Applying for a Working Holiday Visa to Australia – The ultimate step-by-step guide with screenshots

If you hold citizenship from one of the following countries, then you must apply for Subclass 462, not Subclass 417:

• The United States of America, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, the Czech Republic, 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, and Vietnam.

Like Subclass 417, Subclass 462 also allows participants to live and work in Australia for up to 12 months, renewable twice under certain conditions.

However, the application process differs slightly. Note the differences in bold:

Programme description and rules (Subclass 462)

• With your 12-month WHV, you have the right to live and work in Australia.
• You can only work for the same employer for 6 months and employment should not be the primary motive for your working holiday. We’ll cover the legal exception to the 6-month rule later in this guide.
• You must enter Australia within 12 months of your WHV being granted.
• During your working holiday, you can freely leave and re-enter Australia.
• You cannot be accompanied by dependent children. If you have dependent children, you must apply using the Working Holiday Maker application enquiry form, explaining your situation in the form.
• The Australia WHV does not give you the right to live or work in New Zealand.
• You must be willing to sign the Australian values statement to respect their way of life and obey their laws during your stay.
• If you complete specified work during your working holiday, you can apply for a Second WHV and Third WHV.
• 462 only: There is an annual quota set by citizenship (except for Americans) that resets on 1st July of every year.
• 462 only: There may be formal requirements for English proficiency, level of education, or work experience.
• 462 only: You may need to provide a letter of support from your home government.

Eligibility criteria

Before starting your application, first confirm your eligibility:

• Between 18 and 30 years old (inclusive).
• Hold a valid passport from a participating country.
• Have at least AU$5,000 (or the equivalent in another currency) in savings, plus enough for a return or onward flight.
• Additional requirements for your citizenship can be found here.

Next, check the annual quota for your country of citizenship on the official website to make sure it hasn’t already been reached for the year. If the quota has been reached, you will have to wait until the next year of the programme, which starts every 1st July.

If you meet the requirements and can commit to respecting the programme rules, read the next chapter to start your application. Although most of the steps are the same for both subclasses, this guide won’t go into detail about the extra documents and requirements specific to Subclass 462.