Working Holiday Visa For Malaysians

Malaysians looking to stay in Australia for up to three years can now make their dreams come true, starting July 2019, Malaysians can now stay longer than they were ever allowed in Australia under the new working holiday visa scheme, allowing Malaysian backpackers and travellers to come to Australia and work for 3 years if they wish to.

Young Malaysian adults who want an extended holiday in Australia while being able to work so they can fund their holidays will also benefit from the changes announced earlier to the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462), which is basically an extension of the working holiday visas for another year, effective from July 2019. In the past, the WHV visa allowed travellers to stay for 1 year, to be extended for another year if the traveller completed a minimum of 3 months of specified subclass 462 work while holding the first 462 visa.

The changes to the WHV will allow backpackers and travellers, including Malaysians, to stay longer in Australia, if they complete 6 months of specified work, generally agricultural, in regional areas while on their first or second Working Holiday visa (subclass 462 of 417). The change is believed to be a mutual benefit for travellers as well as the country, as Australia has always been in need for farm labourers to face labour shortages. The changes to the WHV were announced by Prime Minister Scott Morrison during his visit with the farmers in Queensland before the recent elections in May 2019, in response to farmers who are suffering from a lack of manpower.

What are the entitlements for Malaysian travellers on WHV?

Malaysians applying for a Working Holiday Visa for the first time can do short-term work in Australia to help pay for their holidays, however they are not to be employed by any one employer for more than 6 months, without the prior permission in writing of the Secretary. They can also study for up to 4 months and have the freedom to travel to and from Australia as many times as they want during the validity of the visa.

Who can apply for WHV?

Malaysians aged 18 to 30 years old can now apply for this visa if they meet the Australian government requirements, which includes educational requirements (generally a tertiary qualification or 2 years of undergraduate university study), and can speak English to a functional level (completed a relevant approved English language test or assessment). A full list of requirements can be found here.

What happens after my first year of WHV?

If you have completed a minimum of 3 months of agricultural work, you might be eligible to apply for a second working holiday visa. You will be also entitled to a third year in Australian if you complete 6 months of specified work. While working in Australia, you are entitled to earn superannuation, which you can access when you are leaving the country.

What if I want to stay after all eligible years of WHV?

To extend your stay beyond the WHV entitlements, you’ll need to apply for another visa to ensure your stay in Australia is legit. There are various pathways to apply for a student visa after your working holiday visa, and you’ll need a migration agent’s advice to help you find the right course that enables you to get a student visa. After successfully getting your student visa, you may be eligible to enrol in another course in order to get another student visa.

If you are interested to join over 200,000 who have been granted a working holiday visa over the last two years, you can get a professional advice from AustraliaMigrate, the authorised migration agents who have helped hundreds make their Australian dreams come true since 2000.