How to apply for a 2nd or 3rd WHV to Australia (full guide)

You must apply online. As of July 1, 2018, it is no longer possible to send your application by mail.

The process is quick, taking no more than 30 minutes. All you need is your passport, credit card, employer’s ABN (meeting the requirements for the second WHV), your periods of work and any other proof you may have.

We’ll take you through the process step by step, to make sure you’re filling in everything correctly.

Step 1 – Go to the Working Holiday page on the Department of Home Affairs website

Click “Second Working Holiday Visa” or “Third Working Holiday Visa.”

Take a few minutes to read the different tabs—About the Visa, Eligibility and Step by step.

Click the blue “Apply” button.

You will be redirected to another page of the Department of Home Affairs, ImmiAccount.

Throughout your application, on the right-hand side of the screen, a tool will display the fees applicable to your visa.

The fee for a second or third Working Holiday Visa is AU$635. A surcharge may apply if you pay by credit card or PayPal, check the amounts here.

Step 2 – Fill in your application

Login to ImmiAccount or create your ImmiAccount

If you remember your login details (the “username” is simply the email address you used to submit your first WHV application), click on the links at the bottom right to retrieve them. You will be asked a few security questions.

If you didn’t submit your first application through ImmiAccount, create an account. Enter your surname, first name(s), and a valid email address, and create several security questions. For more details, read Create your ImmiAccount.

Once logged in, click “New Application” in the top-left corner.

Select “Working Holiday Visa (417)”.

First, accept the terms and conditions of your online application:

• You assume all risks associated with the use of the website. Information or materials which are offensive, pornographic, unsuitable for minors’ access or otherwise of a criminal or violent nature may be accessible as a result of hacking or material placed on linked websites.
• Unauthorized use of this website could result in criminal prosecution.
• The information you provide may be disclosed to various Australian governments and agencies.
• You can always access the information you provided.

If you click “Go to my account,” you will be directed to the application homepage.

Click “I have read and agree to the terms and conditions.”

You must read the Australian values (based on freedom, respect, fairness, equality of opportunity, etc.) and accept them.

Click “Next.”

If you are no longer in Australia, select your current location. If you’re still in the country, choose Australia in “Current location” (note that the questions that follow may differ slightly).

You can tick “no” to the next two questions, and then select the relevant visa. Click on “Second Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)” or “Third Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417)” as appropriate.

You may have to answer the questions below, depending on your selection above:

• Has the applicant ever obtained a first Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) and entered Australia on this visa?
• Has the applicant ever obtained a second Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) and entered Australia on this visa?
• Has the applicant undertaken 3 months of specified work as the holder of a first Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) or other eligible visa? If you answer no, it goes without saying that you will not be able to continue your WHV application.

Then, enter the reference number (application ID, transaction reference number, visa grant number) you will find on your first Working Holiday visa.

Enter your visa number—your first Working Holiday Visa number, for instance, it’ll be on the “Grant Notification,” a document in your account, in the “Messages” section. You can also find it under “Grant Letter”—look for the “Visa Grant Number.”

Finally, you need to enter a departure date for Australia. If you’re applying from outside Australia, the date doesn’t really matter–you can leave two months before or three months after the date you provided in your application. The important date is the one on which your visa is issued, let’s say September 2, 2023. You will have one year from this date to travel to Australia. On September 3, 2024, it will be too late to leave. You’ll have to reapply and pay the fee again.

Click “Next.”

Personal information

Enter your surname, first name, gender, date of birth, marital status (divorced, engaged, common-law, married, never married, separated or widowed), city and country of birth. Once this is done, confirm that all the information entered is correct.

A few things about common-law partners:

• If you’re going as a couple, each one of you must apply. You can choose “common-law” or “never married”, it won’t make any difference in your applications.
• A couple living together for less than a year must enter “never married”.

Click “Next.”

This page shows an initial summary of your personal information and passport details provided. If the information is correct, tick “Yes” and then click “Next.”

Contact details

Enter your country of residence (if you’re on vacation or a working holiday away from home, enter your usual country of residence), passport number and issuing country, nationality, date of issue and expiry of your passport.

Not sure what address you should provide? If you’re only spending a few months or even a year in a country other than your home country, enter your home country address. If, on the other hand, you’ve been living abroad for a few years, you might consider providing this “foreign” address.

Finally, as you may be called for an appointment in person (this rarely happens), you should select a country you can easily travel to if Australia doesn’t have a visa office where you live.

Click “Next.”

If you answer yes, provide this person’s contact details and email address (with their consent), and attest that you have their permission. You must also specify whether you want this person to be contacted if medical examinations are required for your visa application.

If you answer “No,” you will receive all the information from the Department of Home Affairs at your own email address (indicated above). Please check that your email address is active.

Click “Next.”

Occupation and education

You must then specify your current job, the industry in which you would like to work in Australia, and your highest education level.

Depending on your answers (particularly about your current job and your preferred industry in Australia), you may be asked to take a medical exam.

About qualifications:

Not super familiar with the Australian education system? As a guideline:

• “Senior High School” is a good fit if you completed the last year but didn’t graduate. If you did graduate, select “Junior High School Degree, Certificate or Report”.
• “College Course” is a good pick if you complete one or two years at a university or a post-secondary education school.
• A “Technical or Training Certificate” usually provides technical training for a specific occupation, for instance, a trade.
• A “Diploma Course” focuses on specific skills for career readiness. Programs are typically shorter than university programs.
• A “Degree Course” could be a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree.
• A “Higher Degree Course” would be any post-grad program.

Your answer to this question doesn’t affect your chance to get your WHV. It’s just for statistical purposes, so don’t worry if it’s hard to “translate” your local education!

Click “Next.”

Specified work undertaken

Now, this section is very important because it’s at this point in the visa application that you’ll need to justify your 88 days or 179 days of eligible specified work conditional to your second or third WHV.

Enter the ABN numbers and postcodes of the companies you worked for (and which meet the Australian government’s criteria), your contract start and end dates, and other details.

If you worked for more than one employer, complete the first line and click “Add other.”

Then provide more details about your employer and the work you did for a given period. You will need to do this for each employer.

List all your specified work and click “Next.”

Health declarations

This page is a series of health or health-related questions. You must answer “Yes” or “No”.

If you state you lived in countries other than your country of passport for more than 3 months in the last 5 years, you will be asked to provide some details about the country or countries in question. Click on “Add details” and enter the country and dates of your stay).

You may be required to take a health exam if you answer “Yes” to the first question. For instance, a chest X-ray is often required if spent time in a high tuberculosis prevalence country.

Australia also reminds you to check that your routine immunization schedule is up to date.

Once done, click “Next.”

Character declarations

Answer “Yes” or “No” to this series of “character” questions.

If you answer “Yes” to any of them, you will be asked to provide details.

Click “Next.”

Working holiday declarations

Read the warning and answer “Yes” or “No” to each of the statements. Obviously, answering “No” is probably a no-go for your visa…

In this series of statements, answer “yes” or “no”.

In case you’re curious, 1442i is a Privacy Notice.

Review page

Now is the time to check carefully—one last time—that all the information you have entered is correct. Any errors could mean delays and troubles.

Edits are always possible as long as your session is saved, but not yet confirmed!

Attach documents

Attach the following supporting documents to finalize your visa application:

• Passport (valid for the entire duration of your visa),
• Proof of funds (AU$5,000 + extra money to buy your return ticket if you don’t have one yet)
• Proof of your eligible specified work (payslip, employment contract, tax documents, work reference, PAYG payment summary, piecework agreement, employer deduction agreement, bank statements for the specified period).

For each document requested, select the file and click on “Attach”. A successful upload will show up on this line. Don’t hesitate to provide as many documents as possible proving that you completed the specified work. Put all the chances on your side!

Click “Next.”

Step 3 – Submit your application

Your application is now ready for submission. Click “Submit Now.”

Step 4 – Pay the fees

The fee for a second or third Working Holiday Visa is AU$635. There are no refunds if you don’t get your visa.

You can pay by credit card, PayPal or UnionPay (popular in China).

Select your payment method. Most people pay by credit card. If by card, select the type of card and enter the card details.

Click “Submit.”

You should see a payment confirmation message. Congrats, you successfully submitted your application!

Step 5 – Wait for your visa

Most applicants receive their e-visa within a few hours or days. It could take longer if you’re required to provide additional proof, undergo medical examinations or provide police certificates.

You can check the status of your application in your ImmiAccount. For more details, read Processing times below.

Just be patient! Meanwhile, don’t forget to check all our tips for Australia—we have tons of useful content to help you make the most of your adventure!

If, once you’ve received your WHV, you realize that you’ve made a mistake or forgotten some information (a first name, a stay abroad, etc.) when filling in your visa application, send an email (in English) to [email protected]. Explain what needs to be corrected and why (for instance, a scan of your passport if there’s a spelling mistake in your name).