Working Holiday Visa Australia

You must be 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) when you lodge your application.

If you hold a passport from Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Republic of Korea or the United Kingdom, you can apply for a 417 visa up to age 35 (inclusive). This means you can apply up to the day before your 36th birthday.

Age is checked on the day you lodge. If you apply after your age limit, your application will not be valid.

Important: If you don’t meet the age requirement for the WHV, you may still be able to live, work, and study in Australia on a Student Visa, which has no age limit.

No previous WHV subclass 417 or 462

If you have previously held or currently hold a WHV and have completed certain Specified Regional Work, you may be eligible to extend your time in Australia for a Second or Third Year.

If you already had a First Year WHV but do not qualify for the Second or Third Year WHV, you may still be able to live, study, and work in Australia on a Student Visa.

Must be outside of Australia

At the time of application and time of grant, you must be out of the country when applying for the First Year Working Holiday Visa.

If you are already in Australia and are looking to extend your stay, you may want to consider a Student Visa.

You must have enough funds to:

• Support yourself for your initial stay in Australia (est $5,000)
• Purchase a departure ticket out of the country.

Meeting the health requirement

Based on your home country, travel history, or medical history, you might have to undergo a health exam before your visa is granted.

Health insurance is recommended for your time in Australia.

You can learn more specifics from the Health Requirement posted by the Australian Department of Home Affairs.

Meeting the character requirement

In order to visit or live in Australia, you must meet what’s needed to show if you are of good character and will abide by the laws and values of Australia. In some cases, you will be required to provide evidence, such as:

• Police checks
• Military certificates
• Explanations

Visit the Department of Home Affairs’ website to learn more details.

Meeting other necessary standards

• Pay any debts – You and your family members must repay or arrange repayment of any money owed to the Australian Government.

• Visa history check – Past visa refusals or cancellations may affect your eligibility.

• Possible exceptions – You might still be able to apply for a permanent visa despite previous refusals or cancellations.

• Applying from offshore – Before applying for a visa from outside Australia, make sure you’re actually permitted to travel and enter the country under current Australian government entry rules.

• Australian Values Statement – You must sign and acknowledge your commitment to respect Australian values and obey Australian laws when applying.

Get help if needed . You can seek assistance from registered migration agents.

Step 2: Gather the Required Documents

You will need to supply certain documents and evidence to support your application. Here is a general list of documents you may need to provide:

• Identity Documents

You must provide:

• Passport Bio Page
• Full Birth Certificate, showing parents’ names

You may need to provide evidence of Name Change, if applicable, such as:

• Marriage or Divorce Certificate
• Deed Poll
• Official documentation of name change

• Evidence of Sufficient Funds
  • Bank Statement
  • Line of Credit
• Character Documents

You may be required to provide:

• Police Checks for Australia

This is usually requested if you’ve committed a crime and have spent a total of 12 months or more in Australia in the last 10 years since turning 16)

• Overseas Police Checks

This is usually requested if you’ve committed a crime. A police check is required for each country where you’ve resided for a total of 12 months or more in the last 10 years, since turning 16

• Military Service Records

This is usually required if you’ve previously served in the military or if you are from a country that has mandatory military service.

• Documents Specific for Subclass 462
  • Education Documents
  • English Language Documents
  • Letter of Support from Government

*Note: All documents must be translated to English by an accredited translator. The evidence must be organized, clear, in colour, and under 5MB (if submitting the application online).

Depending on your individual circumstances, you will need to require specific documentation and evidence. If you are unsure of what is required, we may be able to assist you.

Step 3: Complete the Visa Application

Most Applicants will be required to apply online. Here’s how:

• Login or create an ImmiAccount.
• Complete the Online Application Form
• Attach the Documents

How to Apply on Paper:
Please note: Paper applications will not be accepted from Applicants who are eligible to apply online.

All Subclass 417 Visa Applicants must apply online.

Subclass 462 visa applicants apply online through ImmiAccount. If your country uses a ballot (China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia), you can only lodge your application after you have been selected.

Tips for Completing the Visa Application Form
Be truthful

• Do not lie on the Application.
• Providing false or misleading statements or information that conflicts with previous visa applications can result in delays in processing or a refusal.

Be thorough and accurate

• Provide all information requested on the Application.
• Providing insufficient or inadequate information may delay the processing of your application

Review the Application before submitting

• Ensure your name, passport number, date of birth, and all other biographical information is accurate.
• Providing incorrect information may cause issues with the validity of your visa

Step 4: Pay the Visa Application Fee

As of 1st July 2026, the fee for the Working Holiday Subclass 417 and 462 Visa is: $840 AUD.

(This fee is subject to change. Please check the Department of Home Affairs’ website.)

Online Applications

• You will be able to pay online at the end of the Application.
• You can pay via: Credit Card, PayPal, UnionPay, or BPAY (fees may apply)
• Your application will not be processed until you pay the Application Fee

Paper Applications

• If you apply in person, you can pay at the time of application.
• If you mail the application, Immigration will send an invoice.

Step 5: Check for Correspondences and Notify Immigration of Any Changes

• If you are required to provide more information or undertake a medical examination or biometrics collection, Immigration will notify you or your nominated agent.
• If you made a mistake on your submitted application, if there have been any changes in your circumstances or if you want to change or nominate an agent, you must inform immigration.

Step 6: Wait for a Decision

Processing Time of Working Holiday Visa Applications

Home Affairs is receiving a record number of Working Holiday Maker applications. The average processing time is expected to be around three months for most applications. Published processing times are a guide only, and Home Affairs can’t tell you when your application will be decided.

You must be outside Australia when your first visa is granted, so plan any travel with this in mind.

Subclass 417
On average, it takes between 17 and 30 days to process a WHV subclass 417 Application

Subclass 462
It takes anywhere from 46 to 62 days to process most WHV Subclass 462 Applications.

How to Avoid Delays With Your WHV Application
While you cannot speed up the processing of your WHV application, you can take steps to make sure it is not delayed:

• Make sure you have a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction
• Apply for the correct subclass
• Provide accurate, thorough and truthful answers in your visa application
• Provide all required documentation and evidence
• Provide clear, colour images of your documents
• Make sure all documents are in English and translated by an approved translator
• Undertake your health exams and/or biometrics collection before Immigration requests them, if you know you will be required to do so
• Provide correct contact information and update Immigration if these details change
• Check your “Spam” folder for any emails from Immigration
• Seek help from a professional if you are unsure of the application process
• Wait until your visa is granted before booking travel or making work or study commitments.