The WHV – Working Holiday Visa – is one of the most common visas for those who want to spend a working holiday experience in Australia, learn English and maybe have a different work experience, whether it is in a farm or in their field of expertise.
A Working Holiday Visa is often the gateway to Australian life, the first step you take when deciding to move to Australia – be it for a short term or a long-term relocation. It is an easy visa to obtain, quite flexible in terms of age and general requirements and very cheap.
Let’s find out together how the Working Holiday Visa works, how much it costs, how it can be renewed and obtained. Below, you will find a menu that summarises the main topics covered in this article in order to make your reading faster if you want to read just a few paragraphs or delve into just a few topics.
Working Holiday Visa, everything you need to know:
- What is the Working Holiday Visa?
- How does the Working Holiday Visa work?
- Age to apply for the Working Holiday Visa
- Differences between the Working Holiday Visa 417 and the Work and Holiday 462
- Working Holiday Visa for Italians
- How much does the Working Holiday Visa cost?
- How to apply for the Working Holiday Visa?
- Requirements and documents needed to apply for the Working Holiday Visa
- How to renew the Working Holiday Visa? Do I have to do farms?
- Do I need health insurance to apply for the Working Holiday Visa?
- Tips to fully enjoy your Working Holiday Visa and frequently asked questions
What is the Working Holiday Visa:
The Working Holiday visa is literally a work and holiday visa for Australia with a duration of 12 months, renewable up to 36 months. The WHV is requested every year by tens of thousands of Italians who, in search of freedom and a good lifestyle, decide to fly to the land of kangaroos for a work experience or a life adventure.
The working holiday visa is often associated with backpackers and road trips, farm work and endless summers; in addition to being synonymous with light-heartedness, the WHV is also the access to the Australian life and an excellent starting point for deciding to permanently move to Australia.
How the Working Holiday Visa works:
The WHV is one of the easiest visas to obtain in the Australian visa landscape and falls into the tourist visa class. Approval times are generally quite short, most of them are in fact approved within a few hours; however, our advice is to wait for its approval before proceeding with the purchase of the flight or planning the next travel steps.
Age to apply for the Working Holiday Visa:
As anticipated in the previous infographic, the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) can be requested by all Italian citizens between the ages of 18 and 36 – specifically, all WHVs must be requested before the age of thirty-six.
How much the Working Holiday Visa costs:
The Working Holiday Visa (WHV) costs AUD$510; the price is the same for the second and third visa.
Working Holiday Visa for Italians (subclass 417)
Italian citizens can apply for the Working Holiday Visa subclass 417 which can be renewed up to a maximum of three years by carrying out 88 days of regional work during the first year of the visa and 176 during the second (read the article below to find out all jobs and all areas with which you can obtain a visa renewal).
How to renew the Working Holiday Visa: ultimate guide.
Differences between Work and Holiday (subclass 462) and Working Holiday (subclass417)
The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) can be requested between the ages of 18 and 30 and can be renewed up to a maximum of 36 months. Some differences with the WHV 417 have narrowed over the years: in the past, for example, Italians could not renew the second and third year working in hospitality, today they can do it working in remote areas of the country.
How to apply for the Working Holiday Visa?
Applying for the Working Holiday Visa is very simple, we will explain how to do it below. However, if you don’t feel like requesting it in autonomy, you can rely on our WHV packages (click the link below for more information).
Atlas Migration Working Holiday Visa Packages
If, contrariwise, you want to proceed in complete autonomy, just follow these simple steps.
How to apply for a Working Holiday Visa?
- Create your IMMI ACCOUNT
- From the home affair page dedicated to the WHV 417, select “APPLY“
- Continue by entering the required data (remember to save the application from time to time to avoid having to start over in the event of a site crash) and upload the required documents
- Proceed to pay for the visa
- Wait for visa approval
Requirements and documents to apply for the Working Holiday Visa?
In order to apply for a working holiday visa, you must:
- possess a passport with residual validity of at least 6 months
- have a credit or debit card to proceed with the payment
- provide a residential address
- have a phone number and email address
- demonstrate that you have at least AUD$5000 in a bank account to cover initial expenses once you arrive in Australia*
*it is important to have access to the aforementioned bank account in the event that – in an absolutely random way – one is asked to demonstrate possession of these funds upon arrival in the country.
How to renew the Working Holiday Visa?
For a very long time, the renewal of the Working Holiday visa was linked to the need to work on farms in remote areas of the country; Today, the situation has changed a lot and we talk about “completing 88 days of specific work” a category which includes many occupations not only rural ones.
To get a complete picture of the specific jobs you can carry out in Australia, we advise you to read the following article carefully: How to renew the Working Holiday Visa: definitive guide.
Recently, in fact, following the fires, floods and the lack of personnel generated by the pandemic, there are many more categories available and they also include hospitality, construction and volunteering activities (just to name a few).
In summary, to apply for the second Working Holiday visa it is necessary to carry out 88 days of specific work; while to apply for the third one, 176 days of specific work are necessary.
You might be interested in: working in hospitality in Australia
Do I need health insurance to apply for the Working Holiday Visa?
Italians who decide to try a life experience in Australia have the right to take advantage of reciprocal health care agreements between Italy and Australia which means that once they arrive in Australia they can apply for Medicare – the equivalent of our health card – for six months. At the end of these six months, in order to renew the Medicare, it is necessary to leave and return to the country.
So to the question: ‘do I need health insurance during the Working Holiday Visa?’, our answer is yes and no. Although it is not an obligation to apply for health insurance it is highly recommended; in the event that medical intervention is needed, in the absence of health coverage and medicare, tens of thousands of dollars can be spent.
As they say, better safe than sorry!
We remind you that you can activate your health insurance by purchasing it on our shop!
Frequently asked questions on the Working Holiday Visa
We have explained in detail everything you need to know to apply for and obtain your Working Holiday Visa, below we leave you some useful advice and some answers to the most frequently asked questions on the subject.
Where to land when arriving in Australia?
Choosing the first city to arrive in after moving to Australia is extremely subjective and connected to your expectations and lifestyle. If you are looking for a city where social life prevails, restaurants open until late and clubs where you can party until the sunrise, then your ideal place is Melbourne; if you are you looking for a quiet city from which to leave for camping weekends surrounded by nature, where you can spend your days on desolate beaches and living an experience away from crowded places, then Perth is the city for you; Are you looking for a historic city, where skyscrapers and ancient buildings mix with dream beaches? Your destination is Sydney.
What should I do once I arrive?
Once you arrive in Australia, the first thing to do is to get yourself in order from a medical-bureaucratic-fiscal point of view:
- Request your Medicare.
- Apply your Tax File Number.
- Open an Australian bank account.
- Request an Australian phone sim.
Find all the detailed information in this article: what to do as soon as you arrive in Australia? Complete guide!
Do I need a car when I live in Australia?
Owning a car when you live in Australia is not essential if you decide to live in the city but it becomes essential if you decide to look for work in remote areas. Think thoroughly what you want to do before deciding to buy a vehicle; in case you decide to live in the city center it can almost be a problem to own one.
Finally, our advice is to enjoy your experience in Australia, a year of life in Australia with a Working Holiday visa can be one of the best experiences of your life. Have fun, fall in love, travel, discover the uses and customs of the host country, make friends with people from all over the world and you will never regret not having lived it to the fullest.