One place for the eligibility rules, the visa fees, the six stages from application to a second and third year, and the people who can help when it gets complicated. Built and kept current by a registered migration agent.
Three questions. No account, no email required to see your result.
The working holiday visa is one of the few Australian visas where nationality, not qualifications, decides which subclass you use. Getting this wrong at the start wastes weeks.
Both let you work, travel and study for twelve months, and both can extend to a second and third year through specified regional work. The difference is which passports use which subclass, and what 462 asks for on top.
19 passports, mostly Europe, plus Canada, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan
| Age | 18 to 30, up to 35 for some passports [VERIFY: current 35-age list] |
| Education test | None |
| English test | None |
| Letter of support | Not required |
| Annual cap or ballot | No caps, no ballot |
| First visa cost | AUD840.00 |
| Second / third visa | AUD1,000.00 each |
30 passports, including the United States, China, India, most of Latin America and Central Europe
| Age | 18 to 30 inclusive, all 462 passports |
| Education test | Tertiary study or 2 years undergraduate, most passports |
| English test | Functional English for some passports |
| Letter of support | Required for a subset of countries |
| Annual cap or ballot | Country caps apply, China / India / Vietnam use a ballot |
| First visa cost | AUD840.00 |
| Second / third visa | AUD1,000.00 each |
Every country carries its own age limit, education and letter-of-support rule. Pick yours for the specifics.
Most people move through these in order. Skip ahead if you already know where you stand, or read the full six-stage roadmap for timing and detail on each one.
Confirm 417 or 462, your age window and any letter-of-support or ballot requirement.
Eligibility guide →Documents, funds evidence, health checks and lodging correctly in ImmiAccount.
Before you arrive →Bank account, tax file number, phone, first accommodation, first weeks sorted.
Living in Australia →Full work rights, the six-month employer rule, tax and superannuation basics.
Work guide →Up to four months of study on the WHV itself, or a longer course through Fluency Hub.
Study & English →88 days of specified work for a second visa, a further 179 for a third, or a next-step visa.
Second & third year →The pages people come back to most, pulled to the top. For shorter, specific questions, see the 13 supporting guides, pre-departure checklist, money, banking, phone, resume and more.
The 88 and 179 day rules, what counts, and where to work it.
Bank account, phone, accommodation, and the first month budget.
Tax file number, super, the six-month rule, and your rights.
Identity, funds, health, and translation rules in one list.
Up to four months on the WHV, or a longer Fluency Hub course.
Student, partner and skilled pathways people move into next.
Built on Educli, our own migration and education platform. No cost, no obligation.
A four-module self-paced course covering the visa, arrival, work and money, built from official Home Affairs guidance.
Start the courseKnow your English level and IELTS-equivalent score, straight from Educli, useful if your passport needs functional English evidence.
Take the testPart-time jobs, internships and graduate roles from employers worldwide, including Australia.
Browse jobsMigration pathway assessment, resume builder, course search and the working holiday budget guide, all in one place.
See all free toolsTwo related but separately contracted services. Neither requires the other. See the full guide for pricing and what's included.
Airport pickup, a bank account and TFN sorted in your first days, a share house or hostel booked before you land, and a first-job push once your feet are on the ground.
A CRICOS-registered English college in Sydney. Fits inside the four months you can study on the WHV itself, or extend further on a student visa afterwards.
Working holiday rules change most often on 1 July, the start of the program year. Recent changes we are tracking.
A reduced visa application charge now applies to eligible Pacific Island and Timor-Leste citizens on both the 417 and 462.
Passport holders from these three countries must enter the pre-application ballot and be selected before lodging a first 462.
Annual limits on first 462 grants apply to every eligible country except the United States, and reset at the start of each program year.
Applicants who lodge at 30 and turn 31 before a decision is made can still be granted the visa if every other requirement is met.
Status of country caps changes without notice. Check Status of country caps on the official site before lodging.
Refusals, ballots, letter-of-support countries and second and third year extensions all have sharp edges. A twenty minute consultation tells you exactly where you stand.
Your passport decides it, not a preference. Nineteen passports, mostly European plus Canada, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan, use the 417. Around thirty other passports, including the United States, China, India, Brazil and most of Central Europe, use the 462. Use the checker above to confirm yours.
18 to 30 years old inclusive for almost every passport. A small number of 417 passports can apply up to age 35. Age is assessed on the date you lodge the application, not the date it is decided, so applying at 30 and turning 31 before a decision does not disqualify you.
AUD840.00 for a first Work and Holiday or Working Holiday visa. AUD1,000.00 each for a second or third visa. On top of that, budget for any health examinations, police certificates or biometrics you are asked to provide, and around A$5,000 in shown funds to support yourself on arrival.
No. You cannot include family members in the application, and you cannot be accompanied by dependent children at any point during your stay on this visa, even briefly.
Six months as a general rule, on both the 417 and the 462. Exceptions exist in specific regional or industry circumstances. Moving between employers is normal and expected on this visa.
88 days, roughly three months, of specified work on your first visa makes you eligible for a second. A further 179 days, roughly six months, of specified work on your second visa makes you eligible for a third. Specified work is defined work in defined regional locations, not any job anywhere.
Only if you hold a passport from one of a specific group of 462 countries. Most 462 passports, including the United States, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic and Brazil, do not need one. Check your passport in the country lookup above.
Yes, up to four months, which is 17 weeks, on the working holiday visa itself. Longer study means moving to a student visa, which many people do after their working holiday year.
Immigration assistance in relation to the subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa and subclass 417 Working Holiday visa is provided by Migration Services Pty Ltd, ABN 84 610 447 786, through Jan K. Bejcek, Registered Migration Agent, MARN 0965239. English tuition is delivered separately by Fluency Hub. Arrival, accommodation and employment support are provided separately by Pacific Center. Each service is contracted and invoiced independently, and none is a substitute for registered migration advice.
This page is general information for planning purposes and does not take your personal circumstances into account. Visa fees, country caps, ballots and eligibility criteria change, most commonly on 1 July each year, and figures marked [VERIFY] should be confirmed against the official source before you rely on them. It is not a substitute for a consultation with a registered migration agent.
