It has been announced with immediate effect that, Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa holders who secure work in certain high demand industries in northern Australia will be able to remain with their employer for up to 12 months, compared to the usual limit of six months.

The initiative will be of significant benefit to the agriculture and tourism sectors in the north of the country. Because these industries are highly seasonal and rely on short term workers, these changes are necessary to provide flexible labour options.

The changes will also apply to work in northern Australia in aged and disability care, construction and mining.

These changes also give an opportunity for employers to attract staff and retain them by investing in training as staff will now be able to stay longer than six months.

In a similar move, further changes will follow in 2016 which will allow Work and Holiday (Subclass 462) visa holders to extend their stay in Australia by a further 12 months if they work for at least three months in agriculture or tourism in northern Australia.

We at Frontier welcome these changes as they'll go a long way to strengthening the economy of Northern Australia and provide an opportunity for young people from overseas to experience the full breadth and depth of the beautiful Australian landscape. These changes will also provide more opportunities for employers in the North to fill positions that have been difficult to fill due to visa restrictions.

Working and travelling for one year is truly an amazing experience and any  measures to make it more accessible is most welcome here.

Further information regarding the six month rule or the changes to the program can be found at the Department's website here.

If you'd like further advice on these changes then give us a call or drop us an email, we'd be happy to clear up any confusion.

Other news...

Have you checked out the Australian Partner Visa Guide?