Changes to the Working Holiday Visa Program (subclasses 417 visa & 462 visa)
On 5th November 2018, the Hon David Coleman (Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs) has announced changes to the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa programs to support regional and rural communities. These changes will apply to the 417 visa 462 visa.
When in effect the changes to the WHM visa program will include:
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Number of regional areas where subclass 462-visa holders can work in agriculture (plant and animal cultivation) to qualify for a second year of stay in Australia are expanded. Previously only visa holders working in Northern Australia were eligible. Now, also regional areas in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, and all of Northern Territory, South Australia, and Tasmania, will be eligible. (Specific postcodes to be published on the Department’s website shortly.)
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Increasing the period in which subclass 417 and 462 visa holders can stay with the same agricultural (plant and animal cultivation) employer, from 6 to 12 months.
Plant and animal cultivation includes most agricultural work, such as:
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the harvesting and/or packing of fruit and vegetable crops
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pruning and trimming vines and trees
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general maintenance crop work
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cultivating or propagating plants, fungi or their products or parts
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immediate processing of plant products
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maintaining animals for the purpose of selling them or their bodily produce
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immediate processing of animal products including shearing, butchery, packing and tanning
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manufacturing dairy produce from raw material.
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The option of a 3rd year for subclass 417/462 visa holders who will work for at least 6 months (during their second visa year) in a specified regional area, from July 2019. [Participation in the second-year program is voluntary. Subclass 462 visa holders will need to complete three-months (88 calendar days) of specified work to be eligible to apply for a 2nd visa.]
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Increasing the annual caps to a number of countries that participate in the subclass 462 visa program.
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It is further planned to offer an increase in the eligible age for subclass 417 visa applicants from Canada and Ireland to 35 year.
We have provided a comprehensive overview of soem Australian visa online:
As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us:
