The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, and Multicultural Affairs recently announced an update to the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 462 & 417) program. The update includes an extension of the eased requirements under visa condition 8547, as a part of the ongoing Migration Strategy reforms.
Extended employment without permission
Working Holiday Visa applicants can work for the same employer in Australia for more than six months without seeking permission under the following conditions:
- Work in different locations, not exceeding six months in any location
- Engage in plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia
- Work in specific industries like aged care, disability services, fishing, pearling,tree farming, felling, construction, and mining, but only in Northern Australia
- From 17 February 2020, natural disaster recovery work
- From 4 April 2020, in critical sectors, including agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care and childcare, anywhere in Australia
- From 8 May 2021, in the critical sector of tourism and hospitality anywhere in Australia
Permission required for other situations
For situations not covered above, applicants are required to seek permission if they intend to work for the same employer for more than 6 months. To extend the employment period, they need to fulfil certain requirements:
- Being an au pair
- Applying for another visa in Australia that allows full-time work
- Demonstrating exceptional circumstances critical to their employer
Application process
To apply for permission, applicants can complete a web form available on the official website shortly.
Please note: Once a request is made, the applicant can continue working with the employer until the extension request is finalised. This means that those reaching their 6-month mark on January 1st are allowed to continue their employment throughJanuary, at least until they receive a response from the Department.
Marking the holiday period, we wish to inform you that our office will be closed from 5PM on Friday, December 22nd, 2023, and we will be welcoming the new year with renewed energy as we reopen on Monday, January 8th, 2024.
If PLAYFAIR can assist you with your global mobility and immigration needs, please reach out to us now via email at info@playfair.com.au or call our office on (02) 9233 8899.