Holiday Visa
An Australian Working Holiday visa is an incredible opportunity for foreign nationals to travel to Australia for up to one year to have a working vacation.
It can be a good option for students who wish to take a gap year or study for a short period of time, or for other young adults who want to travel and experience Australia.
If you are in the process of applying for a Working Holiday Visa in Australia, contact Total Law for assistance from our team of qualified immigration experts.
Call +1 844 290 6312 or use the online contact form to get customized advice on your visa application process.
What is a Working Holiday Visa?
Australia is a popular host country for young adults from many countries who wish to take part in working holiday schemes. The Australian Working Holiday visa subclass is a scheme that allows citizens from eligible countries including the US to visit Australia. Work Holiday Visa applicants may go to Australia for a variety of reasons including:
- Taking a gap year before college, university, or graduate school
- Taking an extended vacation
- Experiencing travel
- Studying (with limitations)
- Participating in short-term employment to fund your trip
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Who is the Working Holiday Visa For?
The Working Holiday Visa scheme is specifically intended for young adults between the ages of 18 and 30. Work Holiday Visa holders can generally stay in Australia for a period of up to one year.
Specified workers who complete certain types of regional or farming work approved by the Australian Government may qualify to stay for 2-3 years. This visa provides an option for individuals who wish to travel on a limited budget, as well as those who wish to study and work under conditions that aren’t best met by another work, student, or visitor visa.
Provided you still meet the requirements for eligibility, you can also apply for a second Working Holiday Visa in Australia if you wish to stay longer.
Be sure to review the up-to-date conditions for the Working Holiday Visa prior to application. Violating the conditions of your visa could result in:
- Deportation from Australia
- Cancellation of your visa
- Involuntary hold in Immigration Detention
- Denial of future visas in Australia as well as other countries
Eligibility for Working Holiday Visa
Foreign nationals from certain countries, including the US, between the ages of 18 and 30 may be eligible for a Working Holiday Visa. While the Working Holiday Visa can be an excellent travel opportunity for recent graduates and other young people who qualify, the conditions are far more stringent than those for other schemes, such as a visitor visa.
To be eligible to apply for the Working Holiday Visa scheme in Australia, you must:
- Be aged 18 to 30. In some situations, applicants may be permitted to apply up to the age of 35
- Be single and without children
- Meet the good health and character criteria
- Hold a passport from an eligible foreign country, such as the United States
- Be a high school graduate or equivalent
- Not have previously held an Australian visa 462 or 417
- Provide evidence of travel funds to pay for your return fare and the initial stage of your stay in Australia
- Provide all additional documents Australian Immigration may request as proof of your eligibility
Dependent children are not permitted to accompany the visa holder to work abroad on this visa. If you plan to bring your dependent child with you, consult an advisor at Total Law regarding alternative visas.
Work visa holders will be permitted to legally work for one employer for up to six months. If you plan to spend longer than 12 months in Australia, consult a qualified immigration professional who can advise you on your situation.
United States citizens applying for a work holiday visa in Australia are not required to provide English language proficiency test results during their application for a working holiday visa.
If you do not meet the requirements for the working holiday visa, there are other visas that will allow you to have a holiday in Australia, such as a visitor visa.
Financial Requirements for the Working Holiday Visa
In order to be approved for the Work Holiday Visa, you must meet the financial requirements. These requirements allow applicants to prove that they have sufficient funds to take part in the work holiday visa scheme.
This requirement applies to both those working and studying in Australia. Generally, the amount required of applicants is 5,000 AUD. You may need a certified copy of your bank statement as evidence of your financial eligibility.
Required Documents
Generally, eligible US citizens applying for the working holiday scheme in Australia do not need to submit additional documentation when they have a valid passport. It is still important to have your documentation ready in the event that Australian Immigration requests additional documents.
Required documents may include:
- A current and valid US passport
- Recent passport-sized color photographs
- Additional forms of ID
- Your birth, marriage, or divorce certificate
- Medical and health records
- Proof of educational qualifications
- Proof of ties to your home country such as a permanent job
- Proof showing you have sufficient funds to cover your living expenses while in Australia, as well as the cost of your return flight
- Evidence of good character, including an Australian police certificate, a police certificate from your home country, military service records, and court documents
- Proof of temporary or seasonal employment
How to Apply
The best way to apply for a work holiday visa in Australia is online. Applicants must apply for this visa from outside of Australia. It is not permitted to enter Australia on a visitor visa and then apply for a work and holiday visa from within the country.
Although the requirements for the visa are strict, the online application form is relatively simple to complete. Successful applicants will be permitted to travel to Australia for up to one year in most cases.
Before applying, ensure you meet all requirements for eligibility. US passport holders typically won’t need to submit additional documentation when applying for the visa.
If additional documentation is requested by Australian Immigration you must submit it by the date given to avoid delays or rejection. When you fill out the online application, you will be asked to fill in personal information such as your name, address, and passport number, as well as the nature of your visit.
You will need to have sufficient funds to cover living expenses for the initial stage of your trip at the time of application.
Carefully check your application prior to submitting it, or have your application submitted by a professional immigration lawyer. The most common reason for delays or rejection of applications for the working holiday scheme is inaccurate or incomplete information.
It is advised to wait to book your travel and accommodations until you have received approval for the visa.
The Department of Foreign Affairs does not require that visa holders book their accommodations prior to their arrival, but arranging accommodations ahead of time may save on additional expenses.
In some instances, you may be required to schedule a health examination prior to receiving your visa.
Processing Time
Following your application submission, it is generally expected that processing will take between three weeks and three months. In some cases, applications may be processed as early as 14 days from the time of submission.
The best way to avoid delays in your application processing time is to ensure that your application is complete and correct prior to submitting it. Your Total Law advisor can inform you of any additional delays that are announced by Australian Immigration at the time of application.
Costs and Fees
It currently costs 510 AUD to apply for a work holiday visa.
The fee is subject to change. You may incur additional fees to obtain required documents, medical or travel insurance, or other travel-related expenses.
In addition to fees, applicants must meet the financial requirements for the visa which is generally a standard amount of 5,000 AUD.
How Can Total Law Help?
At Total Law, our team of qualified immigration experts can advise you on the best visa for your situation.
Your Total Law advisor will keep you up to date on the conditions, changes, and immigration requirements for working holiday visa schemes.
For additional information, contact us at +1 844 290 6312 or use our online contact form to get in touch with our team of expert immigration lawyers today.
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Frequently Asked Questions
If you are planning to work in New Zealand during your holiday, you will need to apply for a New Zealand working holiday visa. Consult an immigration lawyer at Total Law regarding the requirements for the working holiday scheme in New Zealand.
You are not required to purchase your return ticket in advance, however, you may be asked to show evidence of sufficient funds to purchase a return ticket as well as ties to your home country that prove you intend to return at the end of your valid visa period.
Yes, working holidaymakers may apply for a second working holiday visa provided they meet the requirements for eligibility. Make sure you do not overstay the valid dates of your current visa. In order to stay in Australia, you must be approved for a new visa prior to the expiration of your current one.
With a working holiday visa, you can perform jobs in a variety of sectors. Many work holiday visa holders teach English or obtain jobs as au pairs. In regional Australia, if you take on certain specified work such as farming or mining, you may be qualified to apply for a second or even third working holiday visa. You can find jobs through online job banks dedicated to the working holiday scheme. Universities may have additional information on working holiday visas for students who are taking a gap year, or studying part-time.
Yes, depending on the conditions of your employment, you are free to leave and re-enter Australia as often as you wish during the 12-month period of your visa.
No, the working holiday program in Australia does not require US applicants to have medical or health insurance. However, you will need to provide evidence that you have enough money to support yourself during your visa period. Purchasing an insurance plan can significantly mediate costs in the event of an accident or emergency during your time abroad, and is recommended in most cases.