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Working holiday visa 417-462

Working Holiday Visas

Subclass 417 and 462 working holiday visa.

Work and travel in Australia for around a year as a young person. The 417 and 462 do the same job; which one you can apply for depends on your passport. A second or third year may be possible if you do the right work.

Around 12 months, work and travel417 or 462 by passportSecond and third year possible
Book a Visa AssessmentAll visitor visa options
What They Are

Two visas, one purpose: a year of work and travel.

The Subclass 417 Working Holiday visa and the Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa are the two "working holiday maker" visas. Both let young people from eligible countries spend around a year in Australia, travelling and working to help fund the trip. Unlike a general visitor visa 600, which does not allow work, the 417 and 462 come with work rights, which is the whole point of them.

The big practical question is not "which is better" but "which one can I apply for", and that is decided by your passport. Each participating country has an arrangement with Australia under either the 417 or the 462, not both, so your nationality usually points you to one of them.

417 or 462

Which applies to you?

Subclass 417 - Working Holiday

For passport holders of countries in the Working Holiday arrangement. Generally for ages 18 to 30, though some countries (for example Canada and Ireland) have access up to 35. It usually has fewer additional entry requirements than the 462.

Subclass 462 - Work and Holiday

For passport holders of countries in the Work and Holiday arrangement. Generally for ages 18 to 30, and it often carries extra requirements, which can include a level of tertiary education, English ability, and for some countries a government support letter or a pre-application or ballot step.

Your country decides the visa, and the rules differ by country. Age limits, extra requirements and any caps or ballots are set per nationality and change from time to time. We confirm which visa your passport qualifies for and what it currently asks, so you do not prepare for the wrong one.

A Second or Third Year

Staying longer through specified work.

Both visas can lead to a second, and then a third, working holiday year. The way you earn that extra time is generally by completing a period of specified work, typically in regional Australia or in industries like agriculture, while you hold the current visa. What counts as specified work, how long you need to do, and which areas qualify have changed several times and can differ between the 417 and the 462 and by nationality. Because the rules move, we confirm the current requirement before you build a second-year plan around a particular job or region, rather than relying on what applied a year ago.

Common Questions

Working holiday visa questions.

They do the same thing, a year of work and travel, but they cover different countries. The 417 is for passport holders in the Working Holiday arrangement; the 462 is for those in the Work and Holiday arrangement. The 462 generally carries extra requirements, such as a level of tertiary education, English ability, and for some countries a government support letter or a pre-application step. Your passport usually decides which one is open to you.
Your country of passport determines it. Each participating country sits under either the 417 or the 462, so once we know your nationality we can tell you which visa applies and what its current requirements are. You generally cannot choose between the two.
Generally between 18 and 30 at the time you apply. Some countries on the 417 have access up to 35, for example Canada and Ireland. Because the age cap is set per country and can change, we confirm the limit for your nationality before you rely on it.
These visas carry work rights, and many holders work full-time during their stay. There have historically been limits on how long you can work for one employer without permission, and those rules have changed over time, so the safe answer is to confirm the current condition on your grant before committing to a long stint with a single employer.
Often yes, through a second and then a third working holiday year. You generally earn the extra time by completing specified work, such as regional or agricultural work, while on the current visa. The exact requirement changes and differs by visa and nationality, so confirm the current rule before planning your second year around a particular job.
Specified work is particular work in particular regional areas or industries that the Department recognises for the second or third year, often agricultural, but it has included other industries at times. The eligible work, areas and the amount required have changed more than once, so we check the current definition for your visa before you take a job expecting it to count.
Usually, yes. The 462 commonly asks for a level of tertiary education and functional English, and for some countries a letter of government support or a pre-application or ballot process, with annual places that can fill. The detail is set per country, so we confirm exactly what your nationality needs and when applications open.
Not directly, but it can be a useful first step. Time on a working holiday can help you build experience, connections and sometimes a sponsor, which may open a skilled or employer-sponsored pathway later. If permanent residence is the longer goal, it is worth planning the sequence early, and we can sketch out how a working holiday might fit into it.
Where to From Here

Related visas and pathways.

Visitor hubVisitor Visas AustraliaAll visitor options if a working holiday is not for you. Tourism onlyVisitor Visa 600For travel without work rights. Study insteadStudent Visa 500If you would rather study, with a pathway beyond. After study485 Temporary GraduatePost-study work rights, a step toward PR.
Sources

Department of Home Affairs - Subclass 417 Working Holiday visa and Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa (including the second and third visa and specified work pages); Migration Regulations 1994 (Cth). Current as at June 2026 and verified live at publish; eligible countries, age caps and specified-work rules change, so confirm at homeaffairs.gov.au.

Written and reviewed by Brian Chan, Registered Migration Agent (MARN 2217857)

Visa Store Australia, Perth · Last reviewed June 2026 · Verify on the MARA register · General information only, not personal migration advice.

Not sure if it is the 417 or the 462?

Tell us your passport and your plans, and we will confirm which working holiday visa is open to you and what it asks.

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Working Holiday 417/462 A year of work and travel
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