Australian Working Holiday Visa – Age limit increased to 35

australian working holiday visa

New Age Limit of 35 

For Irish citizens, the new age limit is set to be increased from 30 to 35 years for the Australian working holiday visa.

Australian working holiday visa
AFP PHOTO / Peter Muhly (Photo credit should read PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images)

Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Patrick O’Donovan made the announcement during an official visit to Melbourne this month with Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney and his Australian counterpart, David Coleman.

The new age limit will apply to new applications for the Working Holiday visa lodged from 1 November 2018 by Irish citizens.

This is good news for the over 30s in Ireland who for a long time have been excluded from participating in the Australian working holiday visa programme solely based on age.  Now Irish citizens between the ages of 30 and 35 will have the opportunity to apply for the Australian working holiday visa.

What is the Australian working holiday visa?

It is a visa which allows the holder to live and work in Australia for up to 12 months. Easy as that! It’s primary purpose is for travel and work experience of Australia. For many people, this visa is a “try before you buy” opportunity. A way to experience living and working in Australia to see if the may want to stay permanently. There may also be an opportunity to be sponsored long term by your Australian employer thereby extending your stay in Australia.

Work rights on this visa?

Working is definitely permitted on this visa, of course, the clue is in the name of the visa. Australian working holiday visa.  But,  while work rights are definite on this visa, there is a limitation that you need to be aware of.

Australian working holiday visa

You can only work for 1 employer for a maximum of 6 months. This means you can work for a number of employers short term. If you want to work up to 6 months for an employer, you would be limited to 2 employers for the length of the visa.  If you are working for an employer and you want to continue working for them past the 6 months limit, you will need to apply for another visa which can permit this. If you have relevant qualifications in a skilled or trade occupation on the Australian government’s combined list of occupations, you may be eligible for a sponsored work visa or a permanent migration visa that would extend your stay in Australia.

How to apply for an Australian working holiday visa

If you are an Irish person looking to apply for this visa, it’s simple. All you need to do is to go the Australian immigration website. Create an account for yourself using the ImmiAccount portal.  Nearly all applications are now made online using this online portal. It’s very simple to use.

The applicant is relatively inexpensive, you need to prove your identity (your passport will be sufficient), demonstrate you have at least 3,000 Australian dollars in savings (bank statements usually) and a return flight to Ireland (e-ticket).

You must be outside of Australia when you apply and are granted this visa.

On average it takes the Australian government 18 days to process the Australian working holiday vsia application and make a final decision to approve you for the visa.

The visa application fee is 450 Australian dollars.

If you have questions or need help making your application for an Australian working holiday visa, get in touch and we can help

Can you still apply for the visa if you have children?

Yes.  The likelihood of an applicant having a child or children will actually increase given the new age limit of 35. To apply for the Australian working holiday visa, you will need to prove that your child(ren) will not be accompanying you to Australia for any time during your stay and that they will be the care of another parent or legal guardian.

The second Australian working holiday visa – Regional work requirement

Many people will only use their Australian working holiday visa for 12 months and then return to their home countries to continue their lives. However, many others love their Australian experience and want to extend their stay. There is an option to apply for a second Australian working holiday visa. The main requirement is that while you were on your first visa, you spent 3 months working in a regional area. doing “seasonal work”. For example, you worked as a fruit picker, or on a dairy, beef, pig farm. Working on a fish farm or fishing boat, packing and sorting seafood would also count. The majority work in the fruit picking industry. There are designated regional areas in Australia where this seasonal work takes place.

You can apply for a second visa either in or outside of Australia. You will need to prove that you have completed 3 months of regional work by providing references and payslips from your employer.

australian working holiday visa

Navigate the Australian skilled migration points test successfully

Australian skilled migration visa

How to calculate your pass mark if you want to apply for an Australian skilled migration visa

If you want to apply for an Australian skilled migration visa, you will have to know how to calculate your pass mark under the points.  To be eligible to apply for an Australian skilled migration visa like the subclass 189, 190 or 489 means you must have a minimum pass mark of at least 65 points.

Under the points test, points are awarded on the basis of the factors. All factors are assessed as they are at the time you are invited to apply for this visa after you have submitted an Expression of Interest to the Skillselect system.

Age

There is an age limit of 45. This means if you are 45 and older, you are ineligible to apply for an Australian skilled migration visa. Under the points test, the following range of ages will attract the respective points.  Be careful when you allocate the points when you are lodging an expression of interest for your Australian skilled migration visa.  If you are on the verge of a birthday that will take you over the threshold of one category and into the next, consider carefully how that will affect you in the points test overall.

  • 18–24 years – 25 points
  • 25–32 years – 30 points
  • 33–39 years – 25 points
  • 40–44 years – 15 points

English language ability

Please note that english test results must be no older than three years immediately before the day on which the Australian skilled migration visa application was made. Under the points test, the following applies:

  • Competent English: score of at least 6 on each of the four components of speaking, reading, listening and writing in an IELTS test, or B on each of the four components of an OET test, or
  • provide evidence that you are a citizen of and hold a passport from Canada, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom or the United States of America – 0 points
  • Proficient English: score of at least 7 on each of the four components of speaking, reading, listening and writing in an IELTS test, or B on each of the four components of an OET test – 10 points
  • Superior English: score of at least 8 on each of the four components of speaking, reading, listening and writing in an IELTS test, or A on each of the four components of an OET test – 20 points

The PTE Academic test is now another option for verifying English language ability.  Note that PTE General test is not accepted for visa applicants.  It is becoming popular due to fast turnaround in test results as well flexible dates for test takers.

A score of 65-78 in PTE Academic test is considered be proficient score.  A score of 79-90 in the PTE Academic test is considered to be a superior score.  All this for the purposes of claiming either 10 or 20 bonus points for English language ability under the points test.

Skilled employment

Below is the allocation of points under the points test for skilled employment.  Recognize there are 2 separate categories for experience inside and outside of Australia.

Outside Australia: skilled employment in your nominated skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation

  • Skilled employment for at least 3 out of the past 10 years – 5 points
  • Skilled employment for at least 5 out of the past 10 years – 10 points
  • Skilled employment for at least 8 out of the past 10 years – 15 points

In Australia: skilled employment in your nominated skilled occupation or a closely related skilled occupation

  • Skilled employment of 1-2 years in the past 10 years – 5 points
  • Skilled employment of 3-4 years in the past 10 years – 10 points
  • Skilled employment of 5-7 years in  the past 10 years – 15 points
  • Skilled employment of 8-10 years in the past 10 years – 20 points

Qualifications

  • Doctorate from an Australian educational institution or other doctorate of a recognized standard – 20 points
  • At least a bachelor degree from an Australian educational institution or other degree of a recognized standard – 15 points
  • Diploma or trade qualification completed in Australia – 10 points
  • An award or qualification recognized by the assessing authority in the assessment of the skilled occupation – 10 points

Australian study requirement

  • One or more degrees, diplomas or trade qualifications awarded by an Australian educational institution and meet the Australian study requirement – 5 points

Other factors

  • Credentialed community language qualifications – 5 points
  • Study in regional Australia or a low population growth metropolitan area (excluding distance education) – 5 points
  • Partner skill qualifications – 5 points
  • Professional year in Australia for at least 12 months in the four years before the day you were invited to apply – 5 points

Nomination or Sponsorship (subclass 190 or 489 state/regional sponsored Australian skilled migration visa)

The word nomination and sponsorship are used interchangeably so don’t be confused.  They mean the same thing.  If you are nominated by a state government for the purposes of an Australian skilled migration visa subclass (State sponsored) subclass 190 visa this is the same as being sponsored by that government body.

  • Nomination by state or territory government (visa subclass 190 only) – 5 points
  • Nomination by state or territory government or sponsorship by an eligible family member to reside and work in a specified/designated area (Australian skilled migration visa subclass (Regional sponsored) subclass 489 only) – 10 points

Here is a link to a list of the type of documents that will support a skilled migration visa application.

Get in touch if you want to learn how to successfully apply for an Australia skilled migration visa.

How to get in contact?
Call us: (021) 234 8112 – Mon to Fri 10am to 4pm

Email: info@theimmigrationagency.com

Send us a message

Book a consultation

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Move to Australia from America

Trump

Move To Australia From the USA

There’s been a spike in the google searches for emigration out of America in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidential victory in the US. Canada’s immigration website crashed and the media is having a field day with twitterable, is that a word? Trump is certainly igniting debate on immigration, migrants rights, refugees, the undocumented workers and a lot more.

Trump and Australia

Media hype aside, Americans have favored living in Australia for years – before Trump ever took office.  Australia is the only country in the world to have received more American migrants than the US has accepted from it. Think about that for a second!

Short term, it’s relatively easy for Americans to come to Australia. Trump has visited Australia number times and his fiery phone conversation with then Prime Minister Malcolm Turnball about taking refugees from Australia to the US is now well known.  If you want to visit Australia, you can apply online for a holiday visa or Electronic Travel Authority as it is more officially called, and this allows you multiple entries to Australia over 12 months. You can stay for three months at a time but this visa has NO work rights.

If you’re a youngling, that is a word, aged between 18 and 30, you can apply for a Working Holiday visa. This lasts for a year, has limited work rights, involves a period of work in regional Australia and can be extended to 2 years in some cases. The US is one of the countries that Australia has a reciprocal agreement with for the working holiday visa.

If you’re serious about making a permanent move to Australia get in touch and we can help you discover what your Australian visa options are.

How to get in contact?
Call us: (021) 234 8112 – Mon to Fri 10am to 4pm

Email: info@theimmigrationagency.com

Send us a message

Book a consultation

Follow and message us on Facebook

Tweet us