Australia Work and Holiday 462
Australia
Residency
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See if you're a match →Australia's Work and Holiday visa is a temporary route for young adults from eligible passport countries who want to holiday in Australia and work during the stay. It generally requires being 18 to 30, holding an eligible passport, meeting country-specific education or English rules, having funds, and not bringing dependent children.
- Type
- Temporary youth-mobility work visa
- Who it covers
- Young adults from eligible passport countries
- Core requirements
- Eligible citizenship, age, funds, and route-specific rules
- Main limit
- Usually temporary, with passport and age limits
- Duration
- Temporary stay, often around 12 months unless the country allows a longer period.
- Renewal / path
- Renewal is limited; it is usually not a direct permanent-residence route.
Summary
Australia's Work and Holiday visa, subclass 462, lets eligible young adults spend a temporary period in Australia and work during the stay. It is part of the Working Holiday Maker program and is designed for a holiday first, with work allowed to help fund the trip.
This pathway is for a first subclass 462 visa. Second and third Work and Holiday visas have separate rules, usually tied to specified work completed in Australia.
Eligibility
You may be a fit if:
- You are 18 to 30 when you apply
- You hold a passport from a country covered by subclass 462
- You meet any country-specific requirements, such as education, functional English, government support, annual cap, or ballot rules
- You have not already entered Australia on a Working Holiday Maker visa in a way that blocks a first subclass 462 application
- You will not be accompanied by dependent children
- You can show enough money for the first part of the stay and onward travel
- You meet Australia's health and character requirements
Subclass 462 is limited to specific passport countries. It is currently for passport holders from Argentina, Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Fiji, Greece, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Samoa, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United States, Uruguay, and Vietnam.
What This Route Allows
The visa is usually granted for a temporary stay. It lets you holiday in Australia, work during the stay, study for a limited period, and travel in and out of Australia while the visa is valid.
The exact conditions can vary, so the visa grant letter matters. Many Working Holiday Maker visas include limits on how long you can work for one employer unless an exception applies.
What Makes Subclass 462 Different
Australia has two related working-holiday visas: subclass 417 and subclass 462. Your passport determines which subclass you use.
Subclass 462 often has more passport-specific criteria than subclass 417. Based on your passport, you may need to show functional English, meet an education requirement, provide a government support letter, or be selected through a ballot before applying.
What This Route Is Not
- A permanent residence route by itself
- A general skilled-worker visa
- A visa for bringing dependent children
- A guarantee of work in Australia
Some people later move from a working-holiday stay into study, employer sponsorship, or skilled migration, but that requires qualifying separately for another visa.
Next Steps
- Confirm that your passport country is covered by subclass 462.
- Check the country-specific requirements for your passport.
- Confirm whether your passport country has a cap or ballot before applying.
- Gather passport, funds, education, English, health, character, and support-letter documents as required.
- Apply through Australia's official immigration system.