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Working Holiday and Work and Holiday visas (417 / 462)

Department of Home AffairsVerified Official pages checked daily

Australia's working holiday programme has two visas: the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462). Which one you can apply for depends on your passport. Both are for people aged 18 to 30 who want to stay for up to 12 months, do any kind of work and study for up to 4 months. This guide explains the subclass 462 rules using China as the example: some countries have a yearly cap (China has 5,000 first visas a year) and a ballot, so you must register in ImmiAccount, be randomly selected, and then apply within 28 days. The visa fee is A$840.00. If you complete 3 months of specified work you can apply for a second visa.

Key facts

Which visa: subclass 462
The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) is for passport holders from the countries on its eligible list. China, People's Republic of, is on that list, and this guide uses China as its example. Check which visa your own passport qualifies for.1
Subclass 417 is a different visa
The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is for passports on its own list, which includes the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Mainland Chinese passports are not on the 417 list.8
Age
You must be 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) when you apply. Lodge your application before midnight (Australian Eastern time) on the day before your 31st birthday. If you apply at 30 and turn 31 while the application is being processed, the visa can still be granted.1
Visa fee
A$840.00 for a first 462 visa (the current price on the Home Affairs website for the 2026–27 financial year). Health examinations, police certificates and biometrics cost extra.1
How long you can stay
Up to 12 months from the date you enter Australia. You must enter within 12 months of the visa being granted; this cannot be extended. You can leave and re-enter as many times as you like while the visa is valid, but time spent outside Australia does not extend the visa.1
Yearly country cap (example: China)
Some countries have a cap on first Work and Holiday visas. For China, the cap is 5,000 first 462 visas in each programme year (1 July to 30 June). Second and third visas are not capped.3
Ballot first (China, India and Vietnam)
Passport holders from China, India and Vietnam who apply for a first 462 visa must first register in the visa pre-application (ballot) in ImmiAccount and be randomly selected before they can apply. The registration fee is A$25 and is not refunded, whether or not you are selected.2
Ballot dates for 2026–27
Registration period: 4 to 25 June 2026 (now closed). Selection period: 2 July 2026 to 30 April 2027. Random selections for China have been held on 10 August 2026 and 7 October 2026; a third round is yet to be announced. If you are not selected you are not notified, and all registrations expire on 30 April 2027.2
After you are selected
Lodge your visa application from outside Australia within 28 days (the deadline is midnight Australian Eastern Standard Time). You must upload both sides of your national identity card, and the identity card and passport details must match your registration. Each registration ID can be used for one application only; if you withdraw the application you cannot use the ID again.2
Education requirement (Chinese passport holders)
A tertiary qualification from a university, college or training centre (a degree, graduate certificate or diploma), or 2 years of completed undergraduate study. Certificate I to IV and secondary school certificates do not count. The requirement is set per country, so check the one listed for your own passport.1
English requirement
At least Functional English. A test result from the 12 months before you apply: IELTS with an average band of 4.5 across the four components, PTE Academic overall 30, Cambridge C1 Advanced 147, or TOEFL iBT 32 (only tests taken on or before 25 July 2023 are accepted). A qualification taught in English and other evidence may also be accepted.1
Money requirement
Usually about A$5,000 to support yourself at the start of your stay, plus the fare to leave Australia (or a ticket you have already bought).1
Letter of government support
Chinese passport holders do not need a letter of government support. Check whether one is required for your own passport.1
Family members and children
You cannot include family members in your application. You cannot bring dependent children to Australia at any time while you hold a 462 visa, not even for one day.1
Up to 6 months with the same employer (condition 8547)
Usually you can work for the same employer for no more than 6 months. Since 1 January 2024, you can work longer than 6 months without asking permission in these cases: for the same employer in different locations; in plant and animal cultivation; in disaster recovery; in critical sectors anywhere in Australia (agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care, childcare, tourism and hospitality); and in northern Australia in fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, construction and mining.5
Study
Up to 4 months (17 weeks).1
Specified work for a second or third visa
Second visa: complete 3 months (at least 88 days) of specified work while holding your first visa. Third visa: complete 6 months (at least 179 days, on or after 1 July 2019) of specified work. The work does not have to be continuous or with one employer, but you must be paid in line with Australian law and the relevant award.4
Specified work industries and areas
Tourism and hospitality in northern Australia and remote and very remote areas (from 22 June 2021); plant and animal cultivation in northern Australia and specified regional areas; fishing and pearling, and tree farming and felling, in northern Australia; construction in northern Australia and specified regional areas; and bushfire, flood and other disaster recovery work (which can be volunteer work).4
Processing time
Home Affairs says most working holiday visas take around 3 months on average. Do not book flights or make work or study arrangements until your visa is granted.1
Working holiday maker tax rates (ATO, 2025–26 income year)
Taxable income A$0 to A$45,000: 15%. A$45,001 to A$135,000: A$6,750 plus 30% of the amount over A$45,000. A$135,001 to A$190,000: A$33,750 plus 37% of the amount over A$135,000. A$190,001 and over: A$54,100 plus 45% of the amount over A$190,000. The ATO page currently lists rates up to 2025–26.6
Your employer must be registered
Your employer must be registered with the ATO as an employer of working holiday makers for the 15% rate to be withheld on your first A$45,000. An employer that is not registered must withhold tax at foreign resident rates (starting at 30%).7
TFN and superannuation
Once you hold a visa with work rights, you can apply for a TFN online. Your employer must pay superannuation (super) for you. After you leave Australia you can claim it back as a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP). Since 1 July 2017, the DASP tax rate for working holiday makers is 65%.7
Do you need to lodge a tax return
If all your income was working holiday maker wages and your taxable income for the year was below A$45,001, you do not have to lodge a tax return. You must lodge if you want to claim deductions. If you are leaving Australia permanently, you can lodge early.7

Who is this for, and what are the requirements?

How do I do it? Steps and process

  1. Check the requirements and get your qualifications and English ready

    Confirm that you meet the age, education, English and money requirements. Your English test result must be no more than 12 months old when you lodge the application, so plan when to take the test. Chinese passport holders do not need a letter of government support; check whether yours does.

  2. Register for the ballot in ImmiAccount during the registration period

    Create an ImmiAccount and set up multi-factor authentication. Under New application, choose Visa pre-application registration, then Registration – Work and Holiday Visa (462). Enter your passport and identity card details, pay the A$25 registration fee and submit. You can register only once per programme year, and you cannot change your identity card number or passport country after submitting. Home Affairs publishes the registration period each year; for 2026–27 it was 4 to 25 June and has closed.

  3. If selected, apply from outside Australia within 28 days

    If you are selected you receive a Notification of selection email. Apply through the link in the email; some details are filled in for you. Lodge online in ImmiAccount, pay the A$840.00 visa fee, and upload your passport, birth certificate, qualifications, English test result, evidence of funds and both sides of your identity card. After 28 days your registration expires and you cannot apply again that year.

  4. Wait for the decision, then book your flights

    Home Affairs says most applications take around 3 months on average. Do not book flights until the visa is granted. You may be asked for a health examination, biometrics or more documents. Once granted, enter Australia within 12 months; your 12-month stay starts on the day you arrive.

  5. In Australia, get a TFN and tell your employer you are a working holiday maker

    Apply for a TFN online on the ATO website and complete a Tax file number declaration when you start a job. Your employer must be registered with the ATO as an employer of working holiday makers for the 15% rate to apply to your first A$45,000. Remember that you can usually work for the same employer for no more than 6 months (some industries are exempt).

  6. Want a second year? Complete 3 months of specified work

    Do specified work in northern Australia or regional areas, such as tourism and hospitality, plant and animal cultivation or construction, for at least 88 days, and make sure you are paid lawfully. Keep your payslips and proof of employment; you will need them when you apply for the second visa. A third visa needs 6 months (179 days).

What documents do I need?

What should I watch out for?

Common questions

Which working holiday visa can I apply for with my passport, 417 or 462?

It depends on your passport. The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) is for passports on its eligible list, which includes China, People's Republic of. The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) has its own list, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan; mainland Chinese passports are not on it. Check the Department of Home Affairs list for your own passport.

How much does the Work and Holiday visa (462) cost, and what is the age limit?

A first 462 visa costs A$840.00 (the 2026–27 price on the Home Affairs website). Health examinations, police certificates and biometrics cost extra, and the ballot registration fee is A$25. You must be 18 to 30 (inclusive) when you apply and lodge before midnight Australian Eastern time on the day before your 31st birthday. If you turn 31 while the application is being processed, it can still be granted.

How does the 462 ballot work, and how many places are there each year?

Passport holders from China, India and Vietnam must first register in the visa pre-application ballot in ImmiAccount, pay A$25, and be randomly selected before they can apply. For China the cap is 5,000 first 462 visas per programme year (1 July to 30 June). For 2026–27, registration ran from 4 to 25 June 2026 and has closed; selections for China were held on 10 August and 7 October 2026, with a third round to be announced. If selected, apply from outside Australia within 28 days.

What education, English and savings do I need for a 462 visa?

For Chinese passport holders: a tertiary qualification (a degree, graduate certificate or diploma) or 2 years of completed undergraduate study; Certificate I to IV and secondary school certificates do not count. Check the requirement for your own passport. You need at least Functional English, for example IELTS average 4.5 or PTE Academic 30 from the last 12 months, or a qualification taught in English. You usually need about A$5,000 plus the fare to leave Australia.

How long can I work for the same employer on a working holiday visa?

Usually no more than 6 months (condition 8547). Since 1 January 2024 you can work longer without permission for the same employer in different locations, in plant and animal cultivation, in disaster recovery, in critical sectors anywhere in Australia (agriculture, food processing, health, aged and disability care, childcare, tourism and hospitality), and in northern Australia in fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, construction and mining.

How do I get a second or third working holiday visa, and what is specified work?

For a second visa, complete 3 months (at least 88 days) of specified work while holding your first visa; a third visa needs 6 months (at least 179 days). Specified work includes tourism and hospitality, plant and animal cultivation and construction in northern Australia and regional areas, fishing, pearling and tree work in northern Australia, and bushfire and flood recovery. It need not be continuous or with one employer, but you must be paid lawfully; volunteer work counts only for disaster recovery.

What tax rate do working holiday makers pay, and do I need a TFN?

You pay 15% on your first A$45,000 of taxable income, from the first dollar, with no tax-free threshold. Income from A$45,001 to A$135,000 is taxed at 30%, then 37% and 45% above that (ATO rates for 2025–26). Your employer must be registered with the ATO as an employer of working holiday makers for the 15% rate; otherwise tax is withheld at foreign resident rates from 30%. Yes, you need a TFN: apply online on the ATO website and complete a Tax file number declaration when you start work.

Can I study on a working holiday visa, and can I bring my children?

You can study for up to 4 months (17 weeks). You cannot bring children: family members cannot be included in your application, and you cannot bring dependent children to Australia at any time while you hold a 462 visa, not even for one day.

Answers are based on the verified content of this page — the official source always prevails.

Where can I check the official information?

  1. First Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)Department of Home Affairs · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  2. New Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa pre-application processDepartment of Home Affairs · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  3. Status of country capsDepartment of Home Affairs · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  4. Specified work for Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)Department of Home Affairs · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  5. 6 month work limitationDepartment of Home Affairs · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
  6. Tax rates – working holiday makerAustralian Taxation Office · ato.gov.au
  7. Working holiday makersAustralian Taxation Office · ato.gov.au
  8. First Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)Department of Home Affairs · immi.homeaffairs.gov.au

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The AI answers using this guide and official Australian government websites.

Apply for a tax file number (TFN)

A tax file number (TFN) is your personal reference number in Australia's tax and superannuation (super) systems. It is usually 9 digits and stays the same for life. You need it to work, open a bank account and claim government payments in Australia, and applying is free. If you hold a foreign passport, are already in Australia and have a valid visa with work rights, you can apply online on the ATO website and usually receive your TFN by post within 28 days.

Arriving in Australia: declaring food, medicines, duty-free goods and cash

Everyone who arrives in Australia completes an Incoming Passenger Card. If you carry food, plant material, animal products or traditional medicines, you must declare them honestly. Declaring is free and brings no penalty; if you do not declare and officers find the items, you can get an infringement notice of up to A$7,280, and visa holders may have their visa cancelled on the spot. Commercially packaged mooncakes without meat are allowed, but sausages, ham, fresh fruit, whole eggs and raw rice are not. Adults have a duty-free allowance of A$900 in general goods, 2.25 litres of alcohol and 25 cigarettes. Cash of A$10,000 or more must be declared to AUSTRAC before you reach customs.

Becoming an Australian citizen (conferral)

Once you are a permanent resident (PR), you can apply for Australian citizenship by conferral if you meet the residence requirement, are of good character and pass the citizenship test. The general residence requirement is 4 years of lawful residence in Australia before you apply, with the last 12 months as a permanent resident, and limits on time spent outside Australia. The application fee is A$595 (2026–27 financial year); children aged 15 and under can be included in a parent's application for free. After approval you must attend a ceremony and make the pledge before you become a citizen. You must then enrol to vote and can apply for an Australian passport.

Create a myGov account and link the ATO, Medicare and Centrelink

myGov is the Australian Government's online gateway to its services. With one account you can link the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), Medicare, Centrelink and other agencies, receive government letters, lodge your tax return and check Medicare claims. All you need to create an account is a personal email address. When you link each agency, you prove your identity by answering questions about information that agency holds about you. myID is a different thing: it is the government's Digital ID app, which you can use to sign in to myGov more securely.

Free interpreters (TIS National 131 450), free document translation and free English classes

If your English is limited, you can call 131 450 for a TIS National telephone interpreter, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Calls to government agencies through TIS are usually free. At the GP or the pharmacy you can also ask for a free interpreter on the spot. New migrants can also use the Free Translating Service: within 2 years of your visa being granted, up to 10 personal documents can be translated into English for free. Permanent residents aged 18 or over with little English can join free English classes through the Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP).

Getting immigration help: registered migration agents and how to check them

In Australia, immigration assistance, which means advising you about your own visa situation or preparing and lodging your application, can only be given by a registered migration agent, an Australian legal practitioner or a person exempt under the law. Only the first two can charge a fee. Before you use an agent, check their registration number (MARN) on the OMARA public register, and sign a written agreement before they start work. An education agent who is not registered cannot give immigration assistance. NewBee AU only summarises public information and does not give immigration advice.

Opening a bank account in Australia

In Australia, wages and government payments almost always go straight into a bank account, so open a local account soon after you arrive. Under anti-money laundering law, banks must verify your identity; if you have just arrived, your passport is usually enough. Once you have your TFN, tell your bank, or tax will be withheld from your interest at the highest rate. This page explains the general rules only and does not recommend any bank.