Working Holiday Visa Introduction
Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) is a temporary visa enables young travellers or backpackers aged between 18 to 31 to do short-term work in Australia for up to 12 consecutive months. You must hold be a citizen of, and hold a passport from, one of the eligible countries. Note the difference between the 417 visa and the 462 Work and Holiday visa:
Working Holiday (417)
- Belgium
- Canada
- Republic of Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (including British National Overseas passport holders)
- Republic of Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- Taiwan (other than an official or diplomatic passport)
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Work and Holiday (462)
- Argentina
- Austria
- Chile
- China, People’s Republic of
- Czech Republic
- Ecuador
- Greece
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Uruguay
- United States of America
- Vietnam
Working Holiday Visa comprises three streams,
- First Working Holiday visa,
- Second Working Holiday visa
- Third Working Holiday visa
To become eligible for the next working holiday visa, the applicant must do certain months of specified work. For instance, you are qualified to apply for the second year visa if you do at least 3 months specified work. Similarly, 6 months specified work for third working holiday visa on or after 1 July 2019 and while holding your second working holiday visa or on bridging visa granted after your working vis expired.
Specified work is work that is undertaken in a “specified” field or industry in a designated regional area of Australia. You can find more information about the specified work within each industry here.
The industries are:
- Plant and animal cultivation
- Fishing and Pearling
- Tree farming and felling
- Mining
- Construction
Part A – First Working Holiday Visa
Introduction
First Working Holiday visa lets people 18-30 years old (inclusive) have their first extended holiday in Australia and work here to help fund their trip. If successful, the stay is 12 consecutive months.
After obtaining you are eligible to:
- Do short term work in Australia to help pay for your holiday
- Study for up to 4 months
- Travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
- Do 3 months of specified work (Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program to become eligible for a second working holiday visa
Eligibility
To be eligible to successfully apply this visa, you must
- Hold a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction,
- Be 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) or if you are a Canadian, French and Irish citizens who can be 18 to 35 (inclusive)
- Apply online from outside Australia
- Not be accompanied by dependent children
- Not have previously entered Australia on a subclass 417 or 462 visa
- Have enough money to support yourself while you are in Australia and to leave Australia at the end of your stay (Around AUD5,000 to consider having enough money to support yourself)
- Meet the health requirement
- Meet the character requirement
- Not owing any debt to the Australian government money
- Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused
- Sign the Australian values Statement
First Working Holiday Visa Conditions
Condition 8106 – Work limitation
You are prohibited to work in Australia unless it is relating to the business or tasks specified in the visa application.
Condition 8107 – Work limitation
You must not stop working for your employer.
Condition 8301
You must satisfy outstanding public interest criteria after you enter Australia and before the visa ceases.
Condition 8303
You must not become involved in activities disruptive to or violence threatening harm to the Australian community or a group within the Australian Community.
Condition 8501
You must have and maintain adequate health insurance for the whole of your stay.
Condition 8502
You must not enter Australia before the person specified in the visa has entered Australia. This is usually the main visa holder or other relevant person such as your sponsor in the case of a Partner visa.
Condition 8503
While you are in Australia, you are unable to make a valid visa application for any new substantive visa other than a protection visa.
Condition 8516
You must satisfy the criteria for the grant of the visa continually.
Condition 8522
You must leave Australia with or before the member of your family unit who satisfied the primary criteria for grant of the visa.
Condition 8525
You must leave Australia on the date or within the period specified in your visa grant letter or by the transport specified in your grant letter
Condition 8526
You must notify the Department in writing of your place of residence in Australia, 7 days before the visa ceases. Complete and submit Form 929 Change of address and/or passport details to the Central Office of Immigration in the Australian Capital Territory.
Condition 8547
You must not be employed by any one employer for more than 6 months without written permission
Condition 8548
You cannot study or train for more than a total of 4 months which is equivalent to 17 weeks and 3 days including weekends, public holidays, non-teaching periods before exams.
Checklist
- You can find this under Gather Your Documents on the Department’s page:
- Health exams
- Identity documents such as passport
- Evidence of enough money for your stay and to lease (AUD5,000)
- Character documents such as overseas police certificate
Application Process
Step 1 Gather document
Step 2 Apply online visa ImmiAccount
Step 3 Visa outcome
Working Holiday Visa Fee
The cost of this visa is AUD 650. （Update date：2025.01）
Processing Time
- 50% of applications: Less than 1 Day
- 90% of applications: 56 Days
（Update date：2025.01）
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my Visa is refused?
You will be informed of reasons for the refusal and of your appeal rights to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Do I have to pay tax when you work in Australia on this visa?
Yes, you have to pay tax to Australian Taxation Office.
Can I stay longer on a visitor visa?
If you want to apply for a Visitor visa to stay longer in Australia and the Visitor visa would result in you staying longer than 12 consecutive months in Australia, you must:
- show there are exceptional circumstances
- apply for a Visitor visa from outside Australia
Part B – Second Work and Holiday Visa
Second Working Holiday Visa Australia: Eligibility
To be eligible to successfully apply this visa, you must have undertaken minimum 3 months of specified work while holding your first working holiday (417) visa
Complete list of eligibility criteria:
- Have previously entered Australia on subclass 417 visa
- Hold a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction,
- Be 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) or if you are a Canadian, French and Irish citizens who can be 18 to 35 (inclusive)
- Have completed 3 months of specified work on you first working holiday visa
- Not be accompanied by dependent children
- Have complied with all the conditions on your first Working Holiday visa
- Have enough money to support yourself while you are in Australia and to leave Australia at the end of your stay (Around AUD5,000 to consider having sufficient money to support yourself)
- Meet the health requirement
- Meet the character requirement
- Not owing any debt to the Australian government money
- Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused
- Sign the Australian values Statement
Checklist
- See the Department’s website under ‘Gather Your Documents’
- Health exams
- Identity documents such as passport
- Evidence of enough money for your stay and to lease (AUD5,000)
- Evidence of specified work such as pay slip, Australian Bank statements, pieve rate agreement with your employer, group certificates, payment summaries, tax return, employer references or written and signed agreement setting out any lawful deductions in pay.
- Character documents such as overseas police certificate
Application Process
Step 1 Completed 3 months specified work while on your first working holiday visa
Step 2 Comply all eligibility criteria for this visa
Step 3 Apply online visa ImmiAccount
Step 4 Visa outcome
Second Working Holiday Visa Fee
The cost of this visa is AUD 650. （Update date：2025.01）
Processing Time
- 50% of applications: Less than 1 Day
- 90% of applications: 56 Days
（Update date：2025.01）
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my Visa is refused?
You will be informed of reasons for the refusal and of your appeal rights to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Do I have to pay tax when you work in Australia on this visa?
Yes, you must pay tax to Australian Taxation Office.
Part C – Third Working Holiday visa
Third Working Holiday Visa Australia: Eligibility
You need to have undertaken 6 months of specified work, While holding your second Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa, or, after your second Working Holiday visa expired, a bridging visa that was granted before your first visa expired when you applied for your second visa
Complete list of eligibility criteria:
- Have previously held 2 subclass 417 visas in Australia
- Hold a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction,
- Be 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) or if you are a Canadian, French and Irish citizens who can be 18 to 35 (inclusive)
- have undertaken, from 1 July 2019, 6 months of specified work while on your second Working Holiday visa, or a bridging visa in certain circumstances
- Not be accompanied by dependent children
- Have complied with all the conditions on your second working holiday visa
- Have enough money to support yourself while you are in Australia and to leave Australia at the end of your stay (Around AUD5,000 to consider having sufficient money to support yourself)
- Meet the health requirement
- Meet the character requirement
- Not owing any debt to the Australian government money
- Not have had a visa cancelled or a previous application refused
- Sign the Australian values Statement
Checklist
- See the Department’s website under Gather Your Documents
- Health exams
- Identity documents such as passport
- Evidence of enough money for your stay and to lease (AUD5,000)
- Evidence of specified work such as pay slip, Australian Bank statements, piece rate agreement with your employer, group certificates, payment summaries, tax return, employer references or written and signed agreement setting out any lawful deductions in pay.
- Character documents such as overseas police certificate
Application Process
Step 1 Completed 6 months specified work while on your first working holiday visa
Step 2 Comply all eligibility criteria for this visa
Step 3 Apply online visa ImmiAccount
Step 4 Visa outcome
Third Working Holiday Visa Fee
The cost of this visa is AUD 650. （Update date：2025.01）
Processing Time
- 50% of applications: Less than 1 Day
- 90% of applications: 56 Days
（Update date：2025.01）
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my Visa is refused?
You will be informed of reasons for the refusal and of your appeal rights to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
Do I have to pay tax when you work in Australia on this visa?
Yes, you must pay tax to Australian Taxation Office.
