Australia extends Visa for backpackers in bushfire repairs

Australia has announced that it will allow backpackers on a Working Holiday Visa to stay for longer if they help with bushfire repairs.

Working Holiday Visa holders applying for an extension of their Visa must be in paid construction work or volunteering in areas hit by the devastating bushfires. The work could include clearing land and rebuilding homes and fences, said Alan Tudge, Immigration Minister.

The present Working Holiday Visa arrangements require Visa holders to work in specific occupations like fruit picking, construction and mining in a regional area. Visa holder may apply for a second or third term of the Working Holiday Visa provided they meet the eligibility conditions.

The newest changes to the Working Holiday Visa program include visa holders working in rebuilding bushfire hit farms, homes and fences. Eligible visa holders could be working with land clearing, demolition, repairing homes, roads, dams and railways.

Under the new changes to the Working Holiday program, visa holders working in bushfire affected areas would be allowed to work with the same employer for up to a year. Earlier, Working Holiday Visa holders were only allowed to work for up to six months with a single employer.

The summer bushfires in Australia have reportedly destroyed 3,000 homes and claimed 33 lives. The bushfires have also been responsible for killing over a billion animals all over Australia. The bushfires have more severely hit communities in the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. The bushfires also ravaged 12 billion hectares of land killing over a billion wildlife.

Alan Tudge said that regional areas in Australia need more than 30,000 backpackers each year which will make them eligible for a second term of the Working Holiday Visa.

Kevin Butler, President of BlazeAid, a volunteer-based organization says he is “ecstatic” about the new arrangement. There are thousands of young people keen on extending help to Australia. Often, backpackers find limited work in farms. However, after the destruction the bushfires caused, thousands are needed to help with rebuilding work.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate Overseas, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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