VISA DE TRABAJO Y VACACIONES (WORK AND HOLIDAY) – CHILE 
(Subclass 462)

La información pertinente al programa de Work and Holiday (Trabajo y Vacaciones) se encuentra más abajo. Dado que uno de los requisitos para la obtención de esta visa es que la persona tenga un nivel de inglés funcional, la información sólo será proporcionada en inglés. 

Si usted no puede leer y comprender esta información, es probable entonces que usted no cumpla con este requisito. En ese caso, tal vez le interese referirse a otras opciones al final de esta información. 

Si desea realizar una consulta en español, por favor póngase en contacto con nuestro servicio de información especializado en la siguiente forma: 

Teléfono: +1 905 280 1437 (Information Service for Australian Visas, Canadá) 
Vínculo: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/americas/ 

PLEASE NOTE: 
There is currently an annual limit of 1500 Work and Holiday visas available for Chilean nationals. 

What is the Work and Holiday Visa?

The Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa is for you if you are: 
• a Chilean national; 
• tertiary educated; 
• aged between 18 and 30; 
• interested in working and taking a holiday of up to 12 months in Australia. 

This visa allows you to supplement the cost of your holiday through periods of temporary or casual employment. 

What are the conditions of the visa?

If you are granted a Work and Holiday visa, you can: 

• stay in Australia for up to 12 months from the date you first enter Australia; 
• travel in and out of Australia as many times as you wish during your 12 month stay; 
• study or train in Australia for up to a total of 4 months; 
• work in Australia for up to 6 months with each employer. 

Other conditions apply to this visa. You will be informed of these at the time when your visa is granted. 

Am I eligible for this visa?

To be eligible for the Work and Holiday visa you must be a Chilean national who: 
1. holds a valid Chilean passport; 
2. is outside Australia at the time of the lodgement of the visa application; 
3. is at least 18 years old, but has not turned 31; 
4. has no dependent children; 
5. is able to speak English at a functional level; 
6. holds tertiary qualifications (at least three years of study) or has completed or been approved to undertake a third year of undergraduate study (studies must be recognized by the Chilean Government); 
7. has sufficient funds for the first part of his/her stay in Australia (at least 
AUD$ 5000), as well as his/her airfare (roundtrip); 
8. has a letter from the Chilean Foreign Ministry certifying his/her suitability to participate in the visa arrangements; and 
9. meets health requirements if it applies. 

PLEASE NOTE. You should consider carefully whether you meet the requirements of this visa. Once you have lodged your visa application, the visa application charge cannot be refunded, even if the visa is refused, or if you change your mind and no longer wish to travel to Australia. 

What is functional English?

To be granted a Work and Holiday visa, you must be able to communicate in English at a functional level. 

You must provide documentary evidence of your English level when you lodge your visa application. Otherwise, you may be refused the visa. 

Only the following forms of evidence will be considered proof of functional English: 

• An IELTS average band score of at least 4.5 based on the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening in an examination conducted no more than 2 years before lodging the visa application. For visa purposes you only need to sit the General Training Module. 
• A TOEFL score of 133 on a computer based test, or 450 on a paper based test or 45-46 on an internet-based test, undertaken no more than 2 years before lodging the visa application. 
• Having passed the Occupational English Test no more than 2 years before lodging the visa application. 
• Having completed all years of primary education and at least 3 years of secondary education (totalling a minimum of 9 years formal education) at an educational institution in which all instruction was conducted in English. 
• Having completed at least 5 years of secondary education (high school) at an educational institution in which all instruction was conducted in English. 
• Having successfully completed a post-secondary qualification that required at least 2 years of full-time study or training, in which all tuition was in English. 
• Having successfully completed, in Australia, at least 1 year of full-time study or equivalent part-time study towards a degree, higher degree, diploma or associate diploma at an institution or institutions where all the instruction was conducted in English.

PLEASE NOTE: The Embassy WILL NOT assess your English language ability at an interview. Please do not request an English language interview, as all such requests will be refused. If you cannot provide one of the above forms of documentary evidence of your English language ability, please consider one of our other visa options available. 

Where do I get the letter from the Chilean Foreign Ministry? 

You can apply at: 

Departamento de Estudios, 
Dirección de Política Consular, 
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, 
Teatinos 180, Santiago Centro - Chile 
Weblink: http://www.minrel.gov.cl (search for “Visas para Australia”) 

What are the health requirements?

You are not required to undergo a health assessment unless you have spent more than 3 consecutive months in the last 5 years in another country or “special significance” applies. Please check here. 

If you determine that you do need a health assessment, please contact one of the department’s authorised panel doctors. A list of the authorised doctors .

Health insurance 

Medical treatment in Australia can be very expensive. As a tourist, you are not covered by Australia's national health scheme, unless there is a reciprocal health care agreement between Australia and your country. Health care for visitors to Australia is explained on the Medicare Australia website . 

It is strongly recommended that you take out health insurance for the duration of your stay in Australia. You can obtain health insurance through a health insurance provider or travel agent in your country of residence. 
You can find further information about private health insurance. 

How much money do I need to demonstrate ‘sufficient funds’?

You will need to demonstrate evidence of ‘sufficient funds’ for the first part of your stay in Australia, and for your airfare. 

You will therefore need to show that you have access to at least AUD$ 5000 plus additional money for airfare. Airfares to Australia will be considered to cost approximately AUD$ 2500, unless you have evidence of a reservation at a cheaper price. Please remember that if you buy your airfares prior to being granted a visa, you do so at your own risk. 

You can provide the following forms of evidence to demonstrate that you have sufficient funds: 

• bank account statement; 
• letter from a bank or other financial institution (which should be on the bank or financial institution’s letterhead, dated and signed); 

How do I apply for this visa?

You will need to provide the following: 

• a signed and completed Form 1208 ‘Application for a Work and Holiday visa’. 
• a visa application charge (VAC), paid by cash (the exact amount), bank cheque or ‘vale vista’ (made payable to ‘Embajada de Australia’). Personal cheques will not be accepted; 
• a valid passport; 
• two recent passport photos. 

You will also need to provide: 

• a letter of approval issued to you by the Chilean Foreign Ministry (see above for more information); 
• proof of your proficiency in English at a functional level (see above for more information); 
• certified copies of your tertiary qualifications, or a letter from your university confirming your level of study, or originals of academic transcripts (you must have completed at least the first 2 academic years of a career; 
• evidence of funds, equivalent to AUD$ 5000 plus additional funds for airfare; 
• a health assessment if needed. 
• photocopy of your passport (biodata page only) 

How do I lodge the application?

If you are lodging your application in person 

You will need to make an appointment with the Visas and Immigration Section through the Information Service for Australian Visas (ISAV) following the instructions below. Appointments are usually held in the afternoons. 

To make an appointment, please go to the link:http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/americas/ with the subject heading in the body text ‘Work and Holiday visa appointment request’. Confirmation of your appointment will be sent via return email. 


If you are lodging your application through courier 

You will need to send the application (including the completed form, passport, visa application fee and supporting documentation) via courier to this address: 

Australian Embassy, Santiago, Chile 
Isidora Goyenechea 3621 Torre - B, Piso 12 
Las Condes, Santiago, Chile 

If you are outside Chile 

You will need to lodge your application via courier to the address above. Please note that you can apply from anywhere but MUST NOT be in Australia at the time of your application. 

How long will it take to process my visa application?

If you lodged your complete visa application in person, it will be processed on the spot and the visa might be granted immediately. 

However, please note that the decision to grant the visa immediately is up to the visa officer. The officer may need to request additional information, or your application may have to undergo further processing, which can delay the grant of the visa. The visa officer will advise you at the time of the appointment if your visa cannot be granted immediately. 

If you lodged your complete visa application by courier, it will be evaluated within regular processing times, which is, on average, 10 working days. The officer processing your application may need to request additional information, or your application may have to undergo further processing, which can delay the grant of the visa. 

A complete application is one where you have: 
• lodged a fully completed application form; 
• paid the correct visa fee; 
• provided all supporting documents; and 
• a health assessment if necessary with an authorised doctor. 

Please refer to the checklist to ensure you have a complete visa application. 

When should I apply for my visa?

You can apply at any time provided that there are places available. 

Can I buy my plane tickets or make other financial commitments before I am granted the visa?

Until you are actually granted a visa, there is no guarantee that you will receive a visa to travel to Australia. 


If you choose to make any kind of binding financial arrangements (including buying airfares) prior to being granted a visa, you do so at your own risk. 

The fact that you have already purchased airfares to Australia will not be considered in making a decision to grant or refuse the visa. 

Where can I get further information?

You can find further information about the Work and Holiday visa on the department’s website. 

You can also contact the department by: 

Telephone: +1 905 280 1437 (Information Service for Australian Visas, Canada) 
Link: http://www.immi.gov.au/contacts/forms/americas/  

I don’t meet the criteria for a Work and Holiday visa. Are there any other visa options? 

Yes. If you don’t meet the criteria for the grant of a Work and Holiday visa, you still have other visa options. 

Tourist visa: 
You can travel to Australia as a tourist for between 3 to 6 months, on a subclass 676 Tourist visa. This visa allows you to study for up to 3 months. You cannot work on this visa. Remember that you will need to provide evidence of funds among other requirements. 


Student visa: 
If you intend to study in Australia, and the duration of the course is more than 3 months, you will have to apply for a Student visa. This visa allows you to stay in Australia for the entire period of the course, and also to work for up to 20 hours per week. 

No cumplo con los requisitos para una visa Work and Holiday visa. ¿Existen otras opciones?

Sí. En el caso que usted no cumpla con los requisitos para esta visa, tiene otras opciones. 

Visa de Turismo: 
Usted puede viajar a Australia para una estadía de 3 a 6 meses con una visa de turismo. Esta visa le permite estudiar por hasta 3 meses, pero no le permite trabajar. Recuerde que tendrá que proporcionar evidencia de fondos entre otros requisitos. 


Visa de Estudiante: 
Si desea estudiar en Australia y la duración del curso es de más de 3 meses, usted deberá postular a una visa de estudiante. Esta visa le permite permanecer en Australia por el periodo que dure el curso de estudios y además le permite trabajar hasta 20 horas por semana. 

Fuente: http://www.chile.embassy.gov.au/sclecastellano/workholiday2.html (external link)