19 January 2022
Due to current workforce shortages the Government is temporarily removing the limit on working hours for Student visa holders across all sectors. This will also apply to secondary Student visa holders. This change takes effect immediately and will be reviewed in April 2022.
The Government is also temporarily removing the limitation for Working Holiday Maker visa holders to only work for 6 months with one employer. Effective immediately, until the end of 2022, there will be no limit on the time Working Holiday Makers can work for the same employer.
To assist with Australia’s COVID-19 recovery, the Australian Government is providing an incentive for Student and Working Holiday Maker visa holders to return to Australia as soon as possible to help address current workforce shortages. Any Student or Working Holiday Maker visa holder who is currently offshore and travels to Australia between 19 January and 19 March 2022 will be eligible for a refund of their visa application charge (VAC). The current VAC for a Student visa is AUD 630 and for a Working Holiday Maker it is AUD 495. Information on how to apply for a refund will be available on the Department of Home Affairs website shortly.