AUSTRALIA WORKING HOLIDAY Visa Updates for 2023
UPDATE 08TH MAY 2023:
The Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA) is confirmed to be coming into force on 31 May 2023. However, the new Visa and Work arrangements will start for WHMs within two years, on a date agreed on between Australia and the UK.
The current two-year visa, rules and restrictions remain in place until the Australian and UK governments agree for the extended visas to come into effect, something neither side has agreed.
This is because the visa changes were struck on the side of the FTA and not as part of it and state that they will come into effect within two years of the FTA taking effect.
For all those UK citizens with itchy feet or those who have been patiently waiting in Aus to hear the appending changes, we have you covered!
Straight from the horse’s mouth (aka The Department of Home Affairs), Australia and the United Kingdom are putting aside their Vegemite or Marmite differences to make it easier and more inclusive for you to start your life in the land of drop bears.
The new arrangements under the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program and Youth Mobility Scheme state that UK passport holders will be able to:
- apply for a Working Holiday visa between the ages of 18 and 35 years inclusive.
- be granted up to three Working Holiday visas without having to meet any specified work requirements. This does not include any ‘COVID-19 affected visa’.
The new arrangements will start for WHMs within two years, on a date agreed on between Australia and the UK (still pending…)
The new arrangements will apply to all Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa applications for UK passport holders lodged from the date of implementation.
Lets break it down…
AGE
UK passport holders used to only be allowed to be eligible for this visa if they were under the age of 30, this new agreement means they will then be able to lodge an application for any Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa up until the day before their 36th birthday.
Regional Work
To be eligible for a second or third Working Holiday visa in Australia, applicants currently must show that they have done at least three or six months of ‘specified work’.
When the new arrangements commence, UK passport holders will not have to meet this requirement when applying for a second or third Working Holiday visa.
Working Holiday visa holders can currently stay three years in Australia. This stay consists of three separate visas granted for 12 months each. This excludes any ‘COVID -19 affected visa’. These arrangements will not change.
When the new arrangements commence, UK passport holders will not have to meet any specified work requirements when applying for a second and third visa.
You can choose to apply for a first, second and third visa at any time while you still meet the eligible age requirement. You do not need to stay in Australia for three years in a row.
Already in or have been to Aus on a visa?
If you have already spent one or two years in Australia on a Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa before the new arrangements commence, you will be able to apply for the remaining visas under the new arrangements. This will enable you to access the maximum of three years in Australia.
All other existing arrangements under the WHM program, including the six-month work limitation per employer, will continue to apply to UK passport holders.
