Earning money while traveling is a dream for many, especially for youngsters and backpackers, and Australia is making it possible with its holiday working visa.
Australia is a picturesque country which makes it a perfect destination for holiday travel. But what if you could earn money while vacationing in this beautiful country? Well, Australia has a way to make it possible with its working holiday visa. To make it possible, the country has launched the WHV Australia program which is ideal for international visitors under the age of 30, making them enjoy an extended stay in the country. This mostly applies to gap year students, people on a career break, and backpackers, looking for a means to keep their traveling adventures.
With this Australian holiday working visa, you will not only earn money but will also learn new skills, live with the local people and culture and experience what is really down there. You will also get a chance to fully immerse in the local culture and form life-long relationships. From a career point of view, this is beneficial too as you will be able to show off your skill by performing various, different, and unusual jobs, or volunteering for worthwhile projects that will look great on your CV. So here are all the details you need to know before applying for an Australian visa.
What are the requirements for an Australian Holiday Working visa?
The general requirements that you need to meet to obtain an Australian WHV are mentioned in the following segment. So make sure you tick all the boxes while applying for the visa.
- You can turn 18, but you need to apply for the visa before you turn 31 as it only grants to adult people till the age of 30 years.
- You must apply for a visa from outside the country.
- Your home country must be eligible to apply for the Australian WHV.
- The application must not be before 12 months of you intending to visit the country.
- You must have a working and valid passport for the region or country participating in the working holiday scheme.
- You must have good health. If your health is a concern, you might need to sit for an interview with the embassy.
- To get a valid Australian WHV, you would need your birth certificate with your parents’ names on it.
- You must have a clean record, as anyone with a conviction in their past might need to sit for an interview with their embassy.
- The visa fee for the Australian WHV is 635 Australian Dollars.
What are the key benefits of obtaining the Australian WHV?
One of the key benefits of getting this Australian Working Holiday Visa is that you will be able to leave the country and re-enter as much as you like within 12 months. You can enter for the first time in Australia after 3 months of your visa being granted.
This Australian Working Holiday Visa is temporary and valid for 12 months. However, it can be renewed. Keep in mind that you cannot apply for the visa if you are already in Australia on a tourist visa as it has already been activated upon your entry in the country.
How do you apply for the Australian Working Holiday Visas?
Applying for the Australian WHV is easy but it is important to know which subclass you belong to before the deed is done. There are two categories of subclasses, such as subclass 417 and subclass 462. Which subclass you belong to depends on the country you are from, or your home country. Let’s have a look at the list.
Subclass 417
The Australian Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) is available for people from the following countries –
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Belgium
- Canada
- Republic of Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (including British National Overseas Passport Holders)
- Republic of Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- South Korea / Republic of Korea
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- Taiwan
What are the benefits of having a Subclass 417 WHV?
The primary benefit of having this visa is that it allows the travelers a bonus 2nd year. There is a high demand for workers in the country’s harvest industry, simply known as farm work. So anyone who works in the industry for three or more months in an agricultural position, is eligible to renew their Working Holiday visas for the second year. The second working holiday visa in the country costs around $635 which allows you to stay in the country for an additional year. After spending six months in the country on your second WHV, you can apply for a third-year renewal.
Subclass 462
The Australian Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 462) is available for people from the following countries –
- Argentina
- Austria
- Bangladesh
- Ecuador
- Chile
- China
- Czech Republic
- Greece
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Spain
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Uruguay
- USA
- Vietnam
Where can you submit your WHV application?
Now you know which subclass you belong to, so it is time to figure out where you submit your Working Holiday Visa application. The entire application can be done online in just mere minutes by filling out a simple online application form. Make sure you have digital copies of the documents that are mentioned above. You would need copies of the above mentioned documents at your arrival to the country to show to the immigration.
Some tips before you move to Australia on a Working Holiday Visa
Deciding you want to travel to Australia and work there is easy, even applying for the visa is the easy part. But, you need to make calculative moves to actually stay there. So here are some things you need to consider before moving to the Land Down Under –
- The first tip is to open a bank account pre arrival to the country. This will give you a chance to sort out your finances before you even leave, making the move much easier. Three banks provide international services in Australia which are HSBC, the Commonwealth Bank, and the ANZ.
- Before you start working in the country, you need to get a Tax File Number (TFN). This application can only be completed once you have arrived in Australia. You can learn more details by visiting the Australian Government Taxation website.
- When you are working in Australia, you need to know that the residents of the country pay taxes differently than non-residents so gather all the tax-related information before moving there.
- You also need to know whether you have a healthcare agreement with the government. The Australian government recently signed Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA) with the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Malta, and Italy. If you are from these countries and need to enroll in the Australian Medicare System, you would need to submit your diplomatic passport with a valid visa. In some cases, you might also need to provide identification that shows that you are already enrolled in your country’s national health scheme. Once the application is approved, you will receive an email containing the Australian reciprocal health care card.
Now that you have all the details of this amazing opportunity that is provided by Australia, it is time to plan your trip and earn money!
