The Working Holiday Visa allows citizens from eligible countries to come to Australia to work and travel for 12 months, with the possibility to extend their stay
With this visa, you can:
- Engage in short-term work in Australia to help fund your holiday.
- Study for up to 4 months.
- Travel to and from Australia as often as you like.
- Complete 3 months of specified work to become eligible for a second Working Holiday visa.
You must
To be eligible for this visa, you must:
- Hold a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction.
- Be 18 to 30 years old (or 35 years old for some countries).
- Apply online from outside Australia.
- Not be accompanied by dependent children.
- Apply on your own; you cannot include family members in your application.
- Not have previously entered Australia on a subclass 417 or 462 visa. If you have previously held a subclass 417 visa, see the information regarding the second Working Holiday visa.
How long you can stay
This is a temporary visa, and you must enter Australia within 12 months of the date it is granted. This timeframe cannot be extended or deferred.
Visa Period of Stay
The period of stay begins on the date you enter Australia. Once you have entered, you can:
- Stay in Australia for up to 12 months.
- Leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you like during those 12 months.
Important Notes:
– You do not need to apply for another visa, such as an eVisitor (subclass 651) visa, after being granted your Working Holiday Visa.
– If you apply for and are granted another visa (like a subclass 651 visa) after your Working Holiday visa, your Working Holiday visa (and associated work rights) will end on the date that new visa is granted.
– If your first Working Holiday visa ends because you were granted another visa (such as an eVisitor visa) and you entered Australia on that other visa, you cannot apply for another first Working Holiday visa while in Australia.
Other Visa Information
Your Working Holiday visa starts on the date you enter or transit through Australia, even if you hold another temporary visa, including:
- A Special Purpose visa
- An Electronic Travel Authority
- A Crew Travel Authority
- A Maritime Crew visa
It’s important to apply for a Working Holiday visa only when you are ready to enter Australia on that visa. Once your Working Holiday visa is granted and you arrive in Australia and clear immigration at the border, the 12-month visa period of stay will automatically begin, regardless of the reason for your visit.
Stay longer
You cannot extend this visa to stay in Australia longer. If you wish to stay longer, you will need to apply for another visa.
Visa Options for Staying Longer
You may be eligible to apply for a second Working Holiday visa.
Staying Longer on a Visitor Visa
The total time you can spend in Australia on your first Working Holiday visa, followed by a Visitor visa, is limited to 12 consecutive months.
If you want to apply for a Visitor visa to extend your stay in Australia beyond 12 consecutive months, you must demonstrate exceptional circumstances.
Exceptional circumstances may include:
– The death or serious illness of a close family member in Australia, requiring your assistance or support.
Apply from
You must be outside Australia when you apply for this visa and also when we make a decision on your application.
You may also be eligible to apply for another more permanent visa if you meet the requirements:
• 189 visa
• 190 visa
• 187 visa (RSMS visa)
• 186 visa (ENS visa)
• Student visa
• Partner visa
• Employer Sponsored Visas
To apply for a Working Holiday Visa you must meet the following criteria
Be this age
At the time of application, you must be within the eligible age limit for your passport country:
- Belgium – 18 to 30 years
- Canada – 18 to 35 years
- Republic of Cyprus – 18 to 30 years
- Denmark – 18 to 35 years
- Estonia – 18 to 30 years
- Finland – 18 to 30 years
- France – 18 to 35 years
- Germany – 18 to 30 years
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China – 18 to 30 years
- Republic of Ireland – 18 to 35 years
- Italy – 18 to 35 years
- Japan – 18 to 30 years
- Republic of Korea – 18 to 30 years
- Malta – 18 to 30 years
- Netherlands – 18 to 30 years
- Norway – 18 to 30 years
- Sweden – 18 to 30 years
- Taiwan (excluding official or diplomatic passports) – 18 to 30 years
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (including British National Overseas passport holders) – 18 to 35 years
If you apply for the visa while you are 30 (or 35), but turn 31 (or 36) before we make a decision, we can still grant you the visa if you meet all other requirements.
Previous Visa
You must not have previously entered Australia on a:
- Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
- Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)
Have enough money
You must have enough money to:
- Support yourself while in Australia.
- Leave Australia at the end of your stay.
This is typically around AUD 5,000 for your initial stay, in addition to the fare for your onward travel after leaving Australia.
Health and Character Requirement
You must meet our health requirement and our character requirement.
Pay your debts to the Australian Government
If you or any family members (including those not applying for the visa with you) owe money to the Australian government, you or they must have either repaid the debt or made arrangements to do so.
Not had a visa cancelled or an application refused
We will take your immigration history into account when making a decision on your application. This means you might not be eligible for this visa if you have had a visa cancelled or refused.
In certain circumstances, you may still be able to apply for a permanent visa even if you have had a visa cancelled or an application refused.
You may be able to apply for a Working Holiday Visa if you are a citizen of the following countries
• 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
You cannot include any family members in your application.
You cannot be accompanied by dependent children while you are in Australia
Not sure how to proceed and if a Working Holiday Visa is the right choice?
If you would like to discuss your Australian visa eligibility with a registered migration agent, simply book a consultation.