Current Working Holiday Makers (Subclass 417 and Subclass 462) can claim bushfire recovery work as eligible renewal for second and third working holiday visas. However, the bushfire work must be undertaken within a specific area prescribed in the new legislation and must have conducted the work between the period of 31 July 2019 to 01 March 2020.
The type of bushfire recovery work is defined in both instruments that were released on 05 March 2020. This work includes work undertaken on an employed or volunteer basis, to assist with bushfire recovery efforts in an area for each subclass and includes:
- construction, farming, or any other work in association with recovery or restitution of land, property, farm animals or wildlife; and
- providing support services or assistance to people living, working or volunteering in the affected areas.
Regional Australia Bushfire Affected Areas:
New South Wales
Armidale, Ballina, Bega Valley, Bellingen, Blue Mountains, Byron, Central Coast, Cessnock, Clarence Valley, Coffs Harbour, Cootamundra-Gundagai, Eurobodalla, Glen Innes Severn, Goulburn Mulwaree, Gwydir, Greater Hume, Hawkesbury, Inverell, Kempsey, Ku-ring-gai, Kyogle, Lake Macquarie, Lismore, Lithgow, Mid Coast, Mid-Western, Muswellbrook, Nambucca, Narrabri, Oberon, Penrith, Port Macquarie-Hastings, Queanbeyan-Palerang, Richmond Valley, Shoalhaven, Singleton, Snowy Monaro, Snowy Valleys, Sutherland, Tamworth, Tenterfield, Tweed, Upper Hunter, Upper Lachlan, Uralla, Walcha, Wagga Wagga, Wingecarribee, Wollondilly
- Victoria
Alpine, Ararat, Ballarat, East Gippsland, Falls Creek, Glenelg, Golden Plains, Greater Bendigo, Indigo, Mansfield, Mount Buller, Mount Hotham, Mount Stirling, Moyne, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, Southern Grampians, Strathbogie, Towong, Wangaratta, Wellington, Wodonga
- Queensland
Bundaberg, Gladstone, Gold Coast, Gympie, Ipswich, Livingstone, Lockyer Vallev, Noosa, Redland, Scenic Rim, Somerset, Southern Downs, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba
- South Australia
Adelaide Hills, Coorong, , Kangaroo Island, Kingston, Lower Eyre Peninsula, Mid Murray, Mount Barker, Murray Bridge, Playford, Southern Mallee and Yorke Peninsula
- Tasmania
Break O’Day, Central Highlands and Southern Midlands
- Australia Capital Territory
All areas of the Australia Capital Territory
If you require migration law and visa advice, please contact us on 03 9614 7111 to arrange a consultation with one of our Migration Agents/Lawyers.