Working in Australia

The Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa grants foreigners 12 months to travel to Australia from the date of issue. Workers may stay in Australia for 12 months from the date of entry into the country. A visa holder may work full-time, part-time, or casually for three months at a time with any one employer. An applicant should keep a record of employment on Form 1263, a document entitling a worker to apply for a second working holiday visa.

Australia maintains reciprocal working holiday maker arrangements with the following countries: the United Kingdom, Canada, Netherlands, Japan, Republic of Ireland, the Republic of Korea, Malta, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Hong Kong (HKSAR), Finland, Cyprus, Italy, France, Belgium, Estonia, and Taiwan.

People who hold valid passports from most of the countries honoring Australian holiday maker arrangements may apply for a Working Holiday visa in any country, except Australia. Applicants who hold a valid passport from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malta, Germany, Taiwan, the HKSAR (or a British National Overseas passport), or the Republic of Cyprus must apply in the country which issued the passport.

Working Holiday visa applicants must fall between the ages of 18 and 30 and provide proof of status as single or married without children. Visa hopefuls must show:

the main reason for coming to Australia is for a holiday and any work done is for financial support while on holiday;
they have a good chance of finding temporary work to supplement holiday funds; they have a return ticket or sufficient funds for a return fare and the first part of their stay; and they intend to leave Australia at the end of their authorized stay.

For accurate, up-to-date information, see theinformative webpage operated by the Working Holiday Program: Australian Dept. of Immigration & Citizenship