Peru has joined the list of 22 countries listed in the legislative instrument specifying countries that are eligible to apply for Subclass 462 Work and Holiday Visa. According to the new instrument, from 1 October 2017, Peruvian nationals will be able to apply for Subclass 462 work and holiday visa provided they have not turned 31 at the time of application, have tertiary qualifications; or successfully completed at least two years of undergraduate university study. Peru is the latest country to join the 462 Work and Holiday arrangement with Singapore joining the program in August.
The aim of the Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa is to provide an opportunity to holiday and work in Australia for up to a year. It is a temporary visa that encourages cultural exchange and closer ties between Australia and eligible partner countries.
Where an applicant obtains a Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa, they are able to:
- stay in Australia for up to 12 months
- work in Australia, generally for up to six months with each employer
- study for up to four months
- leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid
- apply for a second Work and Holiday visa if they have worked for three months in northern Australia in tourism and hospitality or agriculture, forestry and fishing.
To date, the following list of countries are eligible to apply for Subclass 462 visa:
- Argentina
- Bangladesh
- Chile
- China, People's Republic of
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Thailand
- Turkey
- USA
- Uruguay
- Vietnam
No sign of age limit increasing to 35
In June this year, the government released and subsequently repealed an instrument specifying age increase for 462 visas to 35. To clarify, maximum age for this visa subclass remains 30 at the time of application until further notice.