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Escape Trump – How To Get A Working Holiday Visa In Australia As An American

Looking to escape the post election chaos in America? Did you know you can do a 12 month working holiday visa in Australia? Well here’s everything you need to know and apply!

It’s done. Somehow a man who has gone bankrupt 6 times, has failed at numerous business ventures and is despised by a majority of the rest of the world is now the President of the United States.

backpacker travel plans australia new zealandSo while Trump is busy figuring out how to build walls and take America back to the stone age it’s probably a good time to start figuring out your escape plan and avoid some of the chaos – much like most of my American buddies are now trying to do!

And one of the best ways I can think of is by packing up your stuff, jumping on a plane and taking a prolonged adventure! Yes I am slightly bias, but those who say you cant run away from your problems either aren’t running fast enough or have a terrible travel agent!

Did you know that as an American you can get a year long working holiday visa in Australia? Sure it’s not the full Presidential term but hey, somethings better than nothing right?

So here’s how to head to Australia on a working holiday visa if you hold and American Passport!

 

Australia Working Holiday Visa For Americans

There are heaps of visas for Australia and they vary from nationality to nationality.But if your from the United States you’ll want to aim for the “Work And Holiday Visa – Subclass 462”

As per the official Australian immigration site this visa allows you to do the following;

  • 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.

Yup, if granted you’ll be kicking back in Australia for up to 12 months – where you’ll be more concerned about the price of hostels and goon than anything else and the closest you’ll come to building a wall is a sand castle. And the only issue you’ll have with Mexico is the hangover you got from a few too many tequila shots!

 

Who Can Apply?

So can you escape to Australia for a bit? Well here are some of the official requirements;

  • are at least 18 but have not turned 31 years of age at the time you lodge your application
  • will not be with a dependent child while you are in Australia
  • have enough money to support yourself on a working holiday (about AUD 5000)
  • have enough money to buy a return or onward travel ticket at the end of your stay
  • have not previously entered Australia on a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) or a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
  • meet the educational requirements
  • have functional English
  • have a letter of support from your government (except applicants from Israel, the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America)
  • meet character and health requirements
  • are a genuine visitor.

Fingers crossed you meet all of the above!

 

Get Your Application In Quickly!

The 462 visa scheme only has a limited amount of visas each year and the chances are a few people are going to figuring out a way to avoid America for a while so the sooner you get it lodged the better!

The visa programme starts on 1st July each year – so if you miss out you can always apply for the next batch.

 

How To Apply For Your Australian Working Holiday Visa

The great thing about the internet is that it makes things pretty easy and the Aussie government have been nice enough to put the whole 462 visa application online – so it’s super easy and quick to fill out and submit.

You can do that using the following link;

https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/462

 

What’s the Cost of A Working Holiday Visa?

The current pricing is $440AUD (about $335USD), which unfortunately is non refundable even if they don’t accept you. It seems like a lot of cash to splash, but with an average hourly wage of around $22AUD an hour it’s a good investment if you land a job and work hard!

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What’s Australia Like?

I’ll be totally honest, I love living and travelling Australia, in fact it’s where I’m based at the moment! It’s a country full of incredible experiences, awesome destinations and heaps of fellow travellers to meet – so even if you’re heading out solo you wont be alone for long!

Whether you want to explore Fraser Island, go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef or road trip along the Great Ocean Road there’s heaps to see and do in Australia!

And of course you can download my Ultimate Guide to Working & Travelling In Australia FREE HERE – which is packed full of advice, tips and destination guides so you can start planning your Australian adventure!

 

fraser island tour noosa rainbow beach tag along australiaLet’s Make Travel Great Again!

Not only will you be escaping Trump for a while, but you’ll also get to travel – which is an amazing way to experience new things, meet people from all nationalities and backgrounds and have an incredible time!

There’s no reason you can’t use this time on the road to be productive too – why not start building up a new career in Australia? How about gaining some new qualifications or adding to your CV – you can even begin living the dream as a Divemaster in Byron Bay or Surf Instructor whilst you’re out there!

So America, don’t give up hope. We all know the next 4 years are going to be rough – but sipping a cold beer on the beach with a BBQ is certainly going to ease the pain!

 

UPDATE 17 NOV ’16; It now looks as though 462 visa holders will be able to apply for a second year working holiday visa from late 2016 too which is great news! As per the immigration site here are the details they’ve released so far;

“Subclass 462 visa holders who undertake three months (88 days) work during their stay in either the agriculture or tourism and hospitality industries within northern Australia, will become eligible to apply for a second Work and Holiday visa. For this purpose, northern Australia includes all of the Northern Territory, and those parts of Western Australia and Queensland above the Tropic of Capricorn.”

Click here for the full details – https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visi/Visi-1/work-holiday-visas-noth-aus

 

Please Note: All information was correct at the time of writing but visa regulations and prices change frequently. For the most up to date information refer to the Australia Immigration site at https://www.border.gov.au/Trav/Visa-1/462-

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