Australia reopened borders to fully vaccinated (two doses, the last one administered at least seven days before arrival) Working Holiday Visa makers and students on December 15, 2021. The goal is to attract as many young people as possible to address a labour shortage in several industries, including fruit picking and harvesting. On January 20, 2022, the Australian government announced that Working Holiday Maker visa holders landing in Australia between January 19, 2022 and April 19, 2022 would be eligible for a refund of their Visa Application Charge.
Students are also eligible if they arrive in Australia by March 19, 2022.
Is it only for new Working Holiday Visa applications?
No. The application date or the date you were granted your visa is irrelevant. The only date that matters is your date of arrival in Australia. For example, if you applied for your Woking Holiday Visa in April 2020 and just got it, you are eligible for this refund.
Make sure you land in Australia by April 19, 2022. Flying to Australia will take hours or days, and several stopovers may be included in your trip—don’t show up a few hours too late, on April 20!
What if I arrived in Australia before the news was announced?
Unfortunately, you’re not eligible. You must have arrived after January 19, 2022 to be eligible.
Does this measure apply to Working Holiday Visa makers who were issued a waiver or refund because of the pandemic?
- As a reminder, Australia allows Working Holiday Visa makers who are still under the age limit to submit a new application if: they were issued a Working Holiday Visa before the pandemic and were unable to enter the country because of border closures OR
- they were able to travel to Australia before border closures but had to leave the country earlier than planned because of the pandemic.
People who are now over the age limit for the Australia Working Holiday Visa can apply for a refund of their visa fee.
You can read more about refunds here.
It’s not yet very clear whether you’re eligible for a refund if you applied for a waiver of your Visa Application Charge. Let us know, but in the meantime, it’s worth a try!
Are Working Holiday Visa makers who are going to Australia on their second or third WHV still eligible for this refund?
They should be. The government states that both Working Holiday Visas makers as well as Work and Holiday Visas makers are eligible.
Learn more about Working Holiday Visas to Australia.
How do I get my refund?
You won’t receive a refund automatically. You must submit a claim using the Students and Working Holiday Makers refunds form.
Step 1 – Create an account.
Step 2 – Validate your email address.
Step 3 – Submit a request.
Step 4 – Provide your visa application number (the Transaction Reference Number given to you during your visa application) and your banking details (if you want the refund to be deposited to your Australian bank account).
Step 5 – Click on “Submit” and you’re done!
What’s the deadline to ask for a refund?
You can make a claim any time up until December 31, 2022.
How much is the refund, exactly?
Based on the official announcements, it appears that you will only get a visa fee refund–currently $495 for a Working Holiday Visa and $630 for a Student Visa.
The few extra dollars charged as credit card fees are not refunded. For example, a Working Holiday Visa application fee is $495, but you have to pay an additional $7 fee.
Note: In July 2021, the Working Holiday Visa fee went up by $10 (it used to be $485). If you applied for a visa before this date, you should get a $485 refund. The same goes for the student visa, which used to be $620.
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