Temporary changes to visa work conditions for Students and Working Holiday Makers.

Whilst asked to leave at the beginning of the pandemic, Australia is desperate to welcome working holiday makers and students back to the land Down Under.

So good news for any Student or Working Holiday Maker visa holder who is currently offshore and travels to Australia in the next 12 weeks, between 19 January and 19 March 2022 as they will be eligible for a refund of their visa application charge (VAC).

The current visa application charge (VAC) for a Student visa is AUD630 and for a Working Holiday Maker it is AUD495. Information on how to apply for a refund or a visa can be found here 

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 removing the limitation for Working Holiday Maker visa holders to only work for 6 months with one employer. 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 only 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.

So if you have been waiting for a sign, this is it!! And hey it is not called a “working holiday” for nothing! 😉