Apart from the Australia visa for tourism and business trips , there is also a Working Holiday visa for travellers who meet the requirements. The age demands for applying for visa for Australia will become less strict for travellers of a certain nationalities. On the other hand, the demands for obtaining the study visa will be sharpened.

Trade agreement leads to changes in visa policy

Travellers with a passport issued by the UK will be happy to know that the requirements for the Working Holiday visa for Australia will be relaxed. This relaxation is a direct consequence of the new post-Brexit signed trade treaty between Australia and the UK. The treaty expands the possibilities of free travel between the two countries, among other advantages, such as the elimination of numerous trade barriers between Australia and the UK.

Implementing new visa rules for UK travellers

The new trade agreement between Australia and the United Kingdom came into effect on the 31st of May. Despite the agreement already being enforced, it might take some time before the new rules regarding the Working Holiday visa are put into place. British travellers may therefore face some confusion on whether they will soon be eligible under the new conditions, or if they have to wait until May 2025.

Longer validity and relaxed conditions

The new rules entail an increase in the maximum age British passport holders can have to be able to apply for a Working Holiday visa, going from 30 to 35. In addition, they will no longer be required to have at least 3 to 6 months of specific work experience in order to be eligible for a second or third WHVA. Although the specific previous work experiences required for a second or third WHVA still vary per region in Australia, one could think of, for example, picking fruit or working in tourism.

Age limit and limited number of participants

In general, the age limit to applying for a WHVA lies around 30 years. However, there is a higher age limit of 35 for travellers from some countries. For example, since 2022, this applies to applicants from Italy and Denmark, and travellers from the UK were also recently included. For travellers from all other countries, the age limit remains 30 years. The age limit only counts at the moment the application is being made, which means that when the visa has been applied for on time, but the visa is not yet granted before either their 31st or 36th birthday, this will not affect their eligibility for the visa.

Despite last year’s 30% increase of available Working Holiday visas for Australia per year, the amount of open slots remains very limited each year. Moreover, the requirements for travellers to work in Australia for a longer period of time still continue to be strict for now.

Stricter rules regarding study visa in the making

The relaxation of the requirements for the WHVA for travellers from the UK isn’t the only change in the Australian visa policy. Australia has also been reevaluating the rules and requirements specific to the study visa. It appears that some international students use this visa to work in Australia. Since students do not acquire any or not enough credits, it is causing the average quality of education in Australia to go down. It is there to be expected that the requirements for applying for the study visa will soon become tougher. Fortunately, a visa is not always necessary when studying in Australia for a short period of time. If complying with the specific conditions, it is possible to do so with the Australia eVisitor of the Working Holiday visa.

eVisitor visa for tourism, business and short studies

If you do not intend to work in Australia, it is likely that you qualify for the eVisitor visa. This visa can not only be used for tourism or business travel purposes, but also for following short study programs or courses in Australia. However, this is not applicable to brief medical or paramedical studies, or working in Australian childcare services.

Before applying for the eVisitor, you must check if you comply with all the requirements tied to the use of this visa. As long as you adhere to these conditions, and you will only stay in Australia for a maximum of 3 months, then the eVisitor visa will suffice, so you can proceed to apply for this visa for your trip.