Working holiday makers (WHM) who hold a subclass 417 or 462 are required to undertake specified work in specified areas of Australia to be eligible for a second and third WHM visa. The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has added more specified areas and work to qualify for a second and third WHM visa. The following specified work and areas have been added to the list:
- Flood recovery work
This may be paid or unpaid work undertaken after 31 December 2021 in a specified flood affected areas in NSW and Queensland and includes:
- construction or any other work in association with restitution or restoration of services, land, waterways, property or infrastructure
- providing support services or assistance to people living, working or volunteering in the affected areas.
- Bushfire recovery work
This may be paid or unpaid work undertaken after 31 July 2019 in specified bushfire affected areas and includes: - construction, farming, or any other work in association with recovery or restitution of land, property, farm animals or wildlife;
- providing support services or assistance to people living, working or volunteering in the affected areas.
- Tourism and hospitality
The following postcodes are now specified areas where tourism and hospitality work can be undertaken: Queensland 4406, 4416, 4498 and Tasmania 7215. - Critical COVID-19 work in the healthcare and medical sectors
This is considered is specified work if carried out in each area of Australia; and it includes:
- medical treatment, nursing, contact tracing, testing and research;
- support services such as cleaning of medical and health care facilities and equipment.
ENS subclass 186 (Direct Entry stream) – three years post qualification work experience
Amongst other criteria, applicants for an ENS subclass 186 visa under the Direct Entry stream are required to demonstrate that they hold at least three years post qualification work experience. The government recognises that part-time work arrangements and variable working hours are increasingly common in Australia. In order to meet the work experience requirement for the visa, part-time work will now be calculated pro-rata, however experience gained through casual employment will not be counted towards the three year work experience requirement.
Trades Recognition Australia – JRP Advice – subclass 408 visa holders
Trades Recognition Australia (TRA) has amended its position on its Job Ready Program (JRP) for subclass 408 visa holders. Previously, subclass 408 visa holders had been advised that their applications for the JRP would not be successful.
TRA has now confirmed that these applications will now be accepted, however, TRA advises that completion of the JRP while holding this visa is ‘unlikely’ to be supported as a pathway to permanent residency or migration.
Should you have any questions about how the above updates, please don’t hesitate to contact our migration lawyers.
Nevett Ford Lawyers – Immigration Lawyer Melbourne & Australian Citizenship Lawyer
Telephone: +61 3 9614 7111
Email: melbourne@nevettford.com.au
Visit our website: www.nevettford.com.au