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Working Holiday Maker (417 / 462)

Australia Working Holiday Maker 2026 | Subclass 417 & 462 Guide

Comprehensive Statutory Overview

Australia's Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program consists of the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462). Both allow eligible young adults from participating countries or jurisdictions to spend up to 12 months in Australia while undertaking short-term work and study. The two subclasses are similar but are not identical: eligibility, passport arrangements, education, English-language, government-support requirements and application-cap or ballot arrangements can differ by country. Eligible holders may be able to obtain a second and third WHM visa, subject to the specific subclass, passport and specified-work rules. Both subclasses generally carry a six-month limit with one employer and a maximum four-month study or training condition.

Eligibility

Working Holiday visa

General PRofile: For eligible passport holders from the countries and jurisdictions participating in Australia's Working Holiday arrangements.

Age: The standard upper age is 30, although some passport groups have an upper age of 35 under their bilateral arrangement. UK passport holders can apply from age 18 through 35 inclusive, and from 1 July 2026 Cyprus, Finland, Germany and Republic of Korea passport holders also have the 18–35 age range.

Key Requirements:

Hold an eligible passport.
Meet the applicable age requirement when the application is made.
Have sufficient funds for the initial period of stay and departure from Australia.
Meet health and character requirements.
Not be accompanied by dependent children while in Australia on the visa.
Meet the applicable previous-visa and entry requirements for a first, second or third 417 visa.

Work and Holiday visa

General PRofile: For eligible passport holders from Australia's Work and Holiday partner countries or jurisdictions.

Additional Requirements: Compared with subclass 417, subclass 462 generally has additional criteria specified by the applicant's country arrangement, such as English-language ability, educational qualifications and, for some countries, a government support or letter-of-support requirement.

Age: The normal age range is 18–30, although certain passport arrangements permit applicants up to age 35.

Country Specific: The exact 462 requirements and annual first-visa arrangements differ by passport. Applicants should check the current Home Affairs page for their country before lodging an application.

Financial And Document Requirements

Financial Capacity

General Rule: Applicants must have sufficient money to support themselves during the initial part of their stay and enough resources to leave Australia. Home Affairs commonly refers to approximately AUD $5,000 as the financial benchmark, but evidence requirements should be checked against the applicant's current visa instructions and passport arrangement.

Return TRAvel: Applicants may also need to demonstrate money for a return or onward ticket if they do not already hold one.

Identity Documents:

Valid passport and identity information.
Documents required to demonstrate the applicable passport-specific eligibility.
Evidence of sufficient funds where requested.
Character and police documents where requested by Home Affairs.

Subclass462 Documents:

Evidence of the required educational qualification.
Evidence of functional English where required.
Government support or letter of support where the particular country arrangement requires it.
Any additional country-specific documents listed in the current subclass 462 application checklist.

Health And Character:Applicants must satisfy Australia's health and character requirements. Home Affairs can request police certificates, medical examinations or other supporting evidence depending on individual circumstances.

Second And Third Visa

Second Visa

General Rule: Eligible WHM holders can generally apply for a second WHM visa after completing at least three months of specified work while holding the first WHM visa, subject to the applicable subclass and passport rules.

Specified Work: The work must satisfy the definition and location requirements applicable to the relevant subclass. Agriculture, fishing, tree farming, mining, construction and specified recovery or other eligible work can qualify where the statutory and postcode/industry rules are met.

UK Exception: UK passport holders applying for a second subclass 417 visa on or after 1 July 2024 do not need to complete specified work under the current UK arrangements.

Third Visa

General Rule: Eligible WHM holders can generally apply for a third WHM visa after completing at least six months of specified work while holding the second WHM visa, subject to the subclass and passport rules.

UK Exception: UK passport holders applying for a second or third subclass 417 visa on or after 1 July 2024 do not need to satisfy the specified-work requirement under the UK arrangements.

Important Calculation:Home Affairs currently describes the second and third visa thresholds as three months and six months. Older guidance often expressed the three-month requirement as 88 days and the six-month requirement as 179 days. The exact qualifying-period method should follow the current Department rules for the relevant visa.

Work And Study Rules

Employer Limit

Rule: Visa condition 8547 generally limits a WHM holder to a maximum of six months' work with any one employer.

Exemptions:

Working for the same employer in different locations where work in any one location does not exceed six months.
Plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia.
Natural-disaster recovery work anywhere in Australia.
Specified critical sectors such as agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care, childcare, tourism and hospitality, where the applicable exemption applies.

Permission: Where no exemption applies, a WHM holder can request permission to work longer than six months with the same employer on the grounds accepted by Home Affairs. A request should be made before the initial six-month period ends.

Study Limit

Rule: Visa condition 8548 limits study or training to four months during each WHM visa.

Multiple Visas: The four-month study limitation applies separately to each second or third WHM visa that is granted.

Exceptions: Certain overseas-provider correspondence or online courses and workplace-based training are treated differently under the current condition.

Worker Rights:WHM holders have the same basic workplace protections as other workers in Australia, including minimum employment standards and the right to receive payslips for work performed.

Current2026 Country Rules

Ballot Countries:

China
India
Vietnam

Ballot Note:For the 2026–27 program year, first Work and Holiday subclass 462 applicants from China, India and Vietnam are subject to the visa ballot process.

India2026 Status:Registrations for the 2026–27 India subclass 462 ballot closed on 25 June 2026. Applicants should use the current Home Affairs ballot information for selection dates and later program-year openings.

Country Caps:Country caps for first subclass 462 visas can be open, paused or closed during a program year. Second and third WHM visas do not have country caps.

UK417:UK passport holders have a specific 417 arrangement allowing applications up to age 35 and removal of the specified-work requirement for second and third 417 visas.

Age35 Changes2026:From 1 July 2026, passport holders of Cyprus, Finland, Germany and the Republic of Korea became eligible for subclass 417 between ages 18 and 35 inclusive.

Important Rules

Dependent Children:The WHM program is intended for individuals travelling without dependent children. Applicants should not be accompanied by dependent children while in Australia on the visa.

Onshore Vs Offshore:Do not apply one universal onshore/offshore rule to both subclasses. Eligibility to lodge and the circumstances in which a further WHM visa can be applied for in Australia depend on the subclass, passport and whether it is a first, second or third visa.

First Vs Further Visa:A first 417 or 462 visa and a second or third WHM visa are governed by different eligibility rules. Completing specified work is mainly relevant to obtaining the second or third visa and is not a universal first-visa requirement.

Specified Work:Specified work must meet the current industry and location requirements. The Department has temporarily applied flexibility that gives greater weight to specified industries and eligible postcodes in assessing some work.

Same Employer:The six-month employer rule applies to work performed under condition 8547 and can cover full-time, part-time, casual, shift and voluntary work unless an exemption applies.

Visa Conditions:The actual grant notice and VEVO/myVEVO record should be treated as the controlling source for the holder's individual visa conditions.

Fees And PRocessing

Visa Application Charge:The Working Holiday and Work and Holiday visa application charge can change. The current amount should be checked on the official subclass 417 or 462 Home Affairs page immediately before applying.

PRocessing:Processing times can vary by subclass, applicant nationality, application completeness, health/character checks and whether additional information is requested. A fixed processing period should not be presented as guaranteed.

Country Cap Effect:For capped subclass 462 countries, the ability to lodge a first application can depend on whether the annual cap is open, paused, closed or managed through the ballot system.

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Check the Correct Subclass

Use your passport nationality to determine whether subclass 417 or subclass 462 applies, then check any country-specific arrangements.

Check Age and Country Rules

Confirm the applicable age range, annual cap or ballot arrangement, previous-visa history and any nationality-specific conditions.

Prepare Supporting Evidence

Prepare passport information, financial evidence, health and character documents and, for subclass 462 where required, education, English and government-support evidence.

Apply Through ImmiAccount

Lodge the visa application through the Department of Home Affairs online system using the application process applicable to the selected subclass and passport.

Complete Additional Checks

Respond to any request for biometrics, health examinations, police certificates or further information.

Check Grant Conditions

After grant, review the visa grant notice and VEVO/myVEVO for the exact conditions attached to the visa.

Track Work for a Second or Third Visa

If planning to extend the WHM stay, retain employment records and verify that the work meets the current specified-work rules for the relevant visa.

Frequently Asked Questions (Home Affairs FAQs)

Both are Working Holiday Maker visas that generally allow a 12-month stay with short-term work and study, but they apply to different partner countries and have different eligibility arrangements. Subclass 462 generally has additional country-specific requirements such as education and English evidence, and some 462 countries are subject to a ballot or annual cap.

The current Home Affairs framework generally refers to three months of specified work for a second WHM visa and six months for a third WHM visa. Older materials often describe the three-month requirement as 88 days and the six-month requirement as 179 days. UK passport holders using subclass 417 have a current exemption from these specified-work requirements for their second and third visas.

Generally no. Condition 8547 normally limits WHM holders to six months with one employer. However, exemptions apply to certain kinds of work, including specified agriculture, natural-disaster recovery and certain critical sectors, and eligible holders can request permission in specified circumstances.

The general limit is four months of study or training on each WHM visa. If a second or third WHM visa is granted, the four-month limit applies separately to that visa as well.

Yes. India is one of the countries currently included in Australia's Work and Holiday subclass 462 ballot system. For the 2026–27 program year, registrations for India closed on 25 June 2026. Applicants should check Home Affairs for the current selection and future program-year information.

For most eligible applicants, the specified-work requirement applies when seeking a third WHM visa. There are important passport-specific exceptions, most notably the current UK subclass 417 arrangement, under which qualifying UK passport holders do not need to complete specified work for a second or third 417 visa.

Official Statutory References

Cross-referenced directly with official Australian government sources:

Australian Department of Home Affairs - Working Holiday Maker program

immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

Australian Department of Home Affairs - Working Holiday Maker work conditions

immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

Australian Department of Home Affairs - Six-month work limitation

immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

STATUTORY BENCHMARK METRICS

Initial Stay

Up to 12 months

Maximum WHM Stay