Work and Holiday Visa Arrangement – Australia and Portugal
Did Portugal and Australia sign a Work and Holiday visa arrangement on 25 September 2014?
- Yes. On 25 September 2014, Australia and Portugal signed a reciprocal Work and Holiday visa arrangement in Australia at Parliament House Canberra.
- The signing was publicly announced on the website of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and of the Embassy of Australia in Portugal: www.immi.gov.au; www.portugal.embassy.gov.au.
- Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, signed the arrangement on behalf of Australia, and His Excellency Mr Paulo Cunha-Alves, Ambassador to Australia, signed on behalf of Portugal.
Are participants in the arrangement individually selected?
- No. Anyone who meets the Work and Holiday visa’s eligibility requirements is free to apply, noting however that there is an annual cap of 200 places for participants from Portugal, and 200 places for participants from Australia.
Will this annual limit of 200 places be increased?
- This is a matter for the Australian and Portuguese governments to consider once the arrangement has been in operation for a period of time.
What are the visa’s eligibility requirements?
The general eligibility requirements for Portuguese Work and Holiday visa applicants are:
- hold a valid Portuguese passport;
- are at least 18 but have not turned 31 years of age at the time you lodge your application;
- will not be with a dependent child while you are in Australia;
- have enough money to support yourself on a working holiday (about AUD 5000);
- have enough money to buy a return or onward travel ticket at the end of your stay;
- have not previously entered Australia on a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417);
- meet the educational requirements;
- have functional English;
- have a letter of support from the Portuguese Government;
- meet character and health requirements; and
- are a genuine visitor.
Note: Specific information on what is involved in meeting these requirements will be made available closer to the date that applications can be lodged (the date the arrangement comes into effect).
Can I apply for a Work and Holiday visa now?
- No. Australia needs to undertake a number of legal and administrative processes to bring the signed arrangement into effect, allowing for visas to be granted to Portuguese applicants.
- These processes generally take a number of weeks to complete.
- The date that visa applications will be accepted by Australia will be identified on the DIBP and Australian Embassy Lisbon websites once the specific date is known with absolute certainty.
What will I need to provide in my application and where will I send it?
- The details of what will be required of applicants and where to send applications will be clarified on the DIBP and Australian Embassy websites once applications are able to be accepted by Australia.
How much will the visa cost?
- The base cost of a Work and Holiday visa application for Australia was approximately $420 AUD at 25 September 2014.
What will a Work and Holiday visa allow me to do?
- The visa allows the holder to:
- stay in Australia for 12 months from their date of first arrival;
- work for the 12 month duration of their stay, but for no longer than six months with any one employer; and
- study for four months.
How many times can I apply for a Work and Holiday visa?
- The Work and Holiday visa provides a unique once in a lifetime opportunity for participants. Consequently, participants can only ever acquire one such visa.
What is the difference between a Work and Holiday (subclass 462) and Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa?
- The two visas are similar in nature with both being cultural exchange visas building closer ties between partner countries.
- The primary difference is that the number of places offered on Work and Holiday visa is capped for each country.
- Since 2010, the Working Holiday visa programme has been closed to new partner countries.
Where can I find more information on Australia’s Work and Holiday visa?
- Further general information can be found on the departmental website at: www.immi.gov.au