We can assist you in switching over from your working holiday visa to another category such work permit or HSMP visa. Please call us on 0870 333 9301 for further details.

Please find below the details about the Working Holidaymaker Visa Scheme.

The working holidaymaker scheme allows nationals of participating Commonwealth countries, British overseas citizens, British overseas territories citizens, or British nationals (overseas) who are aged between 17 and 30 to come to the United Kingdom for a holiday of up to two years. You will be allowed to work, but the holiday must be the main reason for your stay in the United Kingdom and the work you do must be a minor part of this. 

Eligibility

To qualify to enter the United Kingdom as a working holidaymaker you must:

• be a national of one of the Commonwealth countries listed in Appendix 3 of the immigration rules, a British overseas territories citizen, British overseas citizen, or British national (overseas);
• be between 17 and 30 years old;
• intend to come to the United Kingdom mainly for an extended holiday, working for no more than a total of 12 months during your stay;
• not intend to establish any type of business or to provide services as a professional sportsperson during your stay;
• be unmarried or not in a civil partnership, or married to or in a civil partnership with a person who also qualifies as a working holidaymaker and who intends to take the working holiday with you;
• not have any dependent children who are aged five years or over, or who will turn five before you complete your working holiday;
• be able to support and accommodate yourself in the United Kingdom without recourse to public funds;
• not have spent time in the United Kingdom on a previous working holidaymaker visa; and
• plan to leave the United Kingdom at the end of your working holiday.

You may work for a total of up to 12 months during your stay. You may choose when to work and when to take your holiday breaks, but if you work for a total of more than 12 months you will be breaking the conditions of your working holidaymaker visa. Your visa will be valid for up to two years from the date you arrive in the United Kingdom, and any time you spend outside the United Kingdom during that time will count as part of your permitted stay here.

While you are in the United Kingdom on a working holidaymaker visa, you can take most types of work, including voluntary work. However, you may not establish any type of business or to provide services as a professional sportsperson. Any other type of professional work is permitted.

The working holidaymaker visa is a short-term immigration category. If you come to the United Kingdom on a working holidaymaker visa, you will be allowed to stay for a maximum of two years. When your visa expires, you will be expected to return to your home country. You will not be allowed to extend your visa as a working holidaymaker. However, you may be able to stay longer by switching to a different category of visa. 

Extending

You may be able to stay here by switching to work permit employment only if the occupation involved is on our list of shortage occupations. See Work permits for more information.

You may also be able to stay by switching to a visa for innovators or for the highly skilled migrant programme, if you meet the requirements for these categories.

If you have previously come to the United Kingdom on a working holidaymaker visa, you will not be eligible for further entry clearance in this capacity.