2021年6月22日，澳大利亚移民部长Alex Hawke公布了一些关于 打工度假者签证 （WHM签证） 的新政策。新政策将为澳大利亚受疫情影响的旅游业和酒店业提供更多支持。
在澳大利亚北部、偏远和非常偏远地区的旅游和酒店行业工作的WHM签证持有人将能够将此视为特定工作specified work，使他们有资格获批第二个或第三个WHM签证。从2022年3月起提交WHM签证申请的将可以使用此选项 ，并将从现在开始可以考虑在这些地区从事的旅游和酒店行业的工作。
正如2020年10月宣布的那样，由于疫情无法来澳或被迫提前离澳的海外WHM签证持有人将从2021年7月1日起能够免费申请替代签证replacement visa。
从2022年3月起，符合条件的当前持有和曾经持有WHM签证的人也将能够免费申请WHM替代签证，这为满足后续WHM签证的特定工作要求提供了机会。已转换为另一种签证（如COVID-19大流行事件类别）的前WHM 签证持有人也可能有资格免费申请WHM替代签证。
在2021年5月8日已经宣布，旅游业和酒店业已被增加到COVID-19关键行业列表中，这允许所有受雇于旅游和酒店行业的WHM签证持有人无需申请许可即可为同一个雇主工作超过6个月，同时也为旅游和酒店行业的雇主提供了更大的灵活性以满足其劳动力需求。
移民部长霍克说：“这些变化是建立在去年4月推出的那些政策变化的基础上以支持受疫情影响的WHM签证持有人。我们认识到打工度假者在整个疫情期间对澳大利亚经济的关键部门做出的重要贡献。COVID-19旅行限制和经济冲击打乱了许多签证持有人的计划。这些额外措施提供了重新调整的机会——帮助打工度假者留在澳大利亚工作。我们将继续监控和调整临时签证条件，以确保我们在摆脱疫情时拥有良好的环境。”
Working Holiday Maker Visa maker visa changes helping COVID-19 recovery
Upcoming changes to the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program will provide more support to the tourism and hospitality sectors still recovering from the disruptions of COVID-19.
WHM visa holders working in the tourism and hospitality sectors in Northern, remote and very remote areas of Australia will be able to count this as specified work, making them eligible for a second or third WHM visa. This option will be available to WHMs who lodge their applications from March 2022 and will take into account work undertaken in the tourism and hospitality sectors in these areas from today.
As announced in October 2020, WHMs offshore who were unable to come to Australia or had to leave early because of COVID-19 will be able to apply for a replacement visa with nil Visa Application Charge (VAC) from 1 July 2021.
Eligible current and former WHMs in Australia will also be able to apply for a replacement WHM visa with nil Visa Application Charge (VAC) from March 2022, providing another opportunity to meet the specified work requirements for a subsequent WHM visa.
Former WHM visa holders who have transitioned to another visa, such as the COVID-19 Pandemic Event visa, may also be eligible to apply for a nil VAC replacement WHM visa.
As announced on 8 May 2021, tourism and hospitality has been added to the list of COVID-19 critical sectors. This allows all WHMs employed in the tourism and hospitality sector to work longer than six months for one employer without requesting permission and gives more flexibility to tourism and hospitality employers to meet their workforce needs.
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs, Alex Hawke said these changes build on those introduced from April last year to support WHM visa holders impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We recognise the important contribution Working Holiday Makers have made to critical sectors of the Australian economy throughout the pandemic," he said.
“COVID-19 travel restrictions and economic shocks disrupted the plans of many visa holders. These additional measures provide the opportunity for a reset — helping Working Holiday Makers to stay and work in Australia," he said.
“We will continue to monitor and adjust temporary visa conditions to ensure we have the right settings in place as Australia emerges from the pandemic," Minister Hawke said.
More information on the changes to the WHM program will be available on the Department of Home Affairs website as the new arrangements for tourism and hospitality, specified work and nil VAC WHM visas are put in place at www.homeaffairs.gov.au
