Australia is a country of wonders. Not only is there an abundance of beauty and rare flora and fauna to be found in the natural habitats of the country, but also in its rich cultural heritage as well. It has a strong and robust economy, which stood resilient against the global depression, first-class infrastructure and job opportunities for skilled as well as unskilled workers. It’s not surprising therefore to see people from across the world, applying for Australia immigration. There are various types of visas for applying to enter Australia, one of which is the working holiday visa, also known as the backpacker’s visa. It provides an alternative pathway for Immigration to Australia from India.

Working holiday visa for Australia immigration

The Working Holiday or backpacker’s visa, classified as subclass 417, is a short-term visa which is intended for young people who wish to vacation and work in Australia for a period of twelve months or less. The backpacker’s visa as it is colloquially called is a temporary visa that was instituted to encourage cultural exchange as well as closer bonding between Australians and persons of other countries. The holders of this visa can be permitted to do the following

1. You can stay in Australia with this visa for up to one year
2. You are allowed to seek employment and work in Australia, generally for a period of up to six months with each employer
3. You are also allowed study in the country for a maximum period of four months
4. You are also allowed to leave and re-enter Australia any number of times during the visa validity period.

Working holiday visa extension

The government of Australia has recently announced plans to extend the visa stay duration for those who undertake jobs in the agriculture sector. Which means that, just by spending a few extra hours working on a farm, you can not only extend your stay to for up to three years. Moreover you do not need to change your location every six months but can stay with the same employer for the duration of your visa

Working holiday visa categories

The working holiday visa for Australia immigration is divided into the following categories

1. First Working Holiday visa: In order to apply for this visa, you need to be outside Australia. You can apply from any consulate for Australia near you.
2. Second Working Holiday visa: In order to apply for this visa, you can apply in Australia. However, you must be residing in Australia at the time of granting of visa. Alternatively, If you apply from outside Australia, you must be residing outside Australia at the time of granting of the visa.

Eligibility criteria for working holiday visa

A person who is interested in applying for this visa, can do so if

1. He or she has not previously lived in Australia on a Working and Holiday or Temporary visa, classified as subclass 462
2. He or she holds a valid passport from a partner country which is involved in the Working Holiday partnership program with Australia
3. He or she is aged between 18 and 30 years of age
4. He or she is a genuine visitor whose sole intention is to have a holiday in Australia
5. He or she has sufficient funds to support themselves on a working holiday
6. He or she has sufficient funds to buy a return ticket at the end of their stay
7. He or she is not accompanied by dependent children during your stay.

Documents required

You will need the following documents to apply for the subclass 417 backpacker’s visa

1. A valid passport that is at least six months within its expiry date
2. You should not be living in Australia on a visa that has a no further stay condition
3. You will need to undergo health check with an approved Doctor and submit the results in order to apply for this visa
4. You will also need to pay the required fees for applying for this visa

For applying for this visa, you can contact a good immigration consultant for Australia such as Global Tree

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