Overview
The Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa lets young people aged 18 to 30 from around 30 participating countries holiday and work in Australia for 12 months. It is the counterpart to the 417 for a different set of countries and usually adds education, English and government-support-letter requirements, with annual caps per country. Passport holders from China, India and Vietnam must first be selected in a pre-application ballot (A$25; 2026-27 registration ran 4–25 June 2026). Specified work of 3 months (88 days) and then 6 months unlocks second and third visas; on 17 September 2026 the Government announced these will move to a capped ballot of 45,000 and 5,000 places — not yet in force.
The 462 mirrors the 417 work-and-travel visa for a different group of countries — with a few extra hurdles: education, English and (often) a government-support letter, annual caps that can fill, and for China, India and Vietnam a pre-application ballot. Check your country’s rules early.
Who can apply — age, country and extra requirements?
You must hold an eligible 462 passport and be aged 18 to 30 when you apply — there is no 35 limit for any 462 country. Unlike the 417, most 462 countries require a level of tertiary education (often at least two years of undergraduate study), functional English, and for some, a letter of support from your home government. You need around A$5,000 plus a fare out, no accompanying children, and no previous 417 or 462. Requirements and caps are set per country, so confirm exactly what applies to your nationality.
How does the ballot work for China, India and Vietnam?
Demand from these three countries far exceeds their caps, so Home Affairs runs a Work and Holiday pre-application ballot. For 2026-27, registration was open from 4 to 25 June 2026 in ImmiAccount for a A$25 fee; random selections run from 2 July 2026 to 30 April 2027, and anyone not drawn stays in the pool for the whole year. If selected you have 28 days to lodge the visa application and pay the application charge (the current fee is shown above). Industry reporting puts the 2026-27 first-visa caps at 5,000 for China, 1,000 for India and 1,500 for Vietnam; confirm the figures with the Department.
How long can you stay and work?
Each 462 lasts 12 months with broad work rights. The main condition is the 6-month limit with any one employer, which since 1 January 2024 has wide exemptions (different locations, plant and animal cultivation, natural disaster recovery, and critical sectors such as agriculture, care, healthcare and hospitality). Study is capped at 4 months.
How do you get a second and third visa — and what is changing?
As with the 417, specified work unlocks the next visa: 3 months (88 days) during your first visa for a second, and 6 months during the second for a third. For the 462, specified work must be in northern Australia or defined regional areas in industries such as tourism and hospitality, agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining, construction and disaster recovery. Keep thorough evidence of every eligible day worked.
On 17 September 2026 the Minister for Home Affairs announced that second and third Working Holiday Maker visas (417 and 462 combined) will move to a capped ballot — 45,000 second-year and 5,000 third-year places a year, down from about 57,000 and 31,000 granted the previous year. Specified work would qualify you to enter the ballot, not guarantee the visa. The regulation had not been made when this page was updated, so current rules still apply.
Fees and processing times shown above are sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and displayed with the date verified.
Who is eligible for the Subclass 462 visa?
- Hold an eligible passport for the 462 program (around 30 countries)
- Be aged 18 to 30 inclusive at time of application — there is no age-35 extension for any 462 country
- Meet your country's education requirement (typically tertiary qualifications or at least two years of undergraduate study) and functional English
- Provide a letter of government support if your country requires one
- China, India and Vietnam: be selected in the Work and Holiday pre-application ballot before applying
- Have adequate funds (around A$5,000 plus a fare out), no accompanying dependent children, and meet health and character requirements
How much does the Subclass 462 visa cost?
The base application charge is A$840. First Work and Holiday visa. Second and third visas are A$1,000 each. Checked against the official Home Affairs pricing table on 11 October 2026. See every Subclass 462 stream's charge and processing time, or compare every visa on our Australian visa fees table. Fees are indexed each year — see the official Visa Pricing Estimator for the current figure.
How long does the Subclass 462 visa take to process?
Around 75% of applications are finalised within 11 days, and 90% within 44 days.
Official figures as at 29 September 2026. Source: Department of Home Affairs — Global visa processing times. Compare all visas on our processing times tracker. Times are a guide only — complete, decision-ready applications are generally faster.
How do you apply for the Subclass 462 visa?
- Check country-specific requirements and caps. 462 requirements vary by country — education, English, government support letter, annual cap and, for China, India and Vietnam, the ballot.
- Register for the ballot if required. China, India and Vietnam passport holders register once in ImmiAccount during the June window (A$25) and wait to be randomly selected; selected registrants have 28 days to apply.
- Apply for the first visa. Apply online with the required evidence — before your country's annual cap fills.
- Plan specified work. Eligible work in northern or regional Australia (88 days, then 6 months) can unlock second and third Work and Holiday visas.
How it compares
| Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age limit (all 462 countries) | 18 to 30 inclusive at application |
| Extra requirements | Education, functional English and, for many countries, a government support letter |
| Ballot countries (2026-27) | China, India and Vietnam — registration 4–25 June 2026, A$25, random selections from 2 July 2026 to 30 April 2027 |
| Second 462 | 3 months (88 days) of specified work during the first visa |
| Third 462 | 6 months of specified work during the second visa |
| Announced 17 Sep 2026 (not yet in force) | Second visas capped at 45,000 and third at 5,000 a year across the 417 and 462, allocated by ballot |
Frequently asked questions
How is the 462 different from the 417?
They are equivalent youth work-and-holiday visas for different countries, with the same 12-month stay, 6-month employer rule and 4-month study limit. The 462 adds education and English requirements, often a government-support letter, and annual caps per country that can fill during the year. The 462 age limit is 18 to 30 for every country — the 35 limit applies only to ten 417 countries.
Which 462 countries need the ballot?
China, India and Vietnam. Because demand far exceeds the caps, Home Affairs runs a pre-application ballot: you register once in ImmiAccount during the June window (4 to 25 June for 2026-27), pay A$25, and random selections run from 2 July 2026 until 30 April 2027. If selected you have 28 days to lodge the visa and pay the application charge. Industry reports put the 2026-27 caps at 5,000 (China), 1,000 (India) and 1,500 (Vietnam) first-visa places; confirm the current figures with Home Affairs.
What is the age limit for the 462?
18 to 30 inclusive when you apply, for every participating country. Unlike the 417, no 462 country has an age limit of 35.
Can I extend the 462?
Yes. By completing the required eligible specified work in northern or regional Australia — 3 months (88 days) for the second visa and 6 months for the third — you may be able to apply for a second and then third Work and Holiday visa. On 17 September 2026 the Government announced that second and third visas will be capped (45,000 and 5,000 places across the 417 and 462) and allocated by ballot; the regulation had not been made when this page was updated.
Can I work for the same employer for more than 6 months?
By default no — Work and Holiday visa holders are usually limited to 6 months with the same employer. Since 1 January 2024 you can work longer with the same employer without asking the Department in several situations, including: working in different locations (including from home); plant and animal cultivation anywhere in Australia; natural disaster recovery work; and critical sectors anywhere in Australia such as agriculture and food processing, aged and disability care, childcare, healthcare, and tourism and hospitality. In northern Australia you can also work longer in fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, construction or mining. Outside these exemptions you must ask the Department for permission before continuing beyond 6 months.
Related visas
Related guides
- Complete guide to Australian immigration in 2026
- Visa Refused? Your Appeal Options and the ART Review