Working holidays in Australia

Working holidays in Australia are meant to offer an opportunity for eligible young people between 18 to 30 years of age to holiday in Australia. The expenses of travel are met through incidental employment. The Working holiday program of Australia was created in January 1975. The objective of this program was to increase international understanding. This understanding was to be attained by helping young people to experience the culture of Australia.

In the first year of the Australia working holiday program, less than 2000 visas were issued. Along with time, this figure boosted considerably. In the year 2005-06, the amount of visas issued rose to 113,936. Those who take up the opportunity of working holidays in Australia spend almost $1.3 billion in a year. Thus, the working holidays have a positive effect on the Australian economy.

In the year 2005-06, the largest group to reach Australia was from the United Kingdom. Their total number was 28,821. The second largest group was from South Korea and these numbered 24,077.

A working holiday maker can take employment in any sector. However, the traditional regions have been hospitality or harvest work. There are many who take up the finance, health care, education or other industries. Previously, the Australian working holiday visa was an opportunity that could be taken only once in a lifetime and that too only for one year. However, now there are some legislative changes that permit one who has undergone at least three months as a seasonal worker in Australia to apply for a second working holiday visa.

The conditions for working holidays in Australia are as follows – the work has to be secondary as compared to travel. The holders of the visa can work with any single employer for a maximum time period of six months. These holders can start a training course which is maximum of four months long. Those who are searching for employment in healthcare or teaching have to undergo a medical test. If the applicant has stayed for more than 3 consecutive months in the previous five years in a nation tagged with high health risk, then the person has to appear for a medical exam.

The eligibility conditions for an Australia working holiday visa are as follows – the age of the applicant must be between 18 and 30. There must not be any dependent children. The applicant must be a passport holder from the following countries (United Kingdom, Japan, Malta, Sweden, Finland, Italy, Taiwan, Chile, United States, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Norway, the Republic of Cyprus, Belgium, Thailand, Canada, Republic of Korea, Denmark, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, France, Estonia, Turkey, the Netherlands) with minimum one year for renewing the passport. The applicant must have good health and a good character. He must be able to exhibit sufficient funds for a return fare and the first part of the stay. This sufficient amount changes with the length of the stay and the amount of travel during the stay. If the applicant is traveling on a one way ticket, then he must have a return or onward ticket or funds to depart Australia.