If you have a passport from the following countries, you may be eligible to apply for a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462):
- Argentina
- Austria
- Brazil
- Chile
- China
- Czech Republic
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Papau New Guinea
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- United States
- Uruguay
- Vietnam
From 2021 to 2022, the United States had the most Work and Holiday visas granted to applicants. Of the 11,598 first-time Work and Holiday visas that were issued, 2,907 went to US passport holders.
The other class of Working Holiday Maker visas are the Working Holiday visas (subclass 417) are available to young people who hold passports from these 19 countries:
- Belgium
- Canada
- Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong
- Ireland
- Italy
- Japan,
- Korea
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- Taiwan
- United Kingdom
In 2021 and 2022, the United Kingdom received the most Working Holiday visas: 15,592 of the 67,575 that were issued. And while most people granted Working Holiday visas must be 30 of age or younger, applicants from Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, and the United Kingdom have extended eligibility until they turn 35.
How do I apply?
The process to apply for both classes of visas is straightforward, beginning with creating an account on Australia’s ImmiAccount website and then following all the steps outlined for that visa. Among the documents you will have to scan or photograph and then submit are a valid passport and a birth certificate. In the absence of a birth certificate, you can provide both your parents’ names, a government-issued identification, or a court-issued document that verifies your identity. In addition, all documents must be in English or, for those that are not, accompanied by a translation that includes details of the translator’s qualifications and experience if they are located outside Australia. Translators in Australia must be accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.
There are also financial requirements. Typically you’ll have to have the equivalent of 5,000 Australian dollars (roughly $3,375 USD) plus either an onward ticket to your next destination or the resources to purchase one. You’ll have to complete a health examination that indicates you don’t have any condition that will pose a public threat or strain healthcare systems. And you’ll have to meet a character requirement. The last requirement is typically an issue only for people applying with criminal records, but even for those applicants, the full totality of circumstances around any situation will be considered when deciding whether to grant a visa.
With both subclasses of visas you can arrive in Australia at any time within the 12-month period following the date it is granted. The requirements around the visas are always subject to change, of course, and, for example, the age may be extended upwards to 35 for other countries while there are a number of other countries that are negotiating with Australia to participate in its Working Holiday Maker programs.
