CANBERRA – The government of Australia has suspended its working holiday visa program for Chinese citizens as the country gears up to introduce some changes in the program.
The suspension comes as the authorities explore amendments to the program under which applicants from certain countries would compete for a limited number of slots.
A spokesperson for Australia’s Department of Home Affairs said in a statement that citizens from China, Vietnam, and India will need to take part in lottery-style bids for the working holiday visa program starting in the financial year ending June 2025.
As the changes take effect, the intake of Chinese applicants has been halted in what could be a major blow for many freelancers and youngsters who were eyeing to spend some time in Australia while working at the same time.
Australia’s Working Holiday Visa lets people aged 18 to 30 years – or 35 years old for some countries – have their first extended holiday in Australia and work here to help fund their trip.
Interestingly, not every citizen is eligible for the visa and one must belong to the countries who are eligible for this visa type. Another key condition is that dependent children must not accompany the applicant.
As far as financial considerations are concerned, it must be kept in mind that the applicant must have enough money to support themself while they are in Australia as well as enough money to leave Australia at the end of their stay.
According to the Immigration Department of Australia (Home Affairs), this is usually about AUD5,000 for the applicant’s initial stay, plus the fare to where the applicant is going after leaving Australia.
