The Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) have recently released a report documenting the usage of Australia’s Working Holiday Maker visa program for the 2010-2011 program year.
The report offers an insight into the growth of this visa stream, and details the degree to which these visas are being sought by young overseas travellers, and subsequently granted by DIAC.
Australia’s Working Holiday Maker Visa
Australia’s Working Holiday Maker visa program works via ‘arrangements’ with affiliated countries, and aims to encourage cultural exchange and closer ties between arrangement countries.
The program consists of two separate visa subclasses which allow young people from overseas to visit Australia for an extended holiday, which they may supplement with temporary, casual or short-term employment.
Working Holiday visa subclasses and arrangement country categories are:
For people from 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 and United Kingdom.
For applicants from Argentina, Bangladesh, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey and the USA.
Eligibility Requirements and Entitlements for Working Holiday Maker Visas
To be eligible for an Australian Working Holiday Maker visa, prospective applicants must be:
- outside Australia when applying for the visa and when the visa is granted
- aged between 18 and 30 years (inclusive) at the time of applying
- apply no more than 12 months before intending to travel to Australia
- not be accompanied by dependent children at any time during their stay in Australia
- satisfy basic character requirements
- satisfy basic health requirements
- possess ‘functional’ English skills
- have access to sufficient funds to support themselves while in Australia, at least for the initial stage of their holiday, and for the fare to depart Australia at the end of their visa validity period.
Persons holding a valid Australian Working Holiday Maker visa are entitled to:
- enter Australia within 12 months of the visa being granted
- stay in Australia for a period of up to 12 months
- leave and re-enter Australia at any time during the validity period of the visa
- work in Australia for a period of up to six months with each employer
- study in Australia for a period of up to four months.
NOTE: Working Holiday visa holders may return to work for a further six months for an employer with whom they worked on their first Working Holiday visa.
Trends in Australia’s Working Holiday Maker visa program during 2010-2011
Many young people from around the world are seeking to experience the great lifestyle and many work and short-term study opportunities Australia has to offer.
Figures from the ‘Working Holiday Maker Visa Program Report’ indicate that the number of first-time overseas visitors seeking working holiday arrangements in Australia has increased.
On June 30 2011 there were 107,978 international citizens holding a valid Working Holiday visa in Australia, including both first-time visitors and repeat visitors. At the same time in 2010, Australia had 99,367 international citizens staying in Australia on Working Holiday visas.
This shows a significant rise of 8.7% in the number of Working Holiday visa grants issued by DIAC over the 2010-2011 program year suggesting that international citizens aged between 18 and 30 are increasingly seeing Australia as a desirable destination to visit and obtain temporary work or undertake temporary study.
Over the 2010-2011 program year, the number of subclass 417 visas issued by DIAC also showed a notable increase, rising by a total of 8.3%. This increase is most likely due to fluctuations and uncertainties associated with recent instability in the wider global economy, particularly in Asia and Europe.
The largest growth areas in Working Holiday Maker visa grants do originate from these regions, with visa grants to Irish citizens rising by a massive 87.4% over the 2010-2011 program year, grants to citizens of Taiwan rising by 41%, Italy by 14.9% and Hong Kong by 14.5%.
The report also points to the quick turnaround by DIAC on visas of this type, with 80.3% of applications for an Australian Working Holiday Maker visa processed within six working days from the time of lodgment.
If you would like to receive advice about migration to Australia, please choose from our advice services. Alternatively, you can take advantage of our FREE On-Line Visa Eligibility Assessment for an instant preliminary appraisal as to whether you are likely to satisfy the basic threshold criteria for an Australian visa.
If you are considering applying for a skilled visa from overseas, you can use our FREE 176 State Sponsorship Search Tool to find out instantly if your nominated occupation is included on any of the available State or Territory Migration Plans.
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