Second Year Visa Australia

To do another year of Work and Travel in Australia you need the so-called Second Year Visa. It allows you to spend another 12 months in Australia, during which you can travel the country, go to work, do internships and study for a few months. With this visa you are subject to the same regulations as with your first working holiday visa.

The only difference is an additional requirement: During your first work and travel stay you have to work for 88 days in a job that is recognized for the second year visa. Since 31 August 2015 there is even the addition that it has to be a paid job. Wwoofing or similar activities, where you do not earn any money, are no longer accepted to fulfill this requirement. In addition to the type of work, you must also work in "regional Australia", i.e. outside the major cities such as Sydney, Melbourne, Perth or Brisbane.

Recognized activities

Contrary to the common assumption that only pure farm work like fruitpicking is accepted for the Second Year Visa, there are many different fields you can work in.

• Plant and animal cultivation
• Tree farming and felling
• Fishing and pearling
• Mining
• Construction

You can do the 88 days for the Second Year Visa for example on a construction site or if you work on a fishing boat. The only thing you have to make sure is that the work is done in "regional Australia. Regional Australia" includes, for example, the entire Northern Territory, the whole of South Australia and also Tasmania. These are three states where you can even work in the cities (Darwin, Adelaide, Hobart, etc) and do the 3 months for your Second Year Visa. In all other states it depends on the zip code where the work is done.

Which postcodes are exactly you can read here.

Differences to the first Working Holiday Visa

As mentioned above, the following requirements apply to work and study permits, length of stay, etc. the same visa requirements as for the first working holiday visa. The requirements are also the same with the addition of the 88 day rule:

• You must be between 18-30 years old at the time of application
• You need a valid passport for the duration of your stay (at least 6 months)
• You need sufficient financial means (5000 AUD)
• You have fulfilled the 88 days rule

Another difference is that you can apply for the Second Year Visa directly from Australia and therefore directly after your first WHV. If you choose this way and apply for the visa from Australia, your first working holiday visa must not have expired yet. It is best to apply at least three weeks before your current visa expires.

The other possibility to use the second visa is to travel between both stays and to apply for it at a later date. You must be within the age limit of 30 years and apply before your 31st birthday and you must be outside Australia at the time of application AND at the time of visa confirmation.

Second Year Visa Application

The application process is similar to the first visa, but you must provide proof that you have completed the 88 days. The following things are accepted as proof:

• Payslips (salary statement)
• Payment Summary (annual statement)
• Tax refund
• Employment Verification Form (Form 1263)
• References from your employer
• Australian bank statement that covers the entire time you have been doing the 88 days

The best way is to download the Employment Verification Form and have your employer fill it out every time you do a job that qualifies for the Second Year. In addition, you should always insist on a payslip, because you need it when applying for a visa to prove that you have been doing paid work.

You can apply for the visa online, but there are two different applications depending on where you are applying from. To get to the applications you have to log in to your Immiaccount and then you can submit a new visa application.

To get to the right applications go to:

My Applications>> New Application>> Work& Holiday>> Second Working Holiday Visa – for applicants in Australia (417)

My Applications>> New Application>> Work& Holiday>> Second Working Holiday Visa – for applicants outside Australia (417)

and then you can fill in your application and send it off.

Second Year Visa Costs

The costs for the Second Year Visa for Australia are currently (22. Oct. 2015) 420 AUD. Converted are at the current exchange rate about 270 euros.

You can pay the second as well as the first Working Holiday Visa exclusively with a credit card.