Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)

The Subclass 417 visa allows certain tourists aged between 18 and 30 years old  (inclusive) – and Canadian, French and Irish citizens 18 to 35 years old (inclusive) 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.

COVID-19 update for 417 Working Holiday Visa holders.

Related: Changes to Working Holiday Maker Visas Affected by COVID-19

A second Working Holiday visa may be granted to those applicants who complete three months of specified work in regional Australia while holding their first Working Holiday visa. From 1 July 2019, a third Working Holiday visa may be granted where the visa holder meets additional specified work requirements.

Australia: Swiss Nationals Eligible for Working Holiday Maker Program

In 2022, Swiss citizens will be eligible for Australia’s Working Holiday Maker program. This program allows young adults between 18- and 30-years of age to holiday in Australia for up to three (3) years, during which they can undertake short-term work and study. Under this new allowance, qualifying Swiss citizens will be eligible for the Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462). These visas are issued for an initial 12-months, and renewable for two additional 12-month periods.

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

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.

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) – except for Canadian, French and Irish citizens who can be 18 to 35 (inclusive)
  • apply online from outside Australia
  • not be accompanied by dependent children
  • not have previously entered Australia on a subclass 417 or 462 visa. If you have previously been in Australia on a subclass 417 visa, see the second Working Holiday visa.
  • hold a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction:
  • At the time of application, you must be within the eligible age limit for your passport country:
    • Belgium – 18 to 30 years
    • Canada – 18 to 35 years
    • Republic of Cyprus – 18 to 30 years
    • Denmark – 18 to 30 years
    • Estonia – 18 to 30 years
    • Finland – 18 to 30 years
    • France – 18 to 35 years
    • Germany – 18 to 30 years
    • Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (including British National Overseas passport holders) – 18 to 30 years
    • Republic of Ireland – 18 to 35 years
    • Italy – 18 to 30 years
    • Japan – 18 to 30 years
    • Republic of Korea – 18 to 30 years
    • Malta – 18 to 30 years
    • Netherlands – 18 to 30 years
    • Norway – 18 to 30 years
    • Sweden – 18 to 30 years
    • Taiwan (other than an official or diplomatic passport) – 18 to 30 years
    • The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – 18 to 30 years

    If you apply for the visa while you are 30 (or 35), but turn 31 (or 36) before we have made a decision, we can still grant you the visa.

If you are applying for your second Working Holiday visa, you must also:

  • have completed three calendar months of specified work in regional Australia while on your first Working Holiday visa

From 1 July 2019, to be eligible for a third Working 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 Working Holiday visa

THE SPECIFIED WORK REQUIREMENT FOR A SECOND OR THIRD VISA

For the purpose of a second or third Working Holiday visa, ‘specified work’ includes certain types of paid work carried out in the following industries:

  • plant and animal cultivation
  • fishing and pearling
  • tree farming and felling
  • mining; and
  • construction

Voluntary work is not accepted as ‘work’ for the purposes of applying for a second or third Working Holiday visa.

The period of specified work (either three months for a second Working Holiday visa, or six months for a third Working 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 Working 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.

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 for any one employer unless an exemption applies. You must also not study for more than four months.

 

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

Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)

Features

This visa is for young people who want to holiday and work in Australia for up to a year.

Requirements

You might be able to get this visa if you:

  • are at least 18 but not yet 31 years of age
  • do not have a dependent child accompanying you at any time during your stay in Australia
  • have a passport from an eligible country.

You might be able to apply online by clicking the ‘Apply now’ button below, if you have a passport from an eligible country. See ‘How to Apply’ for a list of eligible countries.

If you cannot apply online you can lodge a paper application form.​

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