An extended visa means backpackers can work longer & spend more

The announcement that backpackers are now eligible to work for twice as long is good news for farmers and for tourism. A new provision to the Working Holiday Maker scheme allows people to apply for a second Working Holiday Maker visa if they have participated in seasonal harvest work in regional Australia for a minimum of three months.

“This means backpackers will soon be able to extend their working holiday in Australia by another year, enabling them to stay longer and spend more. Allowing backpackers to stay for up two years will also encourage prospective travellers to visit Australia and it will be a welcome boost to the tourism industry, especially in regional Australia”, says Minister for Tourism Fran Bailey.

In 2004, 482,000 backpackers spent an average of $4876 per person in Australia, which makes them one of our highest-yielding market segments.

“It is particularly good news that the new provision will apply to visitors from all countries of origin that have Working Holiday Maker arrangements with Australia,” Fran Bailey said. “This means we will offer a more appealing visa scheme than now available in New Zealand, which offers a two year visa only to visitors from the United Kingdom.”