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

Australia offers a working holiday to young adults from more than 50 countries. The Working Holiday Visa (WHV) allows you to stay up to 12 months in Australia. You even have the option of picking up work during your WHV to help fund your travels.

The Australian WHV is a flexible and easy-to-get visa. You don’t need a job offer or an immigration lawyer—as long as you meet the requirements, you can apply yourself!

WHV Subclasses 417 vs 462

Australia has two subclasses of WHV: Subclass 417 and Subclass 462. While both allow participants to live and work in Australia for up to 12 months (renewable under certain conditions), the eligibility criteria and documents required vary slightly between the two.

The subclass that applies to you is determined by the passport that you hold:

• 417: Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, Germany, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Taiwan.
• 462: 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.

If your citizenship belongs to Subclass 417, then keep reading. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know.

If your citizenship belongs to Subclass 462, then skip to Chapter 2: Notes on Subclass 462.

Programme description and rules (Subclass 417)

• 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.
• There is no annual quota on the number of WHVs issued.
• There are no formal language, education or work requirements.
• 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. Exception: British citizens automatically qualify for the Second and Third WHV, without needing to complete specified work.

Eligibility requirements (Subclass 417)

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

1. Hold a valid passport from an eligible country

You must hold a passport for one of the citizenships eligible for Subclass 417, as explained earlier.

Your passport must be valid for the entire duration of your stay. If it’s expiring soon, renew it before applying for your WHV.

If you get a new passport after your WHV is granted, you must inform the Department of Home Affairs. Your visa is linked to your passport, so you will be denied boarding if you haven’t updated your passport details before your flight.

2. Be within the age limit

At the time of application, you must be within the eligible age range determined for your citizenship:

• Canada: 18-35 years old inclusive
• Ireland: 18-35 years old inclusive
• United Kingdom: 18-35 years old inclusive
• Hong Kong: 18-30 years old inclusive
• Germany: 18-30 years old inclusive
• All other nationalities can check here.

Once granted, you have 12 months to activate your WHV by entering Australia. It doesn’t matter if you’ve already turned 31 or 36 by the time you first arrive in Australia, as long as you were of an eligible age on the day you applied. The official website runs on Australian time, so don’t miss the cut-off date!

3. Have sufficient savings for the duration of your stay

You must prove you have enough money to support yourself throughout your stay and leave at the end of your WHV. You will need to prove this with a bank statement or screenshot of your bank account.

The minimum amount of funds you must show is the equivalent to AU$5,000, plus the cost of a plane ticket out of Australia at the end of your stay.

4. Not already be in Australia during application or issuance of your WHV

You can apply for your first WHV from anywhere in the world EXCEPT Australia. You can’t be in Australia when your WHV is granted either; you must wait for a decision before you plan to arrive in Australia.

This is only the case for the first WHV, as second and third WHVs can be applied for on Australian soil.

5. Not have previously entered Australia on a WHV

If you have previously applied for a First WHV and entered Australia to activate it, you are not eligible to apply again.

You can only apply for a Second or Third WHV if you meet the eligibility requirements (for citizens of countries other than the UK, this requires completing specified work).

If you applied for a WHV but never actually went to Australia after the visa was issued, this doesn’t count as an activated visa. You will be considered a first-time applicant again.

6. Meet health and character requirements

You must meet the relevant health and character requirements. Although it is rare, some applicants may be asked to undertake a medical exam or provide details of any criminal history. These requests are not necessarily reasons for refusal, and applications are adjudicated on a case-by-case basis. This is explained more in Chapter 4.

7. Be willing to sign the Australian values statement

This is an easy step! You have to confirm you’re willing to sign the Australian Values Statement to respect their way of life and obey their laws during your stay.

Ready to learn how to apply? Skip to Chapter 3.