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Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)

AustraliaYouth mobility

Explore the five recorded questions, answers and sources for this pathway.

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Which nationalities and age range can participate?

Applicants must be aged 18 to 30 (inclusive), hold a passport from an eligible country, and not be accompanied by dependent children. A first Work and Holiday visa requires applying online from outside Australia; China, India and Vietnam passport holders must also be randomly selected in a pre-application ballot. A second visa requires already holding (or having held) a first Work and Holiday visa and having completed 3 months of specified subclass 462 work; a third visa requires having held a second Work and Holiday visa and having completed 6 months of specified subclass 462 work.

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What combination of travel, work, study or training does the programme permit?

The Work and Holiday visa is for young adults who want an extended holiday in Australia and to work there to fund it. Holders can work while in Australia; the official visa page states that holders can do any kind of work on the visa, and the overview states this for the second and third visas. Usually, holders can only work for the same employer for 6 months, and they can study for up to 4 months (17 weeks). Holders of a first or second visa can apply for the next Work and Holiday visa if they meet certain eligibility criteria.

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What are the defining limitations: quota, ballot, previous participation, employer limits, study limits or equivalent?

Holders of a first Work and Holiday visa can do any kind of work while in Australia to help fund their stay. China, India and Vietnam passport holders must be randomly selected in a pre-application ballot before applying for a first visa. To move on to a second visa, the holder must complete 3 months of specified subclass 462 work; to move on to a third visa, 6 months of specified subclass 462 work is required.

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What funds, insurance, onward travel or similar preparation is particularly important?

Applicants must have enough money to support themselves while in Australia and to leave Australia at the end of their stay; this is usually about AUD5,000 for the initial stay, plus the fare to where they are going after leaving Australia. They must also show they have enough money to buy a ticket to leave Australia at the end of their stay, or that they already have the ticket. The Department strongly recommends taking out health insurance, as holders are personally liable for all their healthcare costs while in Australia. The official source does not state health insurance as a mandatory requirement.

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How long can the person stay, can the programme be extended or repeated, and what happens when it ends?

Each of the three Work and Holiday visas (first, second and third) grants a stay of 12 months. None of them can be extended; a holder who wants to stay longer must apply for another visa. A holder of a first or second visa can apply for the next Work and Holiday visa if they meet certain eligibility criteria, but a fourth Work and Holiday visa cannot be granted to someone who has already held three in Australia. The official source does not state whether these visas lead to permanent residence.

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These are the answers currently recorded in the catalogue. A missing or partial answer is not an eligibility decision.

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