The subclass 462 visa allows certain tourists aged between 18 and 30 (inclusive) years old to have an extended holiday in Australia, while supplementing their funds with short-term work. The visa is valid for 12 months and allows multiple entries into and exits from Australia Visa holders can generally work for up to six months with any one employer and can study for up to four months. Work up to 12 months for some types of specified work and regional areas may be possible. There is an annual limit on the number of first Work and Holiday visas granted to each country. The annual limit resets on 1 July each visa program year.
Sc 462 ballot registration open for China, India and Vietnam
On 24 June 2025, the visa ballot process started for program year 2025-2026, with ballot registrations opening for China, India and Vietnam. Registrations for China, India and Vietnam will be open for three weeks from 24 June 2025 to 15 July 2025. The first random selection will be conducted for each country on 16 July 2025. The Department will conduct future random selections throughout the program year until all registrations expire on 30 April 2026.The Department will publish the dates of the future random selections on their website after they take place.
New postcodes added to bushfire and other disaster recovery work areas. On 5 April 2025, DHA updated the list of eligible areas for WHMs to undertake specified work to qualify for a second or third WHM visa. This update expands the list of postcodes for WHMs undertaking bushfire recovery work and other recovery work for natural disasters such as floods, cyclones or other severe weather in areas recently impacted by bushfires and other natural disasters. The updated list applies to Working Holiday (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa applications lodged on or after 5 April 2025, or applications lodged but not decided by this date.
Related:
- Changes to Working Holiday Maker Visas Affected by COVID-19
- Industries We Work With: Agriculture and Horticulture
REQUIREMENTS
Note: These are the minimum requirements for an application for this type of visa. Depending upon your particular circumstances, you may need to meet additional requirements.
You must:
- be 18 to 30 years old (inclusive)
- apply from outside Australia
- not be accompanied by dependent children
- not have previously entered Australia on a subclass 462 or 417 visa. If you previously entered Australia on a subclass 462 visa, see the second Work and Holiday visa.
- hold a passport for one of the countries or regions listed in the table below:
-
- Argentina
- Austria
- Chile
- China, People’s Republic of
- Czech Republic
- Ecuador
- Greece
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Uruguay
- United States of America
- Vietnam
Depending upon your country of origin, you will also need to meet other specific requirements, which may include:
- completion of a certain level of education (e.g. secondary school, tertiary study/qualification)
- English language competence (e.g. IELTS overall band score of 4.5)
- home government support (e.g. letter of support from your home government)
If you are applying for your second Work and Holiday visa, you must also:
- have completed three calendar months of specified work in regional Australia while on your first Work and Holiday visa
From 1 July 2019, to be eligible for a third Work and Holiday visa, you must:
- on or after 1 July 2019, have completed six calendar months of specified work in regional Australia while on your second Work and Holiday visa
THE SPECIFIED WORK REQUIREMENT FOR A SECOND OR THIRD VISA
The following industries and regions are approved for specified work:
- plant and animal cultivation in northern Australia and other specified areas of regional Australia
- fishing and pearling in northern Australia only
- tree farming and felling in northern Australia only
- tourism and hospitality in northern Australia only
Specified work is any type of work described below which must be the primary role, function or activity performed during your employment.
The period of specified work (either three months for a second Work and Holiday visa, or six months for a third Work and Holiday visa) means an evidenced period of paid, full-time equivalent work over a minimum period of 88 calendar days (for three months) or 176 calendar days (for six months) in regional Australia. ‘Regional Australia’ is defined by post code. One day of full-time work is taken to be the normal number of hours per day (or shift) that is considered standard for that particular industry and the role in which you are employed. You can complete the work in a variety of ways.
For example, to be eligible for a second Work and Holiday visa, an applicant must evidence:
- working full time, 5 days per week for a continuous 3 calendar month period, including on a piecework rate agreement OR
- working less than 5 days per week in any combination of full-time, part-time or piecework rate work which adds up to the equivalent of five days a week over 3 calendar months OR
- working less than five days a week over a longer period than 3 calendar months, including on a piece work rate agreement.
The work can be with one employer, or several, and can be spread over the period of your stay in Australia. You can also work longer than the required period in regional Australia in specified work. Paid public holiday leave and sick days are counted as a day of specified work. Unpaid leave or holidays, and unpaid days due to severe or seasonal weather, are not counted.
Updates for Subclass 417 and 462 Visa
Subclass 417 Working Holiday Visa and Subclass 462 Work and Holiday Visa allow young adults of certain countries to work in Australia to help them pay for their holiday. This visa is usually valid for 12 months. However, in some circumstances, visa holders can apply for a second or third working holiday visa.
Specified work
UPDATE 22 April 2022
The Government has made amendments to the type and locations of specified work for working holiday maker visas – subclass 417 and 462. The amendments include:
- FLOOD RECOVERY WORK – work that is paid or unpaid after 31 December 2021 in flood-affected areas in NSW and QLD
- BUSHFIRE RECOVERY WORK – work undertaken that is paid or unpaid after 31 July 2019 in bushfire affected areas
- TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY – four new postcodes have been added:
- 4406, 4416, 4498 – QLD
- 7215 – TAS
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Usually, visa holders must work for at least 3 months in ‘specified work’ to apply for the second working holiday visa. In addition, if the applicant intends to apply for a third working holiday visa, he/she must work at least 6 months in the ‘specified work’.
Generally, specified work for Subclass 417 must be taken in regional Australia. The areas of work include:
- plant and animal cultivation in regional Australia
- fishing and pearling in regional Australia
- tree farming and felling in regional Australia
- mining in regional Australia
- construction in regional Australia
For Subclass 462 the areas of work considered to be ‘specified work’ include:
- plant and animal cultivation in northern Australia and other specified areas of regional Australia
- fishing and pearling in Northern Australia only
- tree farming and felling in Northern Australia only
- tourism and hospitality in Northern Australia only
- construction in Northern Australia and other specified areas of regional Australia
However, as part of the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, ‘specified work’ has been extended to include working holiday makers who work in the healthcare and medical sector. This work can be done anywhere in Australia. It is not restricted to regional Australia.
Healthcare and medical sector work does not include general administration work or selling personal protective equipment. The applicant work should involve medical treatment, nursing, contact tracing, testing, and research. The applicant can also provide support services, including cleaning medical and health care facilities.
The new definition will apply to application from 19 August 2020 onwards.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The visa application is lodged with the Department of Home Affairs (the ‘DOHA’), along with any supporting documents. The main criterion is that you satisfy the requirements listed above. You must also have access to sufficient funds to support yourself during the initial stages of your holiday. In addition, you must meet certain health and character requirements, and may be asked to provide evidence of health and/or travel insurance.
You must enter Australia within 12 months of the date that your visa is granted. You may then work in any job in any location in Australia, provided that you do not work for more than six months with any one employer unless an exemption applies. You must also not study for more than four months.
Note: Your subclass 462 visa may be subject to a ‘No Further Stay’ condition, meaning that you will not be able to apply for any further visas while you are in Australia. Even if your visa is not subject to this condition, you will only be able to apply for a limited range of visas while you are in Australia.
The time that it takes the DOHA to process your application is dependent upon its processing time service standards, and may also vary due to a number of other factors, including the complexity of your case, perceived risk factors and processing priorities. Please contact us for current information regarding likely processing timeframes for this type of application.
Work and Holiday Visa
Subclass 462 Visa & 417 Visa Comparison
| 462 Visa | 417 Visa | |
| Features: | This visa is for young people who want to holiday and work in Australia for up to a year | This visa is for young people who want to holiday and work in Australia for up to a year |
| Requirements: | The candidate:
· must be at least 18 but not yet 31 years of age · don’t have a dependent child accompanying you at any time during your stay in Australia · must have a passport from an eligible country · have enough money to support her/himself on a working holiday (about A$ 5000) |
The candidate:
· must be at least 18 but not yet 31 years of age · don’t have a dependent child accompanying you at any time during your stay in Australia · must have a passport from an eligible country · have enough money to support her/himself on a working holiday (about A$ 5000) |
| Eligible countries: | · Argentina
· Banglades · Chile · People’s Republic of China · Hungary · Indonesia · Israel · Luxembourg · Malaysia · Poland · Portugal · San Marino · Slovak Republic · Slovenia · Spain · Thailand · Turkey · USA · Uruguay |
· Belgium
· Canada · Republic of Cyprus · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Hong Kong (Including British National Overseas passport holders) · Republic of Ireland · Italy · Japan · Repuiblic of Korea · Malta · Netherlands · Norway · Sweden · Taiwan · United Kingdom |
| Additional Requirements: | The candidate:
· must provide evidence that s/he meets the educational requirements, which is a tertiary qualification or have satisfactorily completed at least two years of undergraduate university study. · must hold a secondary school (High School) qualification, if s/he is from USA, Israel, Chilie. · must have functional English, which the average band score of at least 4.5. |
N/A |
| Second Visa application Requirements: | The candidate:
· have complied with all the conditions on her/his first Work and Holiday visa. · have not previously held more than one Work and Holiday Visa. · have completed three months of specified subclass 462 work in Northern Australia while on your first Work and Holiday visa. · have not yet turned 31 years of age. |
The Candidate:
· have completed three months of specified work in regional Australia while on her/his first Work and Holiday visa |
I am currently a Sc 462 visa holder. If I have worked for the same employer for more than 6 months, am I in breach of condition 8547?
Since 1 January 2024, many Working Holiday (Subclass 462) visa holders can continue working with the same employer for more than six months without requesting permission, provided their work falls within an eligible exemption category.
Examples include:
- Working in different locations, where no single location exceeds six months;
- Plant and animal cultivation work anywhere in Australia;
- Certain industries such as aged care, disability services, fishing, pearling, construction, mining, tree farming and felling;
- Work in Northern Australia;
- Natural disaster recovery work;
- Critical sectors such as agriculture, food processing, health, aged care, disability care and childcare; and
- Tourism and hospitality roles.
If the employment does not fall within one of the available exemptions, the visa holder should obtain permission before continuing to work for the same employer beyond six months.
If a visa holder has continued working for the same employer for more than six months without qualifying for an exemption or obtaining permission, they may be in breach of their visa conditions. In this situation, they should stop working for that employer and seek advice about their options before resuming employment.
It is also important to understand that the six-month period does not automatically restart simply because a new visa application has been lodged. In most cases, the period only resets when a new Working Holiday visa is granted, or when the current Working Holiday visa ceases and a bridging visa comes into effect.
