The Subclass 417 Working Holiday Visa allows young adults aged between 18 and 30 years old (inclusive), or up to 35 for some countries (see below), to have an extended holiday in Australia, while supplementing their funds with short-term work. A 417 Visa is valid for 12 months and allows for multiple instances of travel into and out of Australia during this period.
417 Visa holders are generally permitted to work for up to six months with any single employer, and to study for up to four months. Work in certain specific occupations and in regional areas of Australia may be permitted for up to 12 months.
It is possible to get a second and third 417 Visa if you hold or have previously held an Australian Working Holiday Visa, providing that you completed a minimum of three months’ (for a second 417 Visa) or six months’ (for a third 417 Visa) confirmed Subclass 417 work.
Changes from 1 July 2026: the application fee increased to AUD840 for a first Working Holiday visa and AUD1,000 for a second or third visa. Applicants must now meet the age requirement at the time they apply. The maximum age increased from 30 to 35 for passport holders of Cyprus, Finland, Germany and the Republic of Korea. Read more in Australian visa changes from 1 July 2026.
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.
417 Visa – Eligibility Requirements
Working Holiday Visas are only available to holders of passports issued by certain countries and territories. These countries are:
- Belgium
- Canada
- Republic of Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom (includes British National Overseas passport holders)
You must also be aged between 18 and 30 (inclusive) when you apply, unless you are a passport holder of Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Republic of Korea or the UK (including BNO), in which case you may be as old as 35. Cyprus, Finland, Germany and Korea were added from 1 July 2026.
In addition, you must:
- apply online from outside Australia if you are applying for your first 417 Visa
- not be accompanied by dependent children
- if applying for your second Working Holiday Visa, have completed at least three months’ specified 417 Visa work
- if applying for your third Working Holiday Visa, have completed at least six months’ specified 417 Visa work
417 Visa – Working Holiday Specified Work
The Australian Government has defined certain types of work as being suitable to meet the specified work requirement for second and third Working Holiday Visa applications.
Usually, specified work for Subclass 417 Visas must be undertaken in regional Australia (i.e. most areas in Australia except the cities of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane).
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
- tourism and hospitality in Northern Australia and in Remote and Very Remote Australia (for work done after 21 June 2021)
Voluntary work can not be used to meet the specified work requirement when applying for a second or third Working Holiday visa.
UK passport holders: since 1 July 2024, UK passport holders do not need to complete specified work to apply for a second or third Working Holiday visa, as a result of the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement.
Work in eligible bushfire, flood and other natural disaster recovery areas can also count as specified work. The Department updates the list of eligible postcodes from time to time.
Three months’ specified work is defined as an evidenced period of paid, full-time equivalent work over at least 88 calendar days. Six months’ specified work is defined as an evidenced period of paid, full-time equivalent work over at least 179 calendar days. ‘Full-time equivalent’ work is considered to be one full day of work as would be considered standard for the role and industry in which you were employed.
You can use part-time or piecework rate work alone or in combination with full-time work over a longer period of time than the minimum three months, but it must add up to the minimum full-time equivalent of five days a week over three or six calendar months.
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.
Working Holiday Visa vs Work & Holiday Visa
Subclass 462 Visa & Subclass 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 (or 36) 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
· Austria · Brazil · Chile · PR China · Czechia · Ecuador · Greece · Hungary · India · Indonesia · Israel · Luxembourg · Malaysia · Mongolia · Papua New Guinea · Peru · Poland · Portugal · San Marino · Singapore · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain · Switzerland · Thailand · Türkiye · Uruguay · USA · Vietnam |
· Belgium
· Canada · Republic of Cyprus · Denmark · Estonia · Finland · France · Germany · Hong Kong · Ireland · Italy · Japan · Republic of Korea · Malta · Netherlands · Norway · Sweden · Taiwan · United Kingdom (inc. BNO) |
| Additional Requirements: | The candidate:
· must provide evidence that s/he meets the educational requirements, i.e. a tertiary qualification or satisfactory completion of 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 an average band score of at least 4.5. |
N/A |
| Second Visa application Requirements: | The candidate:
· must have complied with all the conditions on her/his first Work and Holiday visa. · must have not previously held more than one Work and Holiday Visa. · must have completed three months of specified subclass 462 work in Northern Australia while on your first Work and Holiday visa. · must have not yet turned 31 years of age. |
The Candidate:
· must have completed three months of specified work in regional Australia while on her/his first Work and Holiday visa |
417 Visa – Processing Times
Most first Working Holiday visa applications are decided within days, but some take several weeks, especially if health checks or more information are needed. Apply well before your planned travel date. See our visa processing times page for current estimates.
417 Visa – Cost
From 1 July 2026, a first Working Holiday visa costs AUD 840, and a second or third Working Holiday visa costs AUD 1,000 (previously AUD670). You cannot include family members in your application.
What You Need Before You Apply
Before you lodge your first Working Holiday visa, make sure you can meet the practical requirements as well as the age and passport rules above. You will generally need:
- a passport from one of the eligible countries, valid for your planned stay
- access to enough money to support yourself when you first arrive. Home Affairs usually expects around AUD 5,000, and you can be asked for evidence such as a recent bank statement
- a return or onward ticket, or enough extra money to buy one
- to meet the health and character requirements, which can include police certificates or medical checks in some cases
Private health insurance is not a visa requirement for most applicants, but it is strongly recommended. Some passport holders can use Medicare for limited care under a reciprocal health care agreement, but this does not cover everything.
You cannot include a partner or children in a Working Holiday visa application. If you are travelling as a couple, you each need to apply and qualify in your own right.
How to Apply for Your First 417 Visa: Step by Step
- Check your eligibility. Confirm your passport country, your age on the day you lodge, and that no dependent children will come with you.
- Gather your documents. You will need your passport and evidence of funds, and you should have your travel plans in mind.
- Lodge online from outside Australia. Your first 417 must be applied for while you are outside Australia, and you must also be outside Australia when it is granted.
- Respond to any requests. Home Affairs may ask for health checks, police certificates or more information. Reply by the deadline given.
- Enter Australia within 12 months of grant. Your first visa must be activated by entering Australia within 12 months of the grant date. Your 12 months of stay then starts from the day you first arrive.
Time spent outside Australia does not extend your visa. If you leave for a few weeks and come back, the expiry date stays the same.
Applying for a Second or Third 417 Visa
Unlike your first visa, a second or third Working Holiday visa can usually be applied for either inside or outside Australia. If you apply in Australia while your current 417 is still valid, you will usually be given a bridging visa that lets you stay while your new application is processed. When your new 12 months starts depends on whether you are in or outside Australia when the visa is granted, so check this before you lodge if you want to plan the timing of your stay.
Specified work for your second visa must be completed while you hold your first 417 visa, and specified work for your third visa must be completed while you hold your second 417 visa. Work done before your first visa was granted does not count.
Evidence of specified work
Home Affairs checks specified work claims closely. Keep records as you go, because it is much harder to collect them later. Useful evidence includes:
- payslips that show your employer’s name and ABN, your hours and your pay
- bank statements showing your wages being paid in
- your income statement or tax return showing the income
- superannuation records from the job
- an employment reference or employment verification form signed by your employer
Make sure the work address is in an eligible postcode for the industry you worked in, and that you were paid at least the minimum lawful rate. Unpaid work, cash in hand work without records, and work that does not appear on official records can lead to a refusal.
How specified work days are counted
Specified work is counted in calendar days, measured on a full time basis. If you work full time under the normal hours for your industry, your usual days off in each working week (such as weekends) generally count. If you work part time or casually, you need to keep working until your total hours add up to the full time equivalent, which will take longer than three or six calendar months. You can combine work for several employers to reach the total.
Working Holiday Visa Conditions
Your 417 visa comes with conditions that limit how you work and study. Breaching them can lead to your visa being cancelled.
| Condition | What it means |
| 8547: six months with one employer | You generally cannot work for the same employer for more than six months without written permission from Home Affairs. Exceptions apply if you work for the same employer in different locations (with no more than six months in any one location), in plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia, or in certain industries in northern Australia. |
| 8548: four months of study | You can study or train for up to four months in total on each Working Holiday visa. If you want to study for longer, you will need a different visa. |
The six month limit with one employer starts again when you are granted a new Working Holiday visa. If you plan to ask Home Affairs for permission to work longer for the same employer, you need to ask before your six months is up.
Tax and Superannuation on a Working Holiday Visa
You need a Tax File Number (TFN) from the Australian Taxation Office before you start work, otherwise your employer must tax you at a higher rate. You can apply for a TFN online once you are in Australia.
Working holiday makers are taxed at special rates. Currently, the first $45,000 of income is taxed at 15%, with higher rates above that. Your employer should be registered with the Australian Taxation Office as an employer of working holiday makers so the correct rate is applied.
Your employer must also pay superannuation for you in most cases. When you leave Australia and your visa ends, you can claim your super back through a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). Tax is taken out of the DASP payment.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Lodging too close to your 31st (or 36th) birthday. You must meet the age requirement when you lodge, so apply early if you are close to the limit.
- Assuming any regional job counts as specified work. Both the industry and the postcode must be eligible.
- Not keeping payslips and bank records for specified work, or being paid cash with no records.
- Doing specified work before your 417 was granted, or on a different visa, and expecting it to count.
- Staying with one employer beyond six months without an exception or written permission.
- Applying for another visa while on your 417 without checking how it affects you. A new visa grant can end your 417, and a refused application can limit your options.
If you are unsure whether your work will count, use our Working Holiday visa assessment form before you start the job.
Working Holiday Visa 417: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I apply for my first 417 visa while I am in Australia?
No. Your first Working Holiday visa must be applied for and granted while you are outside Australia. Second and third visas can usually be applied for in Australia.
When does my 12 months start?
For your first visa, the 12 months starts on the day you first enter Australia. You must enter within 12 months of the grant date. Leaving Australia during your stay does not pause or extend the visa.
Can my partner come with me on my Working Holiday visa?
Not as part of your application. Your partner would need to qualify for their own Working Holiday visa, or apply for a different visa such as a visitor visa.
Does volunteer work count as specified work?
Generally no. Specified work must be paid work at lawful rates. Work in eligible bushfire or natural disaster recovery areas can count, but you should check the current rules before relying on it.
Can I work for the same employer for my whole visa?
Usually only for six months, unless an exception applies (for example, plant and animal cultivation) or you get written permission from Home Affairs before the six months ends.
I am from a country that is not on the 417 list. What can I do?
You may be eligible for the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462), which covers a different group of countries and has extra requirements such as education and English.
Next steps after a Working Holiday visa
Many Working Holiday makers go on to apply for other visas, such as a Student visa (applied for outside Australia from 2 October 2026 in most cases), a Skills in Demand (subclass 482) visa with an employer, or a partner visa. Check whether a No Further Stay condition applies before you plan your next visa.
