In a significant development for the Australian Working Holiday visa program, UK nationals are set to enjoy exemptions from regional work requirements starting from July 1, 2024. This groundbreaking change stems from the promises outlined in the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (A-UK FTA), signed on December 17, 2021, and enacted on May 31, 2023.
Under the current regulations, applicants for a second or third subclass 417 – Working Holiday visa were obliged to complete specified regional work, often involving labor-intensive tasks in designated areas for periods of three to six months. However, UK nationals will now be spared from this obligation, marking a significant departure from the traditional requirements of the program.
The rationale behind the regional work requirement was to address labor shortages in regional Australia while facilitating disaster recovery efforts. Over time, exemptions and additions to the types of work eligible for regional work have been introduced to aid in natural disaster relief and respond to challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Similar expectations exist for subclass 462 – Work and Holiday visa holders, who must fulfill specified subclass 462 work requirements. This work must be carried out either while holding the visa or on an associated bridging visa if applying for subsequent visas. Notably, there is an exemption for those who performed specified work under the now-repealed subclass 408 – Temporary Activities visa during the COVID-19 pandemic or while holding an associated bridging visa.
The recent introduction of an instrument, set to take effect on July 1, 2024, signifies a landmark shift in policy. UK passport holders, including British citizens and British Nationals (Overseas), will no longer be bound by the regional work requirement under subclass 417.
Applicants for Working Holiday visas must declare their compliance with regional work requirements upon application. However, assessment of this work occurs post-application. Consequently, those who have not fulfilled their regional work obligations will need to wait until July 1, 2024, to benefit from this exemption.
While the legislative framework allows for the addition of more nations to the exemption, any such expansion would require careful political consideration, given its potential impact on regional labor markets.
It is important to note that meeting the regional work requirement is just one aspect of obtaining a further Working Holiday visa. Other criteria, including age restrictions, must also be met. For UK, Italy, Ireland, France, Denmark, and Canada nationals, the age cap is set at 35 years old, whereas it is 30 years old for all other countries.
The exemption for UK nationals represents a significant milestone in the evolution of Australia’s Working Holiday visa program, reflecting the changing dynamics of international relations and trade agreements between Australia and the United Kingdom.
