Applying for a Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) to Australia – The ultimate step-by-step guide with screenshots

Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) eligibility requirements

Before you start your application, make sure you meet the following requirements.

Be a passport holder of an eligible country

You must hold a passport for one of the citizenships eligible for Subclass 417.

Your passport must be valid for the entire duration of your stay. If it’s expiring soon, make sure to renew it before applying for your WHV. If you’re already considering applying for a Second or Third Year WHV, it’s best to have a passport that’s valid for at least two or three more years—renewing it abroad is always a hassle.

If you get a new passport between when your WHV is granted and your departure to Australia, you must contact the Department of Home Affairs to request a passport details update. Your visa is linked to your passport details, so if you show up at the airport with a passport that doesn’t match your visa, you will be denied boarding.

Be 18 to 30 (or 35, depending on citizenship) when you apply

You cannot apply for your WHV before turning 18, and you have until the day before you turn 31 (or 36) to apply, even if you will be 31 (or 36) by the time you leave for Australia. British, Canadian, Danish, French, Italian and Irish citizens can be up to 35 (inclusive).

Even if your visa is taking forever to be processed, don’t worry! As long as you applied before you turned 31 (or 36), it’s all good.

However, don’t play with fire—avoid applying minutes before your 31^st (or 36^th) birthday. First of all, you should be celebrating and eating cake. Second, and most importantly, the website is on Australian time, so plus XYZ hours… you may already have turned 31 (or 36) in Australian time! Finally, the Internet occasionally breaks and the website could be down for maintenance—imagine missing the cut-off date for such a silly reason…

In conclusion, it’s okay—and common—to be 31 (or 36) by the time you leave for Australia, since you have up to 12 months after the visa is granted to use it. Your 12-month WHV officially starts the day you land in Australia.

Not already be in Australia when you apply for (or receive) your visa

You can apply for your first WHV from anywhere you want—your country of residence or elsewhere—EXCEPT Australia. You can’t be in Australia when your WHV is granted either; you must wait for a decision abroad.

However, this condition is waived for second and third WHVs. In these cases, you can apply from anywhere in the world, including Australia.

Not have previously entered Australia on a Subclass 417 visa

Just completed a WHV in New Zealand? No worries. Serial WHV holders who have participated in WHVs in other countries are welcome to apply for an Australia WHV… as long as it’s their first Australian WHV application.

Australia does offer Second Year and Third Year WHVs. Some citizenships (e.g. British) are eligible to apply without completing any specified work. Other nationalities only become eligible if they complete specified work. To qualify for the Second Year WHV, they must complete three months of specified work during their First Year WHV. To qualify for the Third Year WHV, they must complete six more months of specified work during their Second Year WHV.

If you do not complete the specified work and your citizenship does not allow you to apply automatically for further visas, you will not be allowed to apply for any further Australian WHVs in future.

This step-by-step guide applies to First Year WHV applications ONLY.

What if you applied for a WHV to Australia but never actually went to Australia after the visa was issued? It’s okay, you can re-apply, it will count as a first-time application! This is pretty unique to Australia, as most other WHV countries won’t let you apply a second time if you didn’t use your visa.

Note that:

• It only applies if you never set foot in Australia (if you went to Australia for even a few days or weeks, your whole 12-month WHV would be considered “used”).
• You must start the application process from scratch online like everyone else.
• You must still meet eligibility requirements.
• You must pay the fees again.

Enter Australia no more than 12 months after your visa is approved

If you’re planning to go to Australia soon, apply immediately. If you’re considering a trip a few years from now, wait until nearer the time—once the visa is issued, you have a maximum of 12 months to land in Australia.

Note that unlike many WHV countries, there’s no cap on the number of WHVs issued every year, so you don’t need to rush to apply! As long as you meet the requirements, most applications are processed quickly and WHVs are granted within a few days or weeks of your application submission. Make sure you will actually go to Australia before applying for your WHV, as the fees are expensive if you have to apply again.

Not travel to Australia with a dependent child

The Department of Home Affairs defines “dependent children” as your or your partner’s child from a current or previous relationship, who is not married, engaged or in a de facto relationship, wholly or substantially reliant on you for their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter, and is under 18 years old.

Your dependent child cannot accompany you to Australia but you may travel to Australia without dependent children. If you have dependent children, you can’t just apply for your WHV online; you must contact the Department of Home Affairs through the Working Holiday maker application enquiry form.

Buying travel insurance covering medical care, hospitalisation and repatriation

Buying travel insurance isn’t mandatory (unless your visa is issued with condition 8501 – Maintain adequate health insurance), but the Department of Home Affairs strongly encourages it: “We recommend you take out health insurance to cover any unforeseen medical treatment you might need in Australia. You are personally liable for all your health care costs while you are in Australia. Insurance can help limit your financial liability.”

If you’re thinking, “Yay! I don’t need insurance,” think again.

Australia has reciprocal health care agreements with a handful of countries. If you are a citizen of one of these countries and you meet the requirements, the agreements cover medically necessary care, i.e. care for illness or injury that can’t wait until you get home, and care that Medicare covers. Note that reciprocal health care does not cover all costs, so it is still recommended to buy insurance, even if you qualify.

Citizens from other countries will have to cover all medical expenses—sure, you can probably afford painkillers, but what if you have a more serious health problem or an accident during your stay? For most of us (except maybe Kiwis!), Australia is far from home, wherever home is. Repatriation fees can be sky-high and family may not be able to rush to Australia to help out.

Buying travel insurance is a smart investment. Not sure where to start? Check out Globe WHV! We have been working with them for years and they get consistently good feedback from WHV holders for their value and customer service. You can contact them easily, including on pvtistes.net or by private message. Check out their rates and packages and make a wise decision before your trip!

Convinced? Great! Just remember to wait until your WHV is issued before buying your insurance policy.

What if I have to take a medical exam?

The Department of Home Affairs sometimes requires “health examinations,” i.e. a medical exam, if you travelled to a country with public health concerns or if you stated you have a health condition. See section 13 of this guide for more details.

What if I have to provide a police certificate?

The Department of Home Affairs may ask for a police certificate from every country you lived in for more than 12 months.

Having a criminal record doesn’t mean you will be denied a WHV—applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Have at least AU$5000 to cover initial travel and living expenses

You must have at least AU5000 to cover your initial living and travel expenses in Australia. Check the exchange rate for an accurate conversion from your home currency, although it is fine to share proof of funds in your home currency (as long as it is written in English).

You must provide evidence of funds as part of your application. It must show that:

• you have at least AU$5000 (or the equivalent amount in local currency) to support yourself while you’re in Australia.
• if you don’t have a return/onward ticket, you must have enough money to leave Australia at the end of your stay. No specific amount is mentioned in addition to the mandatory AU$5000 but note that a plane ticket from Australia to Europe can be expensive.

This proof of funds may be checked again upon arrival in Australia, so make sure you have a recent bank statement or a letter from your financial institution, as well as additional funds for your return flight home.

You can, of course, save more than AU$5000 (it’s actually a good idea!)—this is the bare minimum required.

Be willing to sign the Australian values statement

This is an easy step, you simply have to acknowledge the Australian Values Statement that confirms you will respect the Australian way of life and obey Australian laws when you apply for the visa.​ Simply click on “next” and it’s done!

Anything else?

Are you meeting all the above requirements? Then you can apply for a WHV to Australia!

“But I don’t speak English that well!” No worries, there is no language test required for this visa. “But I don’t know anyone in Australia!” You will soon if you stay in a hostel. “But I don’t have much work experience and/or I’m only halfway through my degree!” That’s fine, plenty of WHV-makers are in the same boat. “I’m unemployed right now!” Irrelevant for this visa!

The Australian WHV is a super flexible and easy-to-get visa—your education and work experience don’t matter. You’re not competing with anyone; if you meet the requirements highlighted above, you can get a WHV. The information you will have to provide is only used for statistical purposes and to determine if a medical exam is required—the WHV application is not a test or a selection process.