Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)

You might be able to get this visa if you:

• are at least 18 but not yet 31 years of age
• don’t have a dependent child with you at any time during your stay in Australia
• have a passport from:
  • Argentina
  • Bangladesh
  • Chile
  • China, People’s Republic of
  • Indonesia
  • Israel
  • Malaysia
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Slovak Republic
  • Slovenia
  • Spain
  • Thailand
  • Turkey
  • USA
  • Uruguay

The Work and Holiday (Temporary) visa (subclass 462) is for young people who want to holiday and work in Australia for up to a year.

It is a temporary visa that encourages cultural exchange and closer ties between Australia and eligible countries.

Working in Australia – six months with one employer: You can generally only work six months with one employer. More information is available at Working in Australia – six months with one employer

This visa allows you to:

• stay in Australia for up to 12 months
• work in Australia, generally for up to six months with each employer
• study for up to four months
• leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.

You might be able to get this visa if you:

• are at least 18 but have not turned 31 years of age at the time you lodge your application
• will not be with a dependent child while you are in Australia
• have enough money to support yourself on a working holiday (about AUD 5000)
• have enough money to buy a return or onward travel ticket at the end of your stay
• have not previously entered Australia on a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) or a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
• meet the educational requirements
• have functional English
• have a letter of support from your government (except applicants from Israel, the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America)
• meet character and health requirements
• are a genuine visitor.

Eligible countries

You can apply for this visa if you hold a passport from:

• Argentina
• Bangladesh
• Chile
• China, People’s Republic of
• Indonesia
• Israel
• Malaysia
• Poland
• Portugal
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Thailand
• Turkey
• United States of America
• Uruguay.

Education

Functional English

You must provide evidence that you have at least functional English. This can be:

• evidence you are a citizen of and hold a valid passport issued by the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, New Zealand, or the Republic of Ireland
• an International English Language Testing System (IELTS) average band score of at least 4.5 for the four test components (speaking, reading, listening and writing) completed within 12 months of visa application lodgement
• the Occupational English Test (OET) completed within 12 months of visa application lodgement
• a Test of English as a Foreign Language internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT) total band score of at least 32 for the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening completed within 12 months of visa application lodgement
• a Pearson Test of English Academic (PTE Academic) overall band score of at least 30 for the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening completed within 12 months of visa application lodgement
• a Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test overall band score of at least 147 for the four test components of speaking, reading, writing and listening and the test must have been taken on or after 1 January 2015
• all years of primary education and at least three years of secondary school at an institution where all the instruction was in English
• at least five years of secondary education (high school) at an educational institution in which all instruction was in English
• a post-secondary qualification with at least two years of full-time study, in which all tuition was in English
• at least one year of full-time study or equivalent towards a degree, higher degree, diploma or associate diploma at an Australian institution where all the instruction was in English
• evidence of successful completion of an English Bagrut exam in the level of three study units (Israeli applicants only).

Letter of government support

If you are a Malaysian citizen you need to provide a Malaysian Good Conduct Certificate, which can only be applied for online by selecting the ‘e-Consular’ link on the Malaysian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Health requirements

You must meet certain health requirements. The health examinations you need will depend on your personal circumstances, including your period of stay, country of citizenship, time spent in another country during the last five years and your intended activities in Australia. The results of your health examinations are generally valid for 12 months.

Health insurance

You are responsible for all your health costs while you are in Australia. You will not be covered by Australia’s national health scheme (Medicare) unless your country has a reciprocal health care agreement with Australia.

We recommend that you take out health insurance each time you travel to Australia.

Character requirements

You must meet certain character requirements. You must be prepared to provide a police certificate from each country you have lived in for 12 months or more during the past 10 years after you turned 16 years of age. Do not arrange for police certificates until we ask you to.

Debts to the Australian Government

You must have no outstanding debts to the Australian Government or have arranged to repay any outstanding debts to the Australian Government before this visa can be granted.

Provide biometrics

You might be asked to provide biometrics (a scientific form of identification) as part of the application. Countries and visa subclasses included in the biometrics program has more information.

With this visa, you can:

• enter Australia within 12 months from the date your visa is granted (this cannot be extended or deferred)
• stay in Australia for up to 12 months from the date you first enter Australia (this is the date the 12-month stay on your visa starts)
• leave and re-enter Australia any number of times while the visa is valid.

Extending your stay in Australia

The Work and Holiday visa lets you stay in Australia for 12 months. Any time spent outside Australia after the 12-month stay on your visa starts does not extend the length of the visa.

You may be able to apply for a different visa to extend your stay only if your visa is not granted with a ‘no further stay’ condition. You will be advised of this in your visa grant letter. Holders of visas without this condition can apply for a limited number of other visas while in Australia. You should contact your nearest immigration office in Australia to discuss your options.

Starting the 12-month stay period on your Work and Holiday visa

The 12-month stay period on your Work and Holiday visa will start if you enter Australia:

• as a transit passenger
• on an Electronic Travel Authority (ETA)
• on a Crew Travel Authority (CTA)
• on a Maritime Crew Visa (MCV).

Once the 12-month stay period starts, it cannot be delayed or deferred.

If you hold a Work and Holiday visa and want to enter Australia on another visa, you should:

• ask us to cancel your Work and Holiday visa before you travel to Australia (you can reapply for another Work and Holiday visa at a later stage)
• after you have confirmation that your Work and Holiday visa has been cancelled, apply for another visa.

This will allow you to avoid accidentally using your Work and Holiday visa.

To cancel your Work and Holiday (Temporary) visa (subclass 462), contact the immigration office outside Australia where your visa was processed.

You must provide documents to support your application for this visa. We can make a decision using the information you provide when you lodge your application. It is in your interest to provide all relevant information and documents with your application.

You must provide copies of original documents. Do not include original documents unless we specifically ask for them. In general, documents not in English must be accompanied by accredited English translations. For country specific information, please see the website of the Australian Immigration Office where you will lodge your application for this visa.

Use this checklist to make sure your application is complete.

Forms

• Applying online (USA citizens only):
  • Application for a Work and Holiday visa.
• Applying by mail or in person:
  • Form 1208 – Application for a Work and Holiday visa (205KB PDF).

Receiving assistance

Complete these forms only if you are lodging a paper application:

• If someone gives you advice or lodges your application for you:
  • Form 956 – Advice by a migration agent/exempt person of providing immigration assistance (133KB PDF)(the agent or exempt person completes the form and you must sign it).
• If you would like someone else to receive correspondence from us on your behalf:
  • Form 956a – Appointment or withdrawal of an authorised recipient (116KB PDF) (the recipient completes the form and you must sign it).

Charges

• Pay the visa application charge.

Your personal documents

• Copies of the biographical pages of your current passport or travel document (these are the pages with the holder’s photo and personal details and the issue/expiry dates).
• A copy of your birth certificate showing both parents’ names. If you do not have a birth certificate and are unable to get one, you must provide a copy of the identification pages of at least one of the following documents:
  • family book showing both parents’ names
  • identification document issued by the government
  • court-issued documents that verify your identity.
• If your name has changed, a copy of the evidence of the name change.
• Two recent passport-sized photographs (45 mm x 35 mm).
  • These photographs should be of the head and shoulders only against a plain background.
  • Print your name on the back of each photograph.
• If you have served in the armed forces of any country: copies of military service record or discharge papers.
• Evidence of sufficient funds for personal support during your stay in Australia, of approximately AUD5000.
• Evidence that you hold an onward travel ticket out of Australia OR have sufficient funds to purchase such a ticket at the conclusion of your stay. This must be in addition to your funds for personal support while in Australia.
• Evidence of relevant educational qualifications.
• For relevant countries, a valid letter of government support for this application. For details, see: Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462).
• Evidence that you have a level of English which is assessed as at least functional.  You must provide one of the following prescribed types of evidence:  the results of a specified English language test (IELTS, OET, PTE Academic, TOEFL, CAE) taken in the past 12 months or other eligible evidence of English skill. If you are providing the results of a Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) test, the test must have been undertaken on or after 1 January 2015. For details, including other eligible evidence of English skill, see: Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462).