Covid-19, skilled migrants, working holiday visa,
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To assist with Australia’s COVID-19 recovery, the Australian Government is providing an incentive for Student and Working Holiday Maker visa holders to return to Australia as soon as possible to help address current workforce shortages.
Any Student visa holder who is currently offshore and travels to Australia between 19 January and 19 March 2022 will be eligible for a refund of their visa application charge (VAC).
Any Working Holiday Maker visa holder who is currently offshore and travels to Australia between 19 January and 19 April 2022 will be eligible for a refund of their visa application charge. The current VAC for a Student visa is AUD630 and for a Working Holiday Maker it is AUD495. The VAC refund includes secondary visa holders. Information on how to apply for a refund will be available on the Department of Home Affairs website shortly.
The Government has supported Australian businesses during the pandemic by allowing Student visa holders to work additional hours in critical sectors. Due to current workforce shortages the Government is temporarily removing the limit on working hours for Student visa holders across all sectors. This will also apply to secondary Student visa holders. This change takes effect immediately and will be reviewed in April 2022.
The Government is also temporarily relaxing the 6 month work limitation for Working Holiday Maker visa holders. Effective immediately, until the end of 2022, there will be no limit on the time Working Holiday Makers can work for the same employer.
These measures are temporary and designed to provide immediate assistance to Australian businesses currently facing critical workforce shortages. This will enable them to continue delivering goods and services to the Australian community.
All international arrivals must meet Australia’s entry requirements including in relation to vaccination.
New Working Holiday 417 visa arrangements for UK passport holders
The Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA) entered into force, commencing new arrangements under Australia’s Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program and the UK’s Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS).
From 1 July 2023, UK passport holders can apply for a Working Holiday visa between the ages of 18 and 35 years inclusive. Working Holiday visa holders can currently stay three years in Australia. This stay consists of three separate visas granted for 12 months each.
From 1 July 2024, UK passport holders can also be granted up to three separate Working Holiday visas without having to meet any specified work requirements such as hospitality or farming.
For additional information see:
- Joint media release with the Hon. Josh Frydenberg MP – Student and Working Holiday Maker visa holders
- Temporary relaxation of working hours for student visa holders
- Working holiday Maker program – latest news
Source: Australian Government, Department of Home Affairs. View the announcement here . Last updated 20.01.2022
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