Australia runs two working holiday visas, and which one you can use depends entirely on your passport. The subclass 417 and the subclass 462 look similar, but they have different country lists — and there is one rule almost every English guide leaves out: if you hold a Chinese, Indian or Vietnamese passport, you cannot simply apply for a 462. You must enter a pre-application ballot and be randomly selected first. This guide sets out the two visas, the ballot, the fees, the second- and third-year rules and the one warning the Department repeats on every page. Last verified 14 October 2026.
Key facts at a glance
| Visa cost | First visa AUD 840.00; second AUD 1,000.00; third AUD 1,000.00 |
|---|---|
| Stay | 12 months per visa, up to three visas |
| Age limit | 417: 18–30 (or 35 for some countries). 462: 18–30 inclusive |
| Where to apply | Online, from outside Australia |
| Children | You cannot be accompanied by dependent children |
| Last verified | 14 October 2026 |
417 or 462 — which one are you?
You don’t choose between the two. Your passport decides. The subclass 417 (Working Holiday) is for a specific list of countries and jurisdictions; the subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) is for a different list. Many countries appear on one list and not the other.
For readers with a Chinese passport, the relevant visa is the 462, not the 417. Both visas give you the same basic deal — 12 months in Australia, the right to work to fund your trip, and the chance to extend — but the entry requirements and the application path differ, so it’s worth confirming your country on the official list before you plan anything. The age rule is one place they diverge: the 462 is strictly 18 to 30 inclusive, while the 417 allows 18 to 30 with an upper limit of 35 for certain countries, which is why you should check your specific country rather than assume.
| Subclass 417 | For eligible countries and jurisdictions. Age 18–30, or 35 for some countries. Apply online from outside Australia. |
|---|---|
| Subclass 462 | For a different list of eligible countries. Age 18–30 inclusive. Apply online from outside Australia — and if you hold a China, India or Vietnam passport, you must first be selected in a ballot. |
The ballot: if you hold a Chinese, Indian or Vietnamese passport
This is the part that changes everything for a lot of readers. The Department states that China, India and Vietnam passport holders must participate in a visa pre-application process (ballot) and be randomly selected in the ballot to apply for a first Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa. You cannot lodge a first 462 application directly. You register, you wait for a selection round, and if you are randomly selected you are then invited to apply.
The practical consequences are:
- You cannot apply whenever you like. You register during the open registration window, then wait.
- Selection is random, not first-come. Registering early doesn’t improve your odds of being picked.
- Registration windows and selection rounds change each year. The dates are set by the Department and published on the official pre-application process page — check it rather than relying on last year’s dates.
- Being selected is not the same as being granted. It gives you the right to apply, and you still have to meet all the visa requirements.
If you are selected, you will be notified, and you then start the visa application in ImmiAccount within the deadline you are given. Because the timing of registration and selection is the single biggest variable for Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese applicants, this is the first page to bookmark.
Planning around the ballot
If you’re affected by the ballot, it changes how you plan. You can’t work backwards from a fixed departure date, because you don’t know whether or when you’ll be selected. The sensible approach is:
- Register as soon as the window opens, so you’re in the pool for every selection round in that period.
- Keep your passport and documents current while you wait, so you can move quickly if you’re selected.
- Don’t quit a job or book travel until you hold the visa — being selected only gives you the right to apply.
- Watch the official page for the next registration window, because it doesn’t run all year.
For 417 applicants, there’s no ballot — you apply directly from outside Australia once you meet the requirements. That’s one of the practical differences between the two visas, and it’s another reason to check your passport against the right list first.
What you can and can’t do on the visa
On a first working holiday visa you can:
- work short-term to help pay for your holiday;
- study for up to 4 months;
- travel in and out of Australia as many times as you like while the visa is valid; and
- do 3 months of specified work to become eligible for a second visa.
What you can’t do is bring dependent children, or include family members in your application — you apply on your own. And you can’t use the visa to settle permanently; it is a temporary holiday-and-work visa. If you’re thinking about a longer-term move, the pathways in our guide to Australian permanent residency are the ones to look at, and if you want to understand what you’ll pay in tax on your Australian wages, see our guide to Australian tax rates.
Second and third visas: the specified work rule
You can extend a working holiday in Australia, but only by doing the right kind of work in the right places.
| Second visa | You must have completed 3 months of specified work on your first visa (specified 417 work or specified 462 work, depending on your visa). |
|---|---|
| Third visa | You must have completed 6 months of specified work on your second visa. |
“Specified work” is a defined category — typically work in particular industries and regional areas. It is not any job. Before you take a job to count towards an extension, check it against the official specified work page for your visa, because work that doesn’t qualify will not count no matter how long you do it. If you are in Australia when you apply for a second or third visa, you must hold a substantive visa, or your last substantive visa must have expired less than 28 days ago.
What counts as “specified work”?
This is the question that decides whether you get a second or third visa, so it’s worth understanding before you take a job — not after.
Specified work is not any job, and not any job in a regional town. It is a defined category. Two things have to line up:
- The type of work. It has to fall within the industries the Department lists as specified work — think primary production and related sectors rather than, say, hospitality in a city.
- The location. The work has to be done in a specified regional area, which the Department defines by reference to postcodes and areas rather than by the loose idea of “the country”.
The exact industries, the exact areas and the exact evidence you need are set out on the Department’s specified work pages, and they are the only authority. Before you accept a job specifically to count towards a second or third visa, check that job against the official list for your visa — the 417 and 462 have their own definitions — because work that falls outside the definition won’t count, no matter how many months you do it. You will also need to be able to prove the work afterwards, so keep your payslips, records and employer documentation from the start.
If a job looks borderline, treat it as not counting until you’ve confirmed it against the official page. Discovering at month three that your work doesn’t qualify is the most expensive mistake in the whole working holiday process.
Tax on working holiday income
Working holiday makers pay tax under their own schedule, separate from the rates that apply to Australian residents. The ATO defines a working holiday maker (WHM) as someone holding a subclass 417 or 462 visa, and for tax purposes most WHMs are foreign residents.
The key feature is that there is no tax-free threshold in the usual sense: the first band is taxed at 15% from the first dollar. The ATO’s published rates for the 2025–26 income year are:
| $0 – $45,000 | 15c for each $1 |
|---|---|
| $45,001 – $135,000 | $6,750 plus 30c for each $1 over $45,000 |
| $135,001 – $190,000 | $33,750 plus 37c for each $1 over $135,000 |
| $190,001 and over | $54,100 plus 45c for each $1 over $190,000 |
How this plays out in your pay packet depends on your employer. If your employer is registered with the ATO as an employer of WHMs, they withhold tax at 15% on the first $45,000 you earn (for 2020–21 and later income years), with higher rates above that. If your employer is not registered, they must withhold at foreign resident rates instead — which start at 30%, so a much bigger slice disappears from each pay before you even file a return.
A few practical points:
- Get a tax file number. You can apply for a TFN online once you have your work visa. You don’t have to have one, but without it you’ll pay more tax.
- Tell your employer you’re a WHM. Your employer checks your visa subclass, but you should tell them anyway so they withhold at the right rate.
- The income year runs 1 July to 30 June. You may need to lodge a tax return, and if you leave Australia permanently before 30 June you can lodge early.
- Super is separate. Your employer must pay superannuation, and when you leave Australia you can apply for a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP). The ATO states the tax on a DASP paid to WHMs on or after 1 July 2017 is 65%.
Tax rates change, and your own rate depends on your circumstances, so confirm the current schedule on the ATO’s working holiday maker page before you rely on these figures. For how the broader system fits together, see our guide to Australian tax rates.
Applying from outside Australia — and the flight warning
Both the 417 and the 462 must be applied for online from outside Australia. You can’t lodge the application while you’re in Australia.
The Department also repeats a warning on every working holiday page, and it’s worth taking literally: working holiday processing is being normalised, the average processing time is expected to be around three months, and you should not book flights or make travel, work or study commitments until your visa has been granted. Plenty of people book a flight the day they apply and then wait months. Don’t be one of them.
Step-by-step: how to apply
- Confirm your visa. Check whether your passport is on the 417 list or the 462 list.
- If you hold a China, India or Vietnam passport, register for the 462 ballot when the registration window opens and wait to be randomly selected.
- Check the age rule. 18–30 (or 35 for some 417 countries); 462 is 18–30 inclusive.
- Make sure you’re outside Australia when you apply, and that you won’t be accompanied by dependent children.
- Lodge the application online and pay the AUD 840 first-visa charge.
- Wait for the grant. Expect around three months on average, and don’t book travel until the visa is granted.
- Plan your extension early. If you want a second visa, line up 3 months of specified work while you’re on the first.
Common mistakes
- Assuming you can apply for the 462 directly. Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese passport holders must be selected in the ballot first.
- Confusing 417 and 462. The country lists are different — check which one your passport is on.
- Booking flights before the visa is granted. The Department explicitly warns against it.
- Doing the wrong kind of work for an extension. Only specified work counts towards a second or third visa.
- Applying from inside Australia. Both visas must be applied for from outside Australia.
- Trying to bring children. You cannot be accompanied by dependent children on either visa.
FAQ
Can I apply for a working holiday visa if I hold a Chinese passport?
You can, but through the subclass 462 — and you must first participate in the visa pre-application process (ballot) and be randomly selected. You cannot apply for a first 462 directly.
What is the ballot and how do I enter it?
It is a pre-application process for China, India and Vietnam passport holders. You register during the open window, and the Department randomly selects registrations. Registration windows and selection rounds are published on the official pre-application process page and change each year.
How much does the visa cost?
The first visa is AUD 840.00. The second and third are AUD 1,000.00 each. For how these charges sit alongside other Australian visa costs, see our guide to Australian visa fees.
How do I get a second or third visa?
Complete 3 months of specified work for a second visa, or 6 months of specified work for a third. The work must fall within the official definition of specified work.
Can I apply while I’m in Australia?
No. The first working holiday visa must be applied for online from outside Australia.
How long does processing take?
The Department says the average is expected to be around three months, and warns you not to book flights or make commitments until the visa is granted.
Visa fees are indexed on 1 July each year. The figures here were verified on 14 October 2026 — always confirm the current amount with the Visa Pricing Estimator before you lodge.
Official sources
- Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) — Department of Home Affairs
- Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) — Department of Home Affairs
- First Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) — Department of Home Affairs
- New Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa pre-application process — Department of Home Affairs
- Specified work for a second Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) — Department of Home Affairs
- Specified work for a second Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) — Department of Home Affairs
- Working holiday makers — Australian Taxation Office
- Tax rates — working holiday maker — Australian Taxation Office
AU0061 publishes general information, not personal migration advice. Visa rules and fees change, and eligibility depends on your individual circumstances. Always confirm the current requirements with the Department of Home Affairs or a MARA-registered migration agent before you act on anything in this guide.