Applicant: First Working Holiday Visa Eligibility
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To be eligible for your first Working Holiday visa, you must meet a number of requirements.
General requirements
You must:
- be outside Australia when you apply and, when your visa is granted.
- not have entered Australia on a Working Holiday visa before
- be aged between 18 and 30 years (inclusive) at the time of applying
- be applying no more than 12 months before you intend to travel to Australia.
- not have dependent children
- hold a passport for a country or region participating with Australia in the Working Holiday program
See: Countries/Regions Participating in Working Holiday Program
Health requirements
All applicants are required to meet health criteria. Depending on your circumstances, you may need to undertake a medical examination which may include a chest x-ray, HIV, Hepatitis B and/or Hepatitis C test.
All required health examinations must be completed before a decision can be made on your visa application.
If you need a medical examination, the cost is not included in the visa application charge (fee) you pay when you lodge your application.
Health examination requirements are outlined on Form 1163i.
See: Health requirements information and forms
Note: The required health examinations are outlined under the heading 'Stay of greater than 3 months, up to and including 12 months'.
Health insurance
Medical treatment in Australia can be very expensive. As a tourist, you are not covered by Australia's national health scheme, unless there is a reciprocal health care agreement between Australia and your country. Health care for visitors to Australia is explained on the Medicare Australia website.
See: Medicare Australia Health Care for visitors to Australia
It is recommended that you take out health insurance for the duration of your stay in Australia. You can obtain health insurance through a health insurance provider or travel agent in your country of residence.
For more information about private health insurance:
See: PrivateHealth.gov.au – Cover for overseas visitors
Character requirements
To be granted this visa you must meet character requirements.
See also: Character and Penal Clearance Requirements
Financial requirements
You must have access to sufficient funds to support yourself for the initial stage of your holiday. Generally, AUD$5,000 may be regarded as sufficient, but the amount may vary depending on your length of stay and the extent of your travel. You should also have a return or onward ticket or the funds for a fare to depart Australia.
You may be asked to provide evidence. Evidence may include a certified copy of a bank statement and an air ticket out of Australia.
Extending your stay
To be eligible for a second Working Holiday visa, you must have completed three months specified work in regional Australia while on your first Working Holiday visa.
For more information on the eligibility criteria for a second Working Holiday visa.
See: Applicant: Second Working Holiday visa
Australian Values Statement
You must declare that you will respect Australian values and obey the laws of Australia. For this visa, the values statement is included in the general declaration section of the application form. When you sign the application form it means you will also be signing the values statement. You will not be required to have read the Life in Australia book, but may do so if you wish.
You are also encouraged to gain an understanding of Australia, its people and their way of life, before applying for this visa.
See: Australian Values - Overview