From 1 December 2021, fully vaccinated Working Holiday Makers will be able to work and travel in Australia once again. The new travel arrangements will apply to eligible visa holders, including Working Holiday Makers and Work and Holiday Visa.
“The return of eligible working holiday makers to Australia from 1 December is welcome news for our tourism industry. Working holiday makers are crucial to the tourism sector as these young travellers tend to stay longer, spend more and disperse more widely as they travel whilst also providing a flexible source of workers by combining their time in Australia with work and travel plans,” said Tourism Australia Managing Director Phillipa Harrison.
In 2019, Working Holiday Makers contributed CAD $2.9 billion to Australia’s visitor economy and represented seven percent of total visitor spend – the second largest leisure market by expenditure. Working Holiday Maker visitors also largely spend what they earn in Australia, with the average spend per person equivalent to CAD $9,550.
Tourism Australia Acting General Manager/Regional Director Chris Allison said that he hoped young people would make the most of the new quarantine-free travel arrangements to come and work and explore Australia whilst also developing life skills for the future.
“An Australian working holiday is a fantastic opportunity to have an extended overseas adventure by working as well as travelling.
“Now heading into the typically busy summer period, many operators in the Australian tourism industry are currently on the hunt for staff. This could be the ultimate opportunity for those looking to shake up their careers, with many tourism jobs also based in the country’s most spectacular holiday destinations,” Allison said.
Travelling to Australia
● From 1 December 2021, Working Holiday Makers can travel by air to Australia quarantine-free, without applying for a travel exemption.
● Those who hold a valid Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa or a Work and Holiday (subclass 462) and are fully vaccinated can enter New South Wales (NSW), Victoria (VIC) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and will not be required to quarantine. If they are planning on travelling onwards to or through a different state or territory when you arrive in Australia, they need to check domestic travel restrictions.
To be eligible, travellers must:
– Hold a valid visa for one of the eligible visa subclasses, including either a Working Holiday (subclass 417) or a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)
– Be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a COVID-19 vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA)
– Arrive in a participating Australian state or territory
– Provide proof of vaccination status
– Present a negative COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test taken within three days of departure (unless a medical exemption applies)
For more information on travelling to Australia visit the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs I Travelling to Australia
● For more rules and requirements for travel into specific state and territories in Australia visit the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs I State and Territory Information. https://www.australia.gov.au/states
● A full list of eligible visa subclasses is available at https://covid19.homeaffairs.gov.au/
Facts on working holiday makers
● Working Holiday Makers (WHM) are a valuable travel segment.
● WHM contributed $3.2 billion to Australia’s visitor economy, representing seven per cent of total visitor spend.
● WHM visitors largely spend what they earn in Australia, with the average spend per person equivalent to $10,400.
● They tend to stay longer, spend more and disperse more widely throughout the country than other international arrivals. 63 per cent of WHM visit two or more destinations.
● 250,000 Australian jobs are filled by WHM. WHM contribute to filling significant proportions of jobs in important industries throughout the Australian economy, such as tourism, hospitality and agriculture.
● 3.5 percent of WHM visitors to Australia come from Canada. WHM from Canada represent 10,497 visitors to Australia each year, contributing AUD $95.9 million / CAD $88.04 million to Australia’s visitor economy. WHM make up 6.7 per cent of all arrivals from Canada.