The Australian Government has announced that there will be changes to the Working Holiday Maker Visa (WHM) Program to address the growing issue of labour shortages in regional Australia. These WHM visa program improvements will provide farmers with immediate access to workers in regional Australia and allow visa holders to stay longer and work in more areas across Australia.
The most important changes to the WHM program are outlined below:
- More location choice
From 5 November 2018, Australian migrants that hold a subclass 462 visa and work in agriculture (plant and animal cultivation) in regional Australia will have more choice when it comes to choosing a location to live and work.
Previously, the subclass 462 visa holders were only eligible for a second year of stay in Australia if they were located in Northern Australia.The Government has expanded the eligible locations these visa holders can work in and qualify for a second year of stay in Australia.
These new areas include some parts of regional New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria and Western Australia, as well as all of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Tasmania.
- Flexible work arrangements
From 5 November 2018, Government has also introduced an extended time frame that subclass 417 and subclass 462 visa holders can stay with their agricultural (plant and animal cultivation) employee, from 6 to 12 months.
- More available visa places
From 2 January 2019, there has been an increase in the annual cap available for Israel, Peru and Spain, which allows even more young people to migrate to Australia on a ‘Working Holiday Maker’ visa.
- Longer stay
From 1 July 2019, the maximum number of ‘Working Holiday Maker’ visas that an applicant can hold will increase, from two to three visas. This option will be available for subclass 417 and subclass 462 visa holders who, after 1 July 2019, complete six months of specified work, under specified circumstances.
What does plant and animal cultivation involve?
Plant and animal cultivation encompasses the majority of agricultural work, such as:
- General crop maintenance work
- Cultivating or propagating plants, fungi or their other parts or products
- Processing of plant products
- Maintaining animals for purpose of selling them
- Manufacturing dairy produce
- Pruning and shaping trees and vines
- Harvesting/packing fruit and vegetable crops
For more information about the requirements of a ‘Working Holiday Maker’ visa, please see:
If you have any questions, or concerns about the WHM visa program changes, give Results Migration a call on 1800 808 717 or email us on [email protected] and book your free consultation today!
