News

New work and holiday arrangements between Australia and the People’s Republic of China commenced from 21 September 2015. Under these new arrangements, 5000 young Chinese nationals a year will have the opportunity to travel to Australia for an extended holiday of up to 12 months where they can also engage in short term work to supplement travel funds.

To be eligible for a Work & Holiday visa a Chinese applicant would need to meet the following requirements:

• hold a valid Chinese passport;
• are at least 18 but have not turned 31 years of age at the time an application is lodged;
• will not be with a dependent child while in Australia;
• have enough money to support themselves and buy a return/onward travel ticket at the end of their stay;
• have not previously entered Australia on a Working Holiday or Work & Holiday visa;
• hold tertiary qualifications or have successfully completed at least two years of undergraduate university study;
• have functional English;
• meet character and health requirements; and
• are intending to Australia as a genuine visitor.

Eligible Chinese nationals must submit a Work & Holiday visa application in person through one of the Australian Visa Application Centres located in Beijing,  Guangzhou or Shanghai.

An online booking system for appointments to submit a Work & Holiday visa at one of these centres was launched on the morning of 21 September 2015.   The first round of 1500 appointments have already been filled.

Eligible Chinese nationals interested in applying for a Work & Holiday visa to Australia would be recommended to take steps as soon as possible to book an appointment. It is expected the 5000 available places under these arrangements for the current financial year will be filled quickly. Further information on how to make an appointment to submit a Work & Holiday visa can be located at the VFS Global website.

Corby Wallace is able to provide advice and assistance to Chinese nationals interested in applying under the new Work & Holiday arrangements. Contact us at info@corbywallace.com for further details on how we may be able to assist you.

For those travelling in or out of Australia over the next week, be prepared for long queues as immigration and customs staff will take part in further industrial action. Passengers departing Australia over the coming weeks are being advised to arrive at the airport earlier.

Strikes are expected during peak periods at international airports in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Adelaide, Perth and Darwin.

At Australia’s busiest airports, industrial action is planned for the following periods:

From 1 January 2016 Australia commenced new work and holiday arrangements with the Slovak Republic and Slovenia. These arrangements will allow up to 200 young adults from the Slovak Republic and up to 200 young adults from Slovenia each year to enjoy an extended holiday of up to 12 months in Australia, during which time they can undertake short term work and study.

To be eligible for a Work & Holiday visa Slovak and Slovenian nationals would need to meet the following requirements:

• hold a valid passport from either the Slovak Republic or Slovenia;
• are at least 18 but have not turned 31 years of age at the time an application is lodged;
• will not be with a dependent child while in Australia;
• have a letter of support from their home government;
• have enough money to support themselves during initial period of holiday (approximately EUR3300);
• have not previously entered Australia on a Working Holiday or Work & Holiday visa;
• hold tertiary qualifications or have successfully completed at least two years of undergraduate university study;
• have functional English;
• meet character and health requirements; and
• are intending to Australia as a genuine visitor.

Eligible Slovak and Slovenian nationals must submit a Work & Holiday visa application in person through the Australian Embassy in Berlin.

Eligible Slovak and Slovenia nationals interested in applying for a Work & Holiday visa to Australia would be recommended to take steps as soon as possible to book an appointment. It is expected available places under these arrangements for the current financial year will be filled quickly.  Similar arrangements with Spain and Poland were closed within months due to high numbers of applicants.  Further information on how Slovak and Slovenia nationals can apply for a Work & Holiday visa can be obtained through the Australian Embassy in Berlin .

Corby Wallace is able to provide advice and assistance to eligible Slovak and Slovenian nationals interested in applying under the new Work & Holiday arrangements. Contact us at info@corbywallace.com for further details on how we may be able to assist you.