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First 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 hold a passport from an eligible country, be aged 18 to 30 (inclusive), apply from outside Australia, not be accompanied by dependent children, apply alone, and not have previously entered Australia on a subclass 462 or 417 visa. Passport holders of certain countries must also meet an education requirement (a tertiary qualification or a set period of post-secondary study, varying by country), have at least Functional English and, for some countries, provide a letter of support from their government. China, India and Vietnam passport holders must be randomly selected in a pre-application ballot before applying.

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

The First Work and Holiday visa lets the holder have an extended holiday in Australia and work there to help fund the trip. Holders can do any kind of work, but usually only for the same employer for 6 months; they can study for up to 4 months (17 weeks) and travel to and from Australia as many times as they want. Doing 3 months of specified subclass 462 work makes the holder eligible for a second Work and Holiday visa.

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

Holders can do any kind of work, usually only for the same employer for up to 6 months, and can study for up to 4 months (17 weeks). Applicants must not have previously entered Australia on a subclass 462 or 417 visa. Completing 3 months of specified subclass 462 work makes the holder eligible for a second Work and Holiday visa.

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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?

This is a temporary visa. The holder must enter Australia within 12 months of grant (this timeframe cannot be extended or deferred), and the 12-month stay period starts on entry, with unlimited re-entries within that period. The visa cannot be extended; a holder wanting to stay longer can apply for a second Work and Holiday visa if eligible, and the combined stay on this visa plus a subsequent Visitor visa is capped at 12 consecutive months (extendable only in exceptional circumstances).

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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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