Australia Working Holiday Visa 2026: 417 vs 462, Age Limits, Ballots and Regional Work

Australia’s working holiday visa lets people aged 18 to 30 (or 35 for some countries) holiday and work in Australia for 12 months. There are two versions: the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462). Which one you apply for depends only on your passport. As of October 2026, a first visa costs AUD 840, and Home Affairs expects most applications to take around three months.

Key points

• 417 vs 462: your passport decides. The 462 usually adds English, education and sometimes letter-of-support requirements, and many countries have caps.
• Age 35 for more countries: from 1 July 2026, Cyprus, Finland, Germany and the Republic of Korea moved to an 18–35 age limit for the 417.
• Ballot for some 462 applicants: China, India and Vietnam use a pre-application ballot. An Indonesia ballot is expected to open later in 2026.
• Fees: AUD 840 for a first visa, AUD 1,000 for a second or third visa (from 1 July 2026).
• Announced, not in force: ballots for second-year (45,000 places) and third-year (5,000 places) visas, announced on 17 September 2026.

417 vs 462 at a glance

	Working Holiday (417)	Work and Holiday (462)
Age at application	18–30, or 18–35 for some countries	18–30
Example countries	UK, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea	USA, China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Spain, Chile, Argentina
English requirement	None	At least functional English
Education requirement	None	Yes, varies by country
Government letter of support	No	Required for some countries (for example Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Türkiye)
Annual country caps	No	Yes, for most countries
Ballot	No	China, India and Vietnam (Indonesia planned)
First visa fee (from 1 July 2026)	AUD 840	AUD 840
Second or third visa fee	AUD 1,000	AUD 1,000

Sources: Home Affairs 417 and 462 visa pages and the visa pricing table, checked 11 October 2026.

Age limits in 2026

For the 417, Home Affairs lists these upper age limits:

Age limit	417 passport countries
18 to 35	Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Republic of Korea, United Kingdom (including BNO)
18 to 30	Belgium, Estonia, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan

The change for Cyprus, Finland, Germany and Korea took effect on 1 July 2026, according to the WHM latest news page. Your age is assessed when you apply. The deadline is midnight Australian Eastern time on the day before your 31st (or 36th) birthday, even if you apply from overseas.

For the 462, the limit is 18 to 30 inclusive.

What you can do on the visa

Both visas let you:

• stay in Australia for up to 12 months from first entry (you must enter within 12 months of grant)
• do any kind of work, but usually for no more than 6 months with one employer (condition 8547), unless an exemption or permission applies
• study for up to 4 months (17 weeks)
• leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you like

You cannot include family members, and you must not be accompanied by dependent children.

Money you need

Home Affairs says you usually need about AUD 5,000 for your initial stay, plus enough for a ticket out of Australia (or proof you already have one). Attach evidence when you apply to avoid delays.

The 462 ballot (China, India and Vietnam)

Citizens of China, India and Vietnam must first register for a pre-application ballot and be randomly selected before they can apply for a first 462 visa. Registrations for the 2026–27 program year closed on 25 June 2026. Check the Home Affairs pre-application process page for selection dates and the next registration window.

Home Affairs has also said a ballot will be introduced for Indonesian passport holders applying for a first 462, with registrations expected to open later in 2026. Holding an Indonesian Government Letter of Support (SDUWHV) will not reserve a place or exempt you from the ballot.

Other 2026 changes on the latest news page:

• Uruguay’s annual cap rose to 1,500 first 462 visas from 1 July 2026.
• Luxembourg applicants no longer need a letter of support (from 3 June 2026).

Second and third visas: regional work

To get a second visa, you must complete 3 months of specified work (such as eligible work in regional areas in agriculture, mining, construction or tourism, depending on the visa and location) while on your first visa. To get a third visa, you need 6 months of specified work on your second visa. Check the “specified work” lists on the Home Affairs site, because eligible industries and postcodes differ between the 417 and 462.

UK passport holders can be granted a second 417 without specified work, under the Australia–UK free trade arrangements. Home Affairs says this on its second 417 page.

Planned ballots for years two and three (announced only)

On 17 September 2026, Minister Tony Burke announced that second- and third-year visas will move to a ballot:

	Planned ballot cap	Number who qualified last year (per the Minister)
Second year	45,000	57,000
Third year	5,000	31,000

The Minister said regional work will still be needed to qualify for the ballot. The government’s policy changes page says the package will be “progressively rolled out over the next 12 months”. As of 11 October 2026, no start date or legal instrument had been published. Keep records of your specified work (payslips, employer details, dates) in case the rules change while you are in Australia. We track this on our updates page.

Processing times

Home Affairs says the number of Working Holiday Makers is at a record level, and it is “normalising” processing times for most WHM applications to an average of about three months. You must be in the right place when the visa is granted: inside Australia if you applied inside Australia, outside if you applied outside. Do not book flights or commit to work until your visa is granted.

How to apply: step by step

1. Check which visa your passport allows (417 or 462) and the age limit for your country.
2. For China, India or Vietnam, register for the 462 ballot during the open window and wait to be selected.
3. Gather documents: passport, evidence of about AUD 5,000, and for the 462, English and education evidence and any letter of support.
4. Lodge online in ImmiAccount and pay AUD 840.
5. Complete health checks or biometrics if asked.
6. Enter Australia within 12 months of the grant.
7. If you want a second year, track your specified work carefully from day one.

What to do next

• Confirm your eligibility on the official 417 or 462 page.
• Note that from 2 October 2026, 417 and 462 holders can no longer apply for a Student visa from inside Australia. See our October 2026 student visa changes if you plan to study later.
• Thinking about staying long term? Start with our Australian PR pathways guide and the Australia hub.
• Check current costs in our Australia visa fees 2026 guide.

This article is general information, not legal advice. For advice on your situation, speak to a registered migration agent.