In the past year, the overall number of working holiday makers has increased by 20 percent, with 43,000 visa holders currently working in regional areas in Australia. The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman claims that these changes are a result of recent improvements to the program, which focuses upon increasing the number of working holiday makers that reside in regional areas of Australia.

Currently, the Australian Government is also looking to expand their Working Holiday Maker Visa program and is currently speaking with 13 new countries, including: 

  • Andorra  
  • Brazil  
  • Croatia 
  • Fiji  
  • India 
  • Latvia 
  • Lithuania  
  • Mexico  
  • Monaco  
  • Mongolia 
  • Philippines 
  • Solomon Islands  
  • Switzerland  

“By making this successful program available to more young people we are giving regional Australia access to more workers to fill critical labour shortages,” Mr Coleman stated.  

On the 4th of November 2019, the Australia and Thailand entered into an agreement to increase the number of annual spots available for applicants under the Work and Holiday Visa Program. The number of annual places available for Thai Nationals has significantly increased from 500 to 2,000. Under these new changes, Thai Nationals who complete three months of specified work in regional areas will be able to apply for a second Work and Holiday visa. From January 2020, second year visa holders will be eligible to apply for a third year Work and Holiday visa, provided they undertake an additional six months of specified work in regional areas during their second year.  

Requirements of the Work and Holiday visa for first-time Thai applicants:  

  • Must hold or be studying towards tertiary qualifications 
  • Must speak a functional level of English  

Get in touch with us and find out if your country is eligible for Work and Holiday visa options!  

Working Holiday Visa FAQ: 

If you are aged between 18 and 30 and hold a valid passport for a country or region that is currently participating in the Working Holiday Maker Program, then you can apply for the 12-month Work and Holiday visa. Australia offers the Work and Holiday Makers Program within 44 countries. 

There are two different types of visas that fall under the Working Holiday Maker Program, the Working Holliday (subclass 417) visa and the Work and Holiday subclass 462) visa. These visas enable you to stay and work in Australia in full-time, part-time, casual, shift or voluntary work for up to 12 months.  

Which visa should I apply for?

1. Working Holiday (subclass 417) visas  

The Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa is a temporary visa for young people that wish to have a holiday and work in Australia for up 12 months. This visa allows you to work and live in Australia for up to 12-months with one or more employers, study for up to four months and leave and re-enter Australia any number of times whilst the visa is valid.  

Those that can apply include citizens of Denmark, Belgium, Canada, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Taiwan, Sweden, Norway, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland and Italy.  

Those that obtain a 417 visa are eligible to apply for a second-year working holiday visa, provided they complete three months of specified work in regional areas of Australia.  

2. Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas  

Those that can apply include citizens of Chile, Austria, Argentina, China, Hungary, Indonesia, Czech Republic, Malaysia, Israel, Malaysia, Portugal, San Marino, Spina, Thailand, Turkey, U.S, Vietnam, Uruguay, Poland, Peru, Luxembourg, Slovenia, Slovak Republic, Singapore.  

Visa Requirements of 462 visas:  

  • Education requirements 
  • Letter of support from government of origin, with the exemption of the U.S.  
  • Evidence of Functional English  

If you need assistance or advice with your visa application, Results Migration are the best in the field, with a team of experienced Immigration Lawyers and Registered Migration Agents that are available to guide you through this complex area of law. Call Results Migration on 1800 808 717 or email us on [email protected] and book your free consultation today!