What's New?
19 November 2008
Delays have been incurred with implementing the new visa cap of 500 visas for applicants from Thailand. We are working to resolve this situation as soon as possible. Applicants may experience difficulties in obtaining a letter of government support from Thailand until this situation is resolved.
27 October 2008
Applicants who will not be accompanied by dependent children during their stay in Australia will be eligible to apply for the Working Holiday visa from 27 October 2008.
Previously, if you had dependent children you were not eligible to apply for this visa. From 27 October, providing your dependent children will not be accompanying you during your stay in Australia, you are eligible to apply, however you will need to apply using the paper application.
See: Working Holiday visa applications - paper
1 September 2008
Changes to Location of Processing of second Working Holiday visa Applications come into effect 1 September 2008.
The department is consolidating visa and citizenship processing into dedicated
centres around Australia. From 1 September 2008 all new second Working Holiday
visa applications will be processed in the Cairns Second Working Holiday Centre.
See: Working Holiday and Work and Holiday Visas
13 August 2008
Australia and Malaysia have signed a reciprocal Work and Holiday arrangement. The arrangement is expected to come into effect later this year.
Australia and Chile have agreed to increase the annual cap for the Work and Holiday program from 500 to 1500 visas per year.
Australia and Thailand have agreed to increase the annual cap for the Work and Holiday program from 200 to 500 visas per year.
Australia and Indonesia have agreed to a reciprocal Work and Holiday arrangement. The signing and implementation is expected to take place later this year.
11 August 2008
All Working Holiday and Work and Holiday visa holders may view their visa conditions online using Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO). You do not require a visa label in your passport unless advised by the department.
See: Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) for Visa Holders
1 July 2008
Work that is eligible for a second Working Holiday visa changed on 1 July 2008. Eligible work is now referred to as 'specified work' not 'seasonal work'.
See: Specified Work
Second Working Holiday visa applicants who have completed their, specified work in postcodes 3139, 4510, 4512 and 4516 are now able to lodge online.
Passport holders from the Republic of Cyprus and British National Overseas passport holders are now able to lodge first and second Working Holiday visas online.
People from the United States of America who apply for a Work and Holiday visa from 1 July 2008 do not need to be or have been engaged in tertiary studies. USA applicants must have graduated from high school.
26 June 2008
New trial health requirements are in place for people who apply for a second Working Holiday visa.
Under trial arrangements these applicants will generally have to do fewer health examinations if any, to meet the health requirement.
Further information is available on the website.
See: Applicant: Second Working Holiday Visa Eligibility
3 June 2008
Parts of the Caboolture Shire (postcodes 4510, 4512 and 4516) have been added to the regional postcode list for the Working Holiday visa program. This change will allow holders of a first Working Holiday visa who do their seasonal work in any of these postcodes to be eligible for a second Working Holiday visa.
31 October 2007
The Work and Holiday arrangement between Australia and the USA came into effect on 31 October 2007.
See: Australia/United States of America Work and Holiday visa (77KB PDF file)