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Pathway

Australia Work and Holiday Visa

Australia Residency
Pathway overview

At a glance

Subclass 462 lets eligible young passport holders take a holiday in Australia and do temporary work to help pay for it. A first visa normally lasts 12 months. Your passport determines the age limit and other requirements, and you cannot bring dependent children on this visa.

Age
18–30
Passport
Must be from a country or territory currently eligible for Subclass 462
Funds
Usually about AUD 5,000 for the initial stay, plus onward travel costs

Summary

The Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462) lets eligible passport holders aged 18 to 30 take an extended holiday in Australia and do temporary work to fund it. A first visa normally permits a 12-month stay. Second and third visas can be possible after specified work under separate rules.

Subclass 462 differs from Subclass 417 mainly by passport eligibility and extra country-specific requirements. Depending on nationality, an applicant may need education, the official Functional English standard, a government support letter, a place under an annual cap or selection through a random draw, called a ballot.

Planning a Subclass 462 working holiday
  1. Check the passport-specific requirements Confirm age, prior visa history, and any education, English, cap, or ballot rules.
  2. Prepare funds, travel plans, and personal evidence Apply under the correct passport scheme and plan to travel without dependent children.
  3. Follow the work and study limits Check whether any work will qualify for a later visa before relying on it.

These are temporary holiday visas. Later visas have separate requirements and are not guaranteed.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The first-visa applicant generally must:

China, India and Vietnam passport holders currently use a pre-application ballot for a first 462. Ballot registration dates change each program year. Other countries can have annual caps whose status moves between open, paused and closed.

The official country table is the controlling source. Passport eligibility is not based on residence, birthplace or holding a visa for a partner country.

What This Route Allows

A first 462 normally allows up to 12 months in Australia, travel during the visa period, work to fund the holiday and study for up to 4 months.

Work for one employer is generally limited to 6 months unless an exemption or Home Affairs permission applies. Second and third visas generally require 3 and then 6 months of specified Subclass 462 work in eligible industries and locations, along with the age and other rules at each new application.

What This Route Is Not

The visa's primary purpose is a holiday, not a guaranteed job or permanent migration. It does not include dependent children and does not itself lead to permanent residence.

Being selected in a ballot only permits an application; it does not guarantee a visa. A country cap being open also does not reserve a place until a valid application is submitted.

Not all work counts toward a second or third visa. The industry, location, dates and employment evidence must fit the official specified-work rules. Unlawful or underpaid work should be reported; visa holders have Australian workplace rights.

Next Steps

  1. Confirm the exact passport is on the current first-462 country list.
  2. Open that country's Home Affairs requirements and check education, English, support letter, cap and ballot rules.
  3. If a ballot applies, register only during the official 2026–27 window and wait for selection before applying.
  4. Gather passport, funds, onward-travel and country-specific evidence.
  5. Plan for no accompanying dependent children and verify health or character issues early.
  6. After approval, check Visa Entitlement Verification Online (VEVO) for work and study conditions.
  7. If seeking a second or third visa, verify specified work before taking the job and retain payslips, tax, employer and location records.

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Discussed in these reports

Similar youth mobility pathways in other destinations.

Sources