Applying for a Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) To Australia – The Ultimate Step-By-Step Guide with Screenshots

As of 2021, Australia offers citizens of…:

• Belgium
• Canada
• Republic of Cyprus
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China
• Republic of Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Republic of Korea
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Sweden
• Taiwan
• The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

… the opportunity to apply for a Working Holiday Visa (WHV) to stay up to 12 months in Australia and do short-term work to help cover travel expenses.

The only documents you need to apply for your WHV to Australia are your passport (“passports” plural if you have dual citizenship), proof of funds (i.e. a recent bank statement) and a credit card to pay the fee. Note that if your bank statement isn’t in English, it must be translated—this is a new requirement.

The online application process is very straightforward:

• Go to www.homeaffairs.gov.au, the official website of the Department of Home Affairs of the Government of Australia. Don’t use unofficial websites, fees will be much higher.
• Create an ImmiAccount.
• Fill out the 12-step online application by providing your personal information and answering several questions regarding your travel plans, background and general health.
• Upload scanned copies of your passport and proof of funds.
• Pay the AUD495 fee.
• Wait a few weeks, days or hours for your application to be processed. If successful, you’ll receive an e-visa by email or see that your visa has been granted in your ImmiAccount.

And that’s it!

Maybe you want a complete overview of the process before applying—you’re in the right place, the different sections of this guide include screenshots with all the fields to fill out and questions to answer!

You can also use the guide when filling out your application to make sure you understand the potential implications of questions regarding your general health, background and work projects in Australia.

Looking to embark on a second-year or third-year WHV? Check if you’re eligible, read Working Holiday Visa to Australia—What’s new in 2018-19!

Working Holiday Visa vs Work and Holiday Visa

Australia lets you choose between two “enjoy Down Under for a year” types of visa:

• Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417)
• Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462)

Eligibility requirements vary slightly, for instance, Subclass 462 applicants must provide more documents. There’s also a yearly cap on Subclass 462 visas, and none for Subclass 417 visas.

The list of eligible countries is the main difference:

Note that this guide applies to Working Holiday visas (Subclass 417) ONLY.

The English version of this guide was last updated in June 2019.