Australian Embassy

Germany

Embassy Address: Wallstraβe 76-79, 10179 Berlin // Telephone: +49 (0)30 88 00 88 0 // Fax: +49 (0)30 88 00 88 210

Visa Enquiries: Telephone: +49 (0)69 222 23 99 58, Mon-Fri 10am to 5pm // Fax: +49(0)30 22 48 92 92
Counter Hours Visa Section: Mon, Wed, Fri 9am to 11am

FAQs - Working Holiday Maker visa

Please first ensure you have thoroughly read the information provided on the Department of Immigration and Citizenship website.
See: Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417)

Where do I apply?
Can I apply from within Australia?
Can I apply before I turn 18, and then travel to Australia once having turned 18?
I’m already 30. Can I still apply?
Can I take my child/children with me?
How long does it take to get the visa?
I’m being asked to enter details of previously held visas? What if I
don’t have these details?
Do I need a visa label in my passport if I am granted a visa?
Do I need a return ticket?
What is meant by having adequate funds when entering Australia?
How do I prove I meet the financial requirement?
What do I do if my circumstances change after I lodge my application?
My travel plans have changed and I only want to enter Australia as a
   visitor, not as a Working Holiday Maker, what should I do?
Why am I not receiving any communication from the Department?
How do I know the state of my application?
How long does my passport need to be valid?
My passport got stolen / lost, and I obtained a new passport after
  lodging my Working Holiday Maker visa application. What should I do?
How can I claim superannuation and/or receive proof that my visa has
  been cancelled?
How do I qualify for a 2nd Working Holiday Maker?
I am not eligible for a WHM visa, are there any alternatives?

Where do I apply?
   It will be most convenient and quickest to apply online. You will need your
   passport and a credit card in order to apply.
   See:  First Working Holiday Visa - Applicants outside Australia

   If you prefer to lodge a paper application (form 1150 including the application
   charge), please send one by post to the Australian Embassy in Berlin or bring
   your completed application by in person during our counter hours.

  Can I apply from within Australia?
    No. You must be outside Australia when you apply and when your visa is
    granted.

Can I apply before I turn 18, and then travel to Australia once having
   turned 18?
   No. You must be at least 18 when you apply.

I’m already 30. Can I still apply?
  Yes. You must, however, apply before your 31st birthday.

Important: Your age will be determined as the age you are in Australia at the
time your application is lodged (Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) or
the Australian Eastern Daylight Savings time (AEDST)). Because of this time
difference you are advised not to wait to lodge your application until you are
about to turn 31, as the system will take the current date in Australia as your
application date.

Can I take my child/children with me?
   No. You may not be accompanied by dependent children at any time during
   your stay in Australia.

   Note: A dependent child is the child, or step-child, of you or your partner who:
• is not married, engaged to be married, or in a de facto relationship
• has not turned 18.
    If you would like a dependent child to join you in Australia, you must apply for
    a different visa such as a Tourist visa. If you have dependent children who
will not accompany you at any time you must apply for a Working Holiday
    visa using the paper application. You are not able to apply online.

How long does it take to get the visa?
   Please allow sufficient time before your intended departure date to apply
   for your visa. You should not make arrangements to travel to Australia until
   after your visa has been approved. Further information is available about
   what happens after you lodge your application, including checking the status
   of your application and processing times.
   See: After you lodge your application

I’m being asked to enter details of previously held visas? What if I
don’t have these details?
   If you do not know the exact details concerning previously held visas, such as
   the visa grant number, you may leave these fields blank. It will suffice if you
merely enter an estimated time during which these visas were held. If you can
   remember it, please also enter the visa type. You do not need to contact us
   separately to try to obtain this information.

Do I need a visa label for my electronic visa?

Australia’s modern electronic visa system does not require you to have
a visa label placed in your passport to confirm your immigration status
and entitlements in Australia.
When you check-in to fly to Australia, airline staff will use your passport
to electronically confirm that you have authority to travel to Australia prior
to boarding the aircraft.
See: About Your Visa

Do I need a return ticket?
   If you enter Australia on a one way ticket you may be asked by Australian
   Immigration authorities on arrival at the airport as to what your plans are for
   departing Australia. You would need to explain your intentions to the officer
   and the officer needs to be satisfied that you do not intend to stay beyond the
   period which your visa allows. While not a mandatory requirement, you may
   wish to carry a copy of your bank statement to demonstrate you have
   sufficient funds to purchase an airline ticket out of Australia.

What is meant by having adequate funds when entering Australia?
   This is the financial requirement which must be met in order to be granted a
   Working Holiday visa. The amount equals 5000 AUD, which converts to
   approximately 3000 Euros.

How do I prove I meet the financial requirement?
   Please carry a print out of your bank account statement which demonstrates
   you have approximately the equivalent of 5000 AUD. If you do not hold
   a return flight ticket, you should be able to show the additional funds
   accordingly.

What do I do if my circumstances change after I lodge my application?
   If your circumstances change or the information provided as part of your
   application is no longer correct, including a change of passport, you must
   inform the department as soon as possible. Failure to provide correct
   information can delay visa processing and your entry into Australia, and may
   result in your visa being refused or cancelled. To inform the department,
   please write an email to: eVisa.WHM.helpdesk@immi.gov.au

   Please provide your TRN (Transaction Reference Number) in the subject line
   of the email. Provide your passport number and name in the text field of your
   email. Use the same email address and do not send repeat emails, as these
may delay processing. When responding to emails from the department, you
   should keep the original subject line of the email and provide the
   department’s email below your response. Always write in English.

My travel plans have changed and I only want to enter Australia as a
   visitor, not as a Working Holiday Maker, what should I do?
   You can apply for an electronic Tourist Visa (e676) or eVisitor (e651): the
   grant of the visitor visa will cause the Working Holiday visa to cease. You may
   apply for another Working Holiday visa in the future as long as you have not
   entered Australia on a Working Holiday visa before. You will need to
   pay another visa application charge and meet the general requirements.

   Note: If you wish to obtain an ETA (electronic travel authority) for a short visit,
   you must contact the WHM helpdesk to have your WHM visa cancelled before
   you can enter using the ETA. The ETA will not come into effect until the WHM
   visa is cancelled.
   See: Visitor Visas

Why am I not receiving any communication from the Department?
   Please note that if you email us from an email account with active spam filters,
   you may not receive email correspondence sent from the Department in
   relation to your electronic visa application, as it may be incorrectly identified
   by your computer as spam. This may also occur if the email you send has an
   electronic virus detected, or you do not have the Department's email address
   listed as a known sender. Please note that this may result in longer visa
   application processing times. To help avoid this problem, you may wish to
   temporarily disable your email account's spam filter until you have finished
   receiving email correspondence from the Department or, alternatively, to
   regularly check your spam email folder for Departmental emails which have
   been incorrectly filtered out by your computer.

How do I know the state of my application?
   You may check the status of your application online. This will tell you whether
   you still need to provide further documents/information to complete your
   application.
   See: Evisa Status Check - DIAC Website

How long does my passport need to be valid?
   Although it is recommended to have a passport valid for at least 6 months
   when applying, it is not a mandatory requirement of the Australian
   Department of Immigration and Citizenship (DIAC) that a foreign national
   entering Australia has a passport valid for at least 6 months. However, it is a
   mandatory Requirement of DIAC that all non-Australian citizens wishing to
   enter Australia do have a valid passport and valid Australian visa on their
   date of entry to, and for the duration of their stay in, Australia.

   Although DIAC does not enforce the 6 month rule, some airlines do, so you
   may wish to check with your airline before you book your flight. Please also
   check with the countries through which you are transiting.

   If the passport to which your visa is linked expires whilst in Australia, please
   arrange to have a new passport issued and notify the Department of
   Immigration and Citizenship of the change by emailing:
   eVisa.WHM.helpdesk@immi.gov.au

   Please provide your TRN (Transaction Reference Number) in the subject line
   of the email.

   Announce that you have received a new passport and wish to have the visa
   transferred to the new passport number. Attach a scanned copy of your new
   passport’s biodata pages (the pages containing your photograph and
   personal details).

My passport got stolen / lost, and I obtained a new passport after
   lodging my Working Holiday Maker visa application. What should I do?
   You must advise the department of the new passport details. You may do so
   either by email or by faxing a copy of the personal details page of your new
   passport. You should also include your TRN number and indicate the date
   and place where previous passport was stolen or misplaced.
   E-Mail: evisa.whm.helpdesk@immi.gov.au
   Fax: +61 3 6220 4029

How can I claim superannuation and/or receive proof that my visa has
   been cancelled?
   Temporary residents who have departed Australia may apply to receive any
   Australian superannuation payments. Further details about this process are
   available.
   See: Superannuation

How do I qualify for a 2nd Working Holiday Maker?
   People who have worked in a specified area in regional Australia for a
   minimum of three months while on their first Working Holiday visa may be
   eligible to apply for a second Working Holiday visa.
   See: Second Working Holiday Visa Eligibility


I am not eligible for a WHM visa, are there any alternatives?
   If you wish to work in Australia, please see the work-related visa options.
   See: Work-related Visa Options

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