Working holiday visas increased for UK and Australians up to the age of 35

5 May 2023 Update: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says the below deal will take effect within weeks and that it will be in place by May 31, 2023

On 17 December 2021 the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed ‘virtually’ but has not yet entered into force. 

New arrangements for Working Holiday Makers are expected to be implemented within two years of the FTA entering into force. The new arrangements will allow UK citizens to:

• apply for a Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa up to the age of 35 years
• be granted up to three Working Holiday visas (not including any “COVID-19 affected visa”) with no requirement to undertake any ‘specified work’.

Australia has previously negotiated arrangements on a reciprocal basis with Canada, France and Ireland to expand the eligible age range for WHM applicants to 35 years.

Other partner country arrangements under the WHM program are established through bilateral negotiations and will not be affected by the Australia and UK FTA.

The Australia UK Free Trade Agreement (A-UKFTA) was signed on 17 December 2021. However, please note that the provisions of the agreement do not commence immediately.

The signed A-UKFTA must now be tabled in both of Houses of Australia’s Federal Parliament to undergo National Interest Analysis and consideration by the Joint Standing Committee on Treaties (JSCOT). JSCOT must then table a report on the A-UKFTA, including a recommendation as to whether binding treaty action should be taken.

Once the domestic procedures have been completed and confirmed, the A-UKFTA agreement will enter into force 30 days later, or on any other mutually agreed date.

Following these processes any legislative changes required to implement components of the FTA must also pass both Houses of Parliament.

The details of the various components of the A-UKFTA will take some time to be confirm, with some taking two to five years from the ‘entry into force’ (EIF) of the Agreement, including:

• Working holiday opportunities for both countries allowing the age limits to be lifted to 35 years and stays of up to three years will occur within two years of the EIF.
• Managers and specialists will have guaranteed access to intra corporate transfer and graduate trainees one year transfers – no detail of the visa pathways to be utilised has been provided as yet.
• Innovators and early career development will be piloted with a streamlined program capped at 1000 in the first year, rising to 2000 the second year, after which it will be reviewed to assess future implementation – it is expected that this pathway will utilise the Global Talent visa.
• Agricultural workers – a joint Declaration on Agriculture and Agribusiness Workers detailing available pathways for workers in this sector will be made and UK workers have been invited to participate in the Australian Agriculture Visa, which is under development.
• UK service suppliers including architects, scientists, researchers, lawyers and accountants will be able to access Australian visas without being subject to the occupation skilled lists.
• Recognition of professional qualifications between Australia and the UK will be increased with improved collaboration between accreditation and regulatory bodies.
• Australian and UK lawyers will have reciprocal rights to practice in each country.

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Working holiday visas will be extended for UK and Australians up to the age of 35 (inclusive) in a trade deal agreed with Britain after Prime Ministers Scott Morrison and Boris Johnson.

The deal will increase the working holiday visa age limit from 30 to 35 and give Australians and Britons a total of three years to live and work in each other’s countries.

Normally, to be eligible for a second WHM visa, you must have carried out at least 3 months of specified work. ‘3 months’ is taken to mean 88 calendar days. Under the new deal British passport holders are not obliged to do the 88 fays farm work if they wish to apply for a 2^nd WHV.

Previously French, Canadian and Irish citizens up to and including, 35 (inclusive) years of age became eligible to apply for a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417 & 462).

Current Working Holiday visa requirements for UK citizens

First Working Holiday visa

Currently the age of 30 years is the limit for all other Working Holiday countries (including the UK) that travel to Australia. UK citizens (not accompanied by dependant children) can get their first Working Holiday visa if they are 18 to 30 years old (inclusive), allowing them to stay for 12 months. With this visa you can:

• do short-term work in Australia to help pay for your holiday
• study for up to 4 months (17 weeks)
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
• do 3 months of specified work to become eligible for a second Working Holiday visa  (this is one of the changes above)
• Usually, you can only work for the same employer for 6 months.

This is a temporary visa. You must enter Australia within 12 months of the date we grant it. DHA will not extend or defer this timeframe. The visa becomes active on the date you enter Australia. Once you have entered and the visa is activated. You must be outside Australia when you apply for this visa and when DHA decide your application.

Related:

417 visa holders working in, or intending to work in, tourism and hospitality, you may be able to extend your stay by up to 12 months through the 408 COVID-19 visa.

Second Working Holiday visa

• do short-term work in Australia to help pay for your holiday
• study for up to 4 months
• travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
• do 6 months of specified work to become eligible for a third Working Holiday visa.

Third Working Holiday visa

This visa lets UK people 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) – who currently hold, or who have held, a second Working Holiday visa, have a third working holiday in Australia.

Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program

Australia’s reciprocal Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program has been fostering stronger links between young people from Australia and around the world since 1975.

It allows young adults to have a 12 month holiday, during which they can undertake short-term work and study.

The WHM program now includes over 40 partner countries or jurisdictions in two visa subclasses, the Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa and the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa.