whv Australia working holiday visa

whv Australia – working holiday visa

whv is an abbreviation of “working holiday visa”. Whv is an Australian visa which allows it’s holders to work and travel Australia on a temporary basis – that probably would answer your question “what is working holiday?”. It’s quite common that people who are in Australia on a working holiday visa are called “working holiday makers”. In general,

In general – whv is for young people 18 to 30 years of age, who are willing to spend their holidays in Australia while being eligible to work in the meantime (gap year in Australia – yeah Babe!). WHV is granted for 12 months and could be extended for another 12 months in some instances. You must be a holder of a passport from a country involved in the Working Holiday Program with Australia. It’s a bilateral program allowing Aussies to work during their holiday in these countries as well.

working holiday scheme

There are 2 types of whv Australia – working holiday visa (Subclass 417) and work and holiday visa (subclass 462). Which one you should apply for depends on a country of your passport. While there is no limit for working holiday visas, work and holiday one’s are capped – there is a limit for each Australian financial year for each eligible country. Australian financial year is from 01 July to 30 June next year, so to maximize your chances of success to get a work and holiday visa – get all the paperwork ready and lodge your application straight away on 01 July. Before lodging an application for an Australian work n holiday (subclass 462) visa – better make sure that limit for a particular financial year has not been exhausted yet.

List of countries eligible for Australian working holiday visas:

Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417): Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom.

Work and holiday visa (subclass 462): Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, China, Hungary, Indonesia, Malaysia, Poland, Portugal, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, USA, Uruguay.

If you do not hold any of above passports – sorry you can’t apply for this visa. You’ll have to find a different one which would be the best for you – contact us for a discussion about your particular circumstances.

working on holidays

Although whv visa allows you to work, work n holiday visa is still being considered by the department of immigration as a tourist visa, and in their opinion, you should apply for this visa only if your main intention is to visit Australia as a tourist. Working on a holiday is only a “privilege” given to you by the department. Keep that in mind as you might be requested by Australian department of immigration for an evidence of access to funds to support your stay in Australia while on whv visa. Only hard cash matters – what’s on your account. Credit cards and your non-financial possessions (car, house, a collection of post stamps, etc) does not count. It’s especially important for those who are applying for a work and holiday (subclass 462) visa.

working holiday application

How to apply working holiday in Australia? As I have mentioned earlier to be eligible for whv you must:

• be a holder of an eligible passport,
• be between 18-30 years of age
• have sufficient funds to support yourself while in Australia
• have a higher degree (only for subclass 462)
• speak English (only for subclass 462) (IELTS test required for those whose primary language is not English)
• have a letter of support from your local government (only for subclass 462)

Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)

You may apply for Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) online. You will need to set up your immi account and then answer all the questions on department’s website and upload required documents.

Documents required for working holiday (subclass 417) application:

• a copy of your passport page with a photo (make sure your passport is valid for a whole duration of your intended visit in Australia)
• a copy of your birth certificate
• 2 passport sized photographs
• a copy of military service record if you have served in the army
• extract from bank account showing that you have at least 5000 AUD

Work and holiday visa (subclass 462)

Work and holiday visa (subclass 462) must be lodged in a paper (only USA passport holders could apply online). You will have to print 1208 form, fill it accordingly, get certified copies of all required documents, put it all together in an envelope and send it to relevant Australian overseas mission. Which one? – it depends on a country of your passport. Documents required for Work and holiday (subclass 462) application:

Documents required for Work and holiday (subclass 462) application:

• a copy of your passport page with a photo (make sure your passport is valid for a whole duration of your intended visit in Australia)
• a copy of your birth certificate
• 2 passport sized photographs
• a copy of military service record if you have served in the army
• extract from bank account showing that you have at least 5000 AUD + equivalent for a return fly ticket (or a copy of return ticket if you have bought one already)
• evidence of your study
• letter of government support
• evidence that lever of your English is, at least, functional (IELTS 4,5 overall or equivalent)

If you are unsure whether you have all the required documents or missing some  – you can always book a consultation with a Migration Agent or let us do all the paperwork for you – we’re here to help. There could be different ways to substantiate your missing documents.

working holiday jobs

As work n holiday visa holder you can work in Australia, generally for up to six months with each employer in any position. You don’t have to work on a farm or a mine, however, you might need to consider working in regional Australia if you are thinking about extending your stay in Australia and would like to apply for 2nd whv visa (about this later).

What kind of work will you be looking for depends really on your plans for the future. You will need to answer yourself the question – “what am I gonna do once my whv visa will expire?”

Option 1: I don’t give a damn. Just wanna have fun. Well – find some like minded people on facebook backpacker groups or gumtree, buy a car (preferably registered in WA), and hit the road.

Option 2: I will be applying for 2nd whv visa. In this situation, you will have to complete 3 months (88 days) specified work in regional Australia, to be eligible for a second working holiday visa. Better do it earlier than later, otherwise, you may miss the deadline. These regional works are usually advertised on gumtree and sometimes on facebook backpackers groups. It’s always a good idea to ask in your hostel for such jobs – they might point you in the right direction.

Option 3:  I want to stay in Australia permanently. I f you have relevant skills from CSOL list – look for an employer, who could possibly sponsor you for a 457 visa. Check seek website for available positions.  You have full rights to work, so don’t be worried about those ads which say that you must be permanent resident to apply – approach them as well, just make sure they will understand that you can work for one employer no longer than half a year on a whv visa, but here’s the catch – if they will be happy with you, they can sponsor you for a 457 visa afterwards, or maybe even for permanent ENS / RSMS visa. Skilled visa (subclass 189 or 190)  is the other option if you have relevant wok experience and education.

The reality is that once you are in Australia there is usually a way to extend your stay through various different visas. It always depends on your particular situation. Fell free to contact us if you need an assistance with your visa, especially if you found and employer willing to sponsor you for a working visa.

second whv Australia

As I wrote earlier you might be eligible for your 2nd whv. To be able to apply for you 2nd year whv you must have already completed three months (88 days) of specified work in regional Australia. This specified work must have been completed while on your first Working Holiday visa. Work spent on any other visas does not count towards 3 months requirement. Keep in mind it must be a specified work, not any work.

Approved industries for specified work are:

• plant and animal cultivation
• fishing and pearling
• tree farming and felling
• mining
• construction

Examples of eligible specified work:

• picking fruits
• cattle feeding and herding on a farm
• stud farming and horse breeding
• landscaping the grounds of a construction site
• painting new buildings
• conservation and environmental reforestation
• zoo work – plant or animal cultivation
• erecting fences
• scaffolding

Make sure to keep all the payslips and payment summaries as copies of these will be required to be attached to your 2nd year whv application.

Should you have any questions or want to describe your story do not hesitate to write it in a comment.

If you need any assistance with your visa application contact us or book an appointment with a migration agent, and don’t forget to share on a social media if you like what you found here.