If you’ve long wished to explore the Outback, but don’t want to give up your job, there’s a way to live out your day dream—Australia’s Working Holiday visa programs are a great option for people between 18 and 30 years old (35 in a few cases) to live and work in Australia for the short-term.
This may all sound too good to be true, but soon enough, you could be surfing the famous waves at Bells Beach, enjoying laidback seaside life in Byron Bay, or urban-adventuring in Melbourne. However you choose to divvy up your year between work, study, and travel, you’ll want to know which programme is right for you.
Australia’s Working Holiday Maker visa was first launched in January 1975 and was originally limited to applicants from only three countries: Canada, Ireland, and the United Kingdom. That year some 2,000 people were granted visas to spend a year working and travelling in Australia. Over the years the programme has grown substantially, and it is now available to qualifying citizens of 47 countries.
Who is eligible?
There are two different related visas. The Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa (also referred to as subclass 417 visas) are granted to passport holders from 19 countries or regions. Work and Holiday visas (subclass 462 visas) are granted to passport holders from 28 other countries and regions. The primary difference is that Work and Holiday visas have annual caps and there are some additional eligibility requirements.
As Australia’s Department of Home Affairs explains, the Working Holiday Maker visas allow visitors to work in the country to fund an extended vacation. Holders of these visas can also study or train for up to four months, travel to and from Australia as many times as they want during the course of the year, and perform work for up to three months that would qualify them for a second Working Holiday or Work and Holiday visa. That’s right, even after your initial 12 months are over, you may be able to extend your stay down under.
If you have a passport from the following countries, you may be eligible to apply for a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462):
- Argentina
- Austria
- Brazil
- Chile
- China
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- India
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Papau New Guinea
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vietnam
From 2021 to 2022, the United States had the most Work and Holiday visas granted to applicants. Of the 11,598 first-time Work and Holiday visas that were issued, 2,907 went to US passport holders.
The other class of Working Holiday Maker visas are the Working Holiday visas (subclass 417) are available to young people who hold passports from these 19 countries:
- Belgium
- Canada
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan,
- Korea
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
In 2021 and 2022, the United Kingdom received the most Working Holiday visas: 15,592 of the 67,575 that were issued. And while most people granted Working Holiday visas must be 30 of age or younger, applicants from Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom have extended eligibility until they turn 35.
Visa pre-application registration (ballot system) for India
Since October 1, 2024, India has joined the list of countries eligible for Australia’s Work and Holiday visa program under the new ballot process. This system, also in place for high-demand countries like China and Vietnam, requires Indian passport holders to complete a ‘Visa Pre-application Registration’ form via an ImmiAccount. A registration fee of Rs1,411 (AUD 25) applies. The registration deadline for Indian passport holders is 31 October 2024. Once submitted, the application is entered into the ballot, which operates through a random, automated selection process. If selected, applicants will receive a ‘Notification of Selection’ letter, but this does not guarantee visa eligibility. Applicants must still meet all visa requirements before applying and the application for this program year needs to be made within 28 calendar days of the selection notification. The ballot selection period begins 14 October 2024 and ends 30 April 2025. Those not selected will not be notified.
How do I apply?
The process to apply for both classes of visas is straightforward, beginning with creating an account on Australia’s ImmiAccount website and then following all the steps outlined for that visa. Among the documents you will have to scan or photograph and then submit are a valid passport and a birth certificate. In the absence of a birth certificate, you can provide both your parents’ names, a government-issued identification, or a court-issued document that verifies your identity. In addition, all documents must be in English or, for those that are not, accompanied by a translation that includes details of the translator’s qualifications and experience if they are located outside Australia. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
There are also financial requirements. Typically you’ll have to have the equivalent of 5,000 Australian dollars (roughly Rs.2,83,350) plus either an onward ticket to your next destination or the resources to purchase one. You’ll have to complete a health examination that indicates you don’t have any condition that will pose a public threat or strain healthcare systems. And you’ll have to meet a character requirement. The last requirement is typically an issue only for people applying with criminal records, but even for those applicants, the full totality of circumstances around any situation will be considered when deciding whether to grant a visa.
With both subclasses of visas you can arrive in Australia at any time within the 12-month period following the date it is granted. The requirements around the visas are always subject to change, of course, and, for example, the age may be extended upwards to 35 for other countries while there are a number of other countries that are negotiating with Australia to participate in its Working Holiday Maker programs.
Once you have submitted your application, be patient. The majority of applications are processed in 14 days but some require follow up if the application wasn’t completed correctly or if there are any issues with documents that have been uploaded. Once a visa has been issued, you have 12 months to travel to Australia to begin to use it.
How much does it cost?
How much should you have saved up to start the application process? Both the 417 and 462 visas have an application fee of 650 Australian dollars (roughly Rs36,940). Applicants must also show that they are financially solvent and have enough money to live on during the stay, as well as the resources to return home or travel to a next destination. As stated above, immigration authorities say this figure is usually about 5,000 Australian dollars (roughly Rs2,83,350).
Can visits be extended after 12 months?
You can apply for up to two extensions of your visa, in both subclasses. However, you will have to meet some additional requirements by, for example, proving that you have spent at least three months working in specific areas of the economy. These include (among many other areas) tourism in remote and northern Australian regions, bushfire recovery work, and construction.
If you are ready to investigate further and see if your Australian dream can become a reality, the link here provides a comprehensive guide to the process, for both subclasses of visas. There’s even a kangaroo chat feature named Ruby to help along the way.