Working Holiday Visa - 417 - confusion!

[chloejdudley]

Hi,

 

I was contacted by my employer today regarding the working restrictions on my 417 visa.

 

Hopefully I can summarise this quickly.

 

Im from the uk and I applied for my first working holiday visa in January 2014, it as granted and I entered Australia on 3^rd march 2014, shortly after I started working for a company in Melbourne (we'll call company x) and I stayed with them for 5 months until September 2014, when I moved to complete my regional work, I finished this early December 2014 and then applied for a second working holiday visa. The second working holiday visa was granted on 9^th December 2014. I then travelled around and did not work again until February 2015, I worked with company x again for 2 weeks, then on 18^th February 2015 I went back to England for 4 weeks. I came back to Australia on 18^th march 2015 and commenced work with company x on 25^th march 2015 where I am currently still employed.

 

It is my understanding that I can stay in Australia for 24 months from my entry date now that I have had my second visa granted (so 3 march 2014 to 3 march 2016), I also understand that I can work for an employer for only up to 6 months on each visa.

 

And today my employers legal team got in touch to say because I applied and was subsequently granted my second visa in December 2014 that the work I did in February 2015 actually counts towards my second visa and not my first visa (as I originally thought). Is this correct? Its not really a big deal to me as I plan on moving in September 2015 but I would just like to know for clarification. I assumed the first visa ran until 3 march 2015 then the second one would commence on that date also, meaning the condition of working for 6 months with one employer would start again on that date.

 

Thanks in advance sorry its quite lengthy!

 

CJ.

[Bungo]

I get where you are coming from and that is what I would have assumed as well. But I have come across this before and think your employer is right, because you applied in Australia and were already in Australia, I believe the second WHV would come into effect straight away and the expiry would be 24 months from the first one. It is only two weeks though right? No big deal?