if you are a young Commonwealth citizen, aged between 17 and 30, you may be eligible to enter the United Kingdom as a Working Holidaymaker provided you satisfy the criteria listed below. Prior entry clearance is mandatory.

Your main purpose should be to take a holiday. Employment should be seen as incidental to the holiday and therefore you are not allowed to work for more than twelve months over the two-year visa period. This restriction has often been ignored by visa holders and most employers are ignorant of this restriction. But things have become much tighter of late; illegal immigration is an even bigger issue in the UK than it has been in Australia so you can no longer assume that the relevant authorities will turn a blind eye.

A Working Holidaymaker visa is only issued once - it cannot be reissued at a later date unless you have not activated the visa by entering the UK as a Working Holidaymaker. For those persons holding more than one nationality who have been issued a visa, you cannot apply for a second visa in your other passport.

If successful, you will be admitted to the United Kingdom for a maximum period of two years. The two-year period will run continuously from the date the visa is issued, regardless of any time spent travelling outside the UK. This period cannot be extended nor can it be put on hold.

 See here for further information and application forms.