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How the visa works

Subclasses 417 and 462, explained with their sources.

What the Working Holiday Maker programme is

The Working Holiday Maker (WHM) programme lets young people from partner countries spend up to 12 months on holiday in Australia, with permission to work and study for a limited time.

The programme is built on bilateral agreements. Australia agrees part of the conditions with each country or territory, such as the maximum age. This is why the rules change depending on your passport.

There are two visas:

  • Subclass 417 (Working Holiday): 19 countries and territories.
  • Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday): 31 countries.

Under certain conditions, you can get a second and a third visa. They are explained in the second and third year section.

This website explains the rules and links to its sources. It is not a migration agent and does not give legal advice. The reference is always the Department of Home Affairs: visa 417 and programme news.

What we could not confirm

  • We could not check the linked Home Affairs pages. This section relies on the Federal Register of Legislation.
Sources

The difference between the 417 and the 462 visa

The subclass depends on your passport. You do not choose it. The main differences are age, caps, study requirements and the work that counts towards staying on.

417 Working Holiday462 Work and Holiday
Countries and territories1931
Maximum age30 or 35, depending on the passport30
Annual capNoYes, per country, on the first visa, except the United States
Prior ballotNoChina, India and Vietnam; Indonesia announced
Minimum educationIts instrument does not mention itYes, depending on the country, on the first visa
Government support letterIts instrument does not mention itYes for 12 countries, on the first visa
Functional EnglishIts instrument does not require itYes, on the first visa
Work that counts towards another visaWider list, including miningShorter list, without mining
Form11501208

Both share the general application charge, the 6-month limit with one employer and the 4-month limit on study.

What we could not confirm

  • The instrument requires functional English for the first 462 (clause 462.215). We could not check the official list of tests and notes. An independent guide says some passports, such as the United States, are exempt from providing proof.
  • The claim that the United States has no cap comes only from third parties, such as pvtistes. Magpie Consultants lists it among the countries with a cap.
Sources

Who can apply and age limits

The instrument requires a passport from the list and being at least 18 and no more than 35 when you lodge the application, unless 30 is set for that passport.

417, up to 35 years old: Germany, Canada, Cyprus, South Korea, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy and the United Kingdom.

417, up to 30 years old: Belgium, Estonia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malta, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Taiwan.

462, up to 30 years old in all cases: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Ecuador, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, the United States, the Philippines, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, San Marino, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay and Vietnam.

Age is checked when each application is lodged, including the second and third visa. A Home Affairs guide for Japan explains it this way: you must not have turned 31 at that time. AHC Lawyers applies the same count to the 35 limit: up to the day before turning 36.

For the United Kingdom, the passport must say British Citizen or British National (Overseas). For Taiwan, an official or diplomatic passport is not valid.

Education for the first 462

  • United States: secondary school.
  • Israel: secondary school and completed military service or a legal exemption.
  • Thailand: tertiary degree.
  • Chile: tertiary degree, or third year of a degree completed or with permission to study it.
  • Spain: 2 years of higher education.
  • Brazil and India: 2 years of post-secondary study.
  • Czech Republic: 2 years of tertiary education.
  • Switzerland: 2 years of study after minimum schooling.
  • Austria and Ecuador: tertiary degree or 2 years of higher education.
  • Papua New Guinea: 2 years of a university degree.
  • Philippines: tertiary degree, or 2 years of a degree or of post-secondary study.
  • Singapore: tertiary-level qualification in Singapore or the equivalent of 2 years of full-time study.
  • All other countries: tertiary degree or 2 years of a university degree.

Government support letter for the 462

The instrument exempts 19 countries from providing this evidence: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China, Slovakia, Spain, the United States, Hungary, India, Israel, Luxembourg, Papua New Guinea, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Singapore, Switzerland, Uruguay and Vietnam.

The 12 outside that exemption are: Ecuador, Slovenia, the Philippines, Greece, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Peru, Poland, San Marino, Thailand and Turkey.

Other points

  • Funds: the instrument requires enough money to support yourself and to pay for the departure flight, without giving a figure. Home Affairs guides published by embassies mention about 5,000 AUD, plus that flight. Home Affairs may ask for evidence.
  • Family: each person applies separately. Dependent children cannot accompany the visa holder.
  • Previous visa: anyone who has already been in Australia on a 417 cannot apply for a first 462, and anyone who has been on a 462 cannot apply for a 417.
  • Health and background: police certificates or medical examinations may be requested.

What we could not confirm

  • The 5,000 AUD figure is not in the instrument. It has been seen in official checklists for China (March 2026) and Japan (2024), at the Embassy in Indonesia and at Tourism Australia. We could not check the general Home Affairs page.
  • The instrument includes the Philippines, but 2026 guides say the programme has not started yet. We could not confirm this with Home Affairs.
  • A guide from Australian Migration Lawyers still asked for a letter from Luxembourg and did not mention the Philippines. Here we follow the 2026 instrument.
Sources

Caps, ballots and when they renew

The 417 has no cap. The first 462 does: each country has an annual number of places, which renews with the programme year, from 1 July to 30 June.

In 2026-27, applications from countries with a cap opened on 2 July 2026. During the year, each cap can be open, paused or closed. According to the guides we checked, a pause does not always mean the places have run out, and the cap can reopen in the same year. A closed cap does not reopen until the following year.

According to Home Affairs, as cited by One Planet, the second and third 462 have no cap today. A change has been announced that is not yet in the rules: see the legal changes section.

Status as at 3 November 2026

According to Gate Migration, which summarises the official table:

  • Open (21): Argentina, Austria, Chile, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, the Czech Republic, San Marino, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey and Uruguay.
  • Paused (4): Brazil, Ecuador, Mongolia and Switzerland.
  • Ballot (3): China, India and Vietnam.
  • Ballot announced, registration not open: Indonesia, with data as at 1 November.
  • Not in that table: the United States, with no cap according to pvtistes, and the Philippines, whose programme has not started yet according to several guides.

This status changes throughout the year, sometimes within hours. The current information is on the official status of country caps page.

How the ballot works

CountryPlaces per year
China5,000
Vietnam1,500
India1,000
  • 2026-27 registration: 4 to 25 June 2026. It is now closed.
  • Cost: 25 AUD, non-refundable.
  • Selection: random and automatic, in several rounds until 30 April 2027.
  • Notice: people who are selected receive an email. Others receive no notice.
  • Deadline: 28 days from selection to lodge the visa application.
  • Important: being selected gives you the right to apply for the visa. It is not the visa.

For Indonesia, RACC cites a cap of 5,000 first visas. From 1 July 2026, Uruguay has up to 1,500 first visas a year, according to One Planet.

What we could not confirm

  • We could not check the official page on the status of the caps. The status comes from Gate Migration, which says it checked the page on 3 November 2026. According to third parties, that table can take up to 48 hours to update.
  • The annual places for each country in 2026-27 have only been seen in third-party sources (AVIE, VisaMundi, Legit.ng).
  • For 2026-27, the places for China, Vietnam and India and the 25 AUD cost come from third parties. An official 2024 note gives the same caps. The Embassy in Beijing only confirms the registration dates, the selections throughout the year and the notice by email.
  • There is no official date for the 2027-28 ballot or for opening the Indonesia ballot.
Sources

How to apply and what happens next

The application is lodged online with form 1150 (417) or 1208 (462). The first visa is applied for from outside Australia.

  1. Ballot, if it applies. China, India and Vietnam register before they can apply for the first 462.
  2. Form. An ImmiAccount is used. The instrument allows another route: if Home Affairs authorises it by email, the paper form is sent by email within 7 days.
  3. Location. The instrument requires you to be outside Australia when applying for the first visa and also when it is granted. The second and third can be applied for inside or outside the country. Whoever applies inside must be inside when it is granted, and whoever applies outside must be outside.
  4. Age. It is checked when you lodge. From 1 July 2026, if you do not fit, the application is not valid, no charge is paid and there is no review of that decision.
  5. Payment and evidence. The application charge is paid. Home Affairs may ask for evidence of funds, certificates or a medical examination.
  6. Decision. If the visa is granted, the grant letter states its conditions, including 8501 if it has been imposed.

According to the instrument, with a visa granted outside Australia you have 12 months from the grant to enter, and the stay ends 12 months after the first entry. During that time you can enter and leave several times.

Processing times: this website does not give grant dates. According to VisasNews, Home Affairs warns that an application from abroad can take several months, and asks people not to book travel until they have the visa. The official processing times page does not separate the first visa from the others, according to One Planet.

What we could not confirm

  • We could not check the official processing times page.
Sources

Application cost

From 1 July 2026, the first visa costs 840 AUD and the second or third costs 1,000 AUD. Before, all cost 670 AUD.

ApplicationPrice from 1 July 2026
First 417 or 462840 AUD
Second or third 417 or 4621,000 AUD
462 with a passport from a Pacific country or Timor-Leste690 AUD
Ballot registration (China, India, Vietnam)25 AUD

Of the programme countries, the only one on that Pacific list is Papua New Guinea.

Other costs may add up: medical examination, police certificate, biometrics, English test and translations. The sources we checked do not give amounts.

What we could not confirm

  • The visa amounts come from the Migration Regulations (items 1224A and 1225). The 25 AUD ballot cost has only been seen in third-party sources.
  • The instrument applies the 690 AUD to any 462 application with a passport from those countries, without distinguishing first, second or third visa. VisasNews limits it to the first. Here we follow the instrument.
  • The instrument provides for a zero amount for a group of people defined in another instrument, which we could not check.
Sources

Visa conditions and the 6-month limit with one employer

The visa always carries two conditions: 8547, a maximum of 6 months of work with the same employer without written permission, and 8548, a maximum of 4 months of study.

Condition 8547: 6 months with one employer

The instrument prohibits working for the same employer for more than 6 months without prior written permission from Home Affairs. The legal text does not list exceptions. The guides we checked mention these:

  • Several locations: you can stay with the same employer in another location, without going over 6 months in each.
  • Growing plants and raising animals: anywhere in Australia.
  • Some industries in northern Australia.
  • Written permission from Home Affairs: requested before the 6 months end.
  • New visa: according to Visa Envoy, the limit starts again when another Working Holiday visa is granted.

The detail is on the official page on the 6-month limit.

Condition 8548: 4 months of study

The instrument prohibits studying or training in Australia for more than 4 months. The guides apply this to each visa, and RACC also expresses it as 17 weeks.

Other points

  • Stay: up to 12 months per visa, with several entries and exits.
  • Breaching conditions: failing to meet these conditions can lead to the visa being cancelled.
  • Switching to a student visa: from 2 October 2026, most holders of temporary visas, including WHMs, can no longer apply for one from inside Australia, according to One Planet, which cites the Government.

What we could not confirm

  • The list of exceptions to 8547 has only been seen in a third-party guide written for the 417. Tourism Australia (2023) only mentions a special permission in some cases. We could not check the official page.
  • We could not confirm which industries are exempt in northern Australia.
  • The claim that the 6-month limit starts again with a new visa comes only from Visa Envoy.
  • The instrument that prevents applying for the student visa from inside Australia (F2026L01347) refers to a list of visas that we could not check. The WHM case comes from One Planet.
Sources

Second and third year: specified work, areas and the 88 days

For a second visa, the current rules require 3 months of specified work. For a third, 6 months. People with a UK passport do not need them from 1 July 2024.

The Government has announced a ballot for these visas. It is not yet in the rules: see the legal changes section.

How days are counted

  • 3 months: at least 88 calendar days, including weekends or equivalent rest days.
  • 6 months: at least 179 calendar days.
  • Working pattern: you must work the normal days or shifts of a full-time employee in that role and industry.
  • Splitting: you can add together different periods and employers.
  • A day is a day: a double shift does not count as two.
  • Do count: paid public holidays and paid leave.
  • Do not count: unpaid days, including days lost to bad weather.
  • Visa: the work is done on the previous visa. For the third, work done on a bridging visa while the second was being processed can also count. All the work for the third must be from 1 July 2019.
  • Pay: the instrument requires pay in line with Australian laws and awards, and that the employer is not an excluded one.

What work counts and where

Work417462
Growing plants and raising animalsRegional AustraliaNorthern and regional Australia
ConstructionRegional AustraliaNorthern and regional Australia
Fishing and pearlingRegional AustraliaNorthern only
Tree farming and fellingRegional AustraliaNorthern only
MiningRegional AustraliaNot listed
Tourism and hospitality, from 22 June 2021Northern, remote and very remote areas, and codes 4406, 4416, 4498 and 7215Same
Bushfire recovery, from 1 August 2019Affected areas, with paid or voluntary workSame
Flood, cyclone or severe weather recovery, from 1 January 2022Affected areasSame
Critical COVID-19 work in health care, from 1 February 2020Whole countrySame

Immediate processing of farm products counts, but secondary processing does not.

Postcodes for regional Australia

All of South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Norfolk Island count as regional. In the rest, only these postcodes:

  • New South Wales: 2311-2312, 2328-2411, 2420-2490, 2536-2551, 2575-2594, 2618-2739, 2787-2898.
  • Victoria: 3139, 3211-3334, 3340-3424, 3430-3649, 3658-3749, 3753, 3756, 3758, 3762, 3764, 3778-3781, 3783, 3797, 3799, 3810-3909, 3921-3925, 3945-3974, 3979, 3981-3996.
  • Queensland: 4124-4125, 4133, 4211, 4270-4272, 4275, 4280, 4285, 4287, 4307-4499, 4510, 4512, 4515-4519, 4522-4899.
  • Western Australia: 6041-6044, 6055-6056, 6069, 6076, 6083-6084, 6111, 6121-6126, 6200-6799.

Northern Australia is the whole Northern Territory and part of Queensland and Western Australia. The full list is in each instrument, linked in the sources, and on the official specified work page.

Other points

  • Temporary flexibility: according to One Planet, Home Affairs currently accepts support jobs in an included industry, such as administration or cleaning, in a valid postcode.
  • Evidence: the guides mention a contract, payslips, bank statements and form 1263, the employer verification form. According to First Migration Service, cash work without payslips is usually rejected because it cannot be checked.
  • Volunteering: it only counts for natural disaster recovery.

What we could not confirm

  • We found no “3 weeks” rule by country or subclass. The instruments and guides we checked speak only of months and days. The only difference by country is the UK exemption.
  • The 3 and 6 months are in the Migration Regulations. The count in days is not: the 88 is also given by Tourism Australia, and the 179 only by third parties who cite Home Affairs. We could not check the official page.
  • The lists of work and areas are the compilations of 5 April 2025. The official register shows them as the latest version in force, checked on 5 November 2026.
  • We could not confirm how long the temporary flexibility for support jobs will last.
  • Sources differ on how to count days in casual contracts: First Migration Service says only days worked count.
Sources

Health insurance and condition 8501

According to the Migration Regulations, health insurance is compulsory only if the visa carries condition 8501. Without insurance and without a health agreement, medical bills are paid by the visa holder.

  • What 8501 requires: maintaining adequate health insurance throughout your stay.
  • How it is applied: on the 417 and 462 it is discretionary: the instrument says it can be imposed. It does not come automatically with the visa. If it is imposed, it appears in the grant letter. On the 462 it is not imposed if a computer program decides the application.
  • How often: pvtistes describes it as uncommon and decided case by case.
  • Other countries: according to pvtistes, the governments of France and Germany require their citizens to have insurance to take part in the programme, even though Australia does not check it.

This website does not rank insurers or assess policies.

What we could not confirm

  • What is attributed to pvtistes comes from its page “Australia WHV insurance requirement” (pvtistes.net), seen on 5 November 2026. It is not linked because it promotes a specific insurance product with a price. Visa Envoy does not mention 8501: it only says insurance is not a requirement for most people.
  • The text of 8501 and its discretionary nature come from the Migration Regulations. We could not check the Home Affairs pages on 8501.
  • It is not known how many grant letters carry 8501.
  • We could not confirm what insurance is considered adequate or whether a travel policy is accepted.
  • The requirement in France and Germany has only been seen at pvtistes, not on those governments' websites.
Sources

Reciprocal Medicare agreements

Australia has reciprocal health agreements with 11 countries. Other holders of this visa, in general, do not have access to Medicare.

The 11 countries are Belgium, Slovenia, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Norway, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Sweden. In Italy and Malta, cover lasts 6 months from arrival.

Spain, France, Germany and the countries of Latin America are not on the list.

  • What it covers: emergency care and some subsidised services for medically necessary treatment.
  • What it does not cover: care as a private patient and planned admissions. Nor ambulance or repatriation, according to pvtistes.
  • Documents: the Royal Melbourne Hospital asks for a passport, visa, date of entry and proof of country of birth or residence. Without them, it treats the patient as not covered and charges all costs.

According to that hospital, the agreement does not replace private insurance. The official reference is Services Australia.

What we could not confirm

  • What is attributed to pvtistes comes from its page “Australia WHV insurance requirement” (pvtistes.net), seen on 5 November 2026. It is not linked because it promotes a specific insurance product with a price.
  • We could not check the Services Australia page. The list comes from a public hospital in Victoria and matches the Tourism Australia list (January 2026).
  • We could not confirm how a holder of this visa enrols in Medicare.
  • The hospital refers to residents of those countries. We could not confirm whether the passport is enough without living there, for example with an Italian passport.
  • We found no source that expressly covers 417 and 462 holders under these agreements.
Sources

Tax for working holiday makers

Anyone working on a 417 or a 462 pays 15% from the first dollar up to 45,000 AUD a year. There is no tax-free threshold.

Annual incomeRate
Up to 45,000 AUD15%
45,001 to 135,000 AUD30%
135,001 to 190,000 AUD37%
Over 190,000 AUD45%

These are the rates in the Income Tax Rates Act 1986 for 2024-25 and later years.

  • Registered employer: the 15% withholding requires the employer to be registered with the ATO, the tax authority, as a WHM employer. If not, they withhold more, and the excess can be recovered in the tax return.
  • TFN: this is the tax file number. According to the guides we checked, without it the withholding is 45%. One guide says it should be given to the employer within 28 days of starting.
  • Tax return: it is lodged after 30 June, with myTax. The deadline to lodge it yourself is 31 October.
  • Tax year: it runs from 1 July to 30 June.

This is general information, not tax advice. The official source is the ATO.

What we could not confirm

  • We could not check the ATO pages. The rates come from the legal text, in its compilation of 1 July 2026. The withholding rules, the TFN and the deadlines have only been seen in third-party sources.
  • A third-party calculator (Teamz Lab) gives 32.5% for 45,001 to 135,000 AUD. The law says 30%, and here we follow the law.
  • We could not confirm the exact withholding if the employer is not registered. Two third parties give 32.5%, but the first legal band for non-residents is already 30%, so that figure appears out of date.
  • We could not confirm whether holders from countries with a health agreement pay the Medicare levy. One guide says so, with no official source to back it up.
Sources

Superannuation and getting it refunded

Your employer pays 12% into a pension fund, superannuation or “super”. When you leave Australia you can claim it back, but the part paid in on a 417 or 462 is taxed at 65%.

Out of every 1,000 AUD of super paid in on these visas, about 350 AUD remains after that tax.

  • Name of the process: Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP).
  • When you can claim: after leaving Australia and once the visa has ended or been cancelled. It cannot be done while a visa is in force.
  • Rate: the 65% applies from 1 July 2017, according to Migratio, which cites section 5 of the DASP tax law.
  • Changing visa: the rate depends on the visa you held when the contribution was made. That money is still taxed at 65% even if you later move to another visa.
  • Time: one guide mentions about 28 days of processing.

The official source is the ATO.

What we could not confirm

  • The 65%, the 12% and the DASP conditions have only been confirmed in third-party sources. We could not check the ATO pages.
  • We could not open the DASP tax law directly.
  • The 350 AUD figure is our own calculation: 1,000 AUD minus 65%.
  • We could not open an official source on paying super alongside wages (Payday Super), so it is not detailed here.
Sources

Recent and proposed legal changes

The most important change is not yet in the rules: on 17 September 2026, Minister Tony Burke announced a ballot for the second and third visa, with 45,000 and 5,000 places.

Announced, no rule published

  • Ballot for second and third visa: 45,000 places for the second year and 5,000 for the third. Last year, about 57,000 people did a second year and about 31,000 a third.
  • Regional work: it stays. Completing the 88 days or the 6 months would give access to the ballot, not to the visa.
  • Processing: Burke said normal pace would return for countries with a regional work requirement. UK applications would continue at a slower pace. The Government talks of stabilising processing in about three months. This is a programme target, not a deadline for each application.
  • Context: the measure is part of a plan to reduce net migration. The National Farmers' Federation has criticised it.
  • Indonesia: ballot for the first 462, with registration planned for later in 2026.

As at 26 October 2026, the guides we checked said Home Affairs had not published dates, registration or rules for this ballot. The current rules remain in force in the meantime.

Already in force

  • 2 October 2026: most holders of temporary visas, including WHMs, can no longer apply for a student visa from inside Australia.
  • 1 July 2026, age: it is checked when the application is lodged. If you do not fit, the application is not valid, no charge is paid and there is no review of that decision. It applies to applications lodged from that date.
  • 1 July 2026, age 35: the 417 rises from 30 to 35 years for Germany, Cyprus, South Korea and Finland.
  • 1 July 2026, prices: 840 AUD for the first visa and 1,000 AUD for the second or third.
  • 1 July 2026, new instruments: LIN 26/048 and LIN 26/072 replace those of 2022 and 2021.
  • 1 July 2026, Uruguay: up to 1,500 first visas a year.
  • May 2026, Luxembourg: a specific amendment was approved in the 462 instrument.
  • 5 April 2025: the areas where recovery from bushfires, floods, cyclones and severe weather counts are widened.
  • 1 July 2024, United Kingdom: up to three visas without specified work.
  • 1 July 2023, United Kingdom: the maximum age rises from 30 to 35 years.

What we could not confirm

  • We could not open the Minister's speech and press release. The announcement has been cross-checked with ABC, InDaily, The Daily Aus and law firms that cite them.
  • We could not confirm whether anything has changed between 26 October and 5 November 2026.
  • Sources differ on the timetable: Time Out says the ballot would start before the end of 2026, and VisasNews says the changes will arrive gradually over 12 months.
  • Sources differ on the legal route: VisasNews says a law not yet passed is needed, and InDaily says the package includes no new laws.
  • It is unclear whether the ballot will include the United Kingdom: Time Out says it is exempt, and One Planet and Tern say it has not been clarified.
  • No official answer on: who goes into each ballot, whether there is a charge, how places are split between the 417 and 462, and what happens to people who have already done the work or already lodged their application.
  • We could not read the text of the Luxembourg amendment. Only its title and date are known.
  • The Uruguay information comes from One Planet, AVIE and other guides. The 2 October information on the student visa comes from One Planet, which cites the Government. The register shows instrument F2026L01347 in force, but it refers to a list of visas that we could not check.
Sources

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We are not migration agents. This is general information, not advice about your case. Always check the official information.