How to apply for a Work and Holiday visa (462) in Australia: a step-by-step guide

Want to spend a year working and travelling in Australia but not sure where to start? The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) lets young people from partner countries stay for up to 12 months, work legally and travel around Australia.

Applying is not complicated, but it pays to prepare. Before you open the visa form, there are a few things to check first. This guide walks you through how to apply for your first 462 visa, step by step.

01Step 1. Check that your country is open for new applications

Each partner country has a yearly cap: a limit on the number of first Work and Holiday visas that can be granted to its citizens in one program year. The program year runs from 1 July to 30 June, and applications for capped countries open on 2 July.

Applications can be paused during the year, for example when a country gets close to its cap or to support the Government's migration settings. So before you start, check your country's status on the official Department of Home Affairs page:

Open

You can lodge a first Work and Holiday application now.

Paused

New applications are stopped for now. Home Affairs may reopen them later in the same program year.

Closed

The cap for this program year has been reached. Applications reopen on 2 July.

Ballot

For some countries, such as China, India and Vietnam, you first register in a pre-application ballot and can only apply if you are selected.

Statuses can change at short notice, and Home Affairs says updates can take up to 48 hours to appear online. Check the page again on the day you apply.

02Step 2. Make sure you meet the 462 visa requirements

For a first Work and Holiday visa, you must meet these requirements:

Age

18 to 30 years old (inclusive) when you apply.

Passport

A passport from an eligible partner country.

Education

The requirement for your country. For most partner countries, including Poland, Spain and Argentina, this means a tertiary qualification (degree, graduate certificate or diploma) or at least two years of undergraduate university study.

English

At least Functional English.

Funds

Enough money to support yourself, usually about AUD 5,000, plus the fare to leave Australia at the end of your stay.

Letter of support

From your government, if your country requires one (see Step 4).

Previous visas

You can't have entered Australia before on a Work and Holiday (462) or Working Holiday (417) visa.

Health and character

You must meet Australia's health and character requirements.

You also have to apply on your own (family members can't be included) and can't be accompanied by dependent children. The exact education rules differ by country, so check the official 462 visa page for your passport.

Not sure whether you qualify? Get in touch and we'll look at your education, English and documents with you. If the Work and Holiday visa isn't the right fit, we can also help you explore other ways to come to Australia to study or stay.

03Step 3. Check whether you need an English test, and book early

You need at least Functional English for the 462 visa, but that doesn't always mean sitting a test. Home Affairs accepts Functional English if, for example:

• you hold a passport from the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, New Zealand or Ireland;
• you studied for a set period at an institution where all teaching was in English;
• you have an approved English test result, such as IELTS or PTE Academic, at the required level.

If you need a test, book it as early as you can. Depending on your city and the test, the next available date can be weeks away, and results take extra time.

04Step 4. Get a letter of support from your government, if required

Citizens of some partner countries must include a letter of support from their own government with the visa application. This step is easy to forget, and the letter can take time to arrive.

As at 14 October 2026, Home Affairs lists this requirement for: Ecuador, Greece, Indonesia, Malaysia (Good Conduct Certificate), Mongolia, Peru, Poland, San Marino, Slovenia, Thailand and Türkiye.

Polish citizens apply online to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy for a certificate of support under the Zwiedzaj i Pracuj Australia (Work and Holiday Australia) program:

Keep in mind that a letter of support is not a visa. It is one of the documents for your application, and the Department of Home Affairs makes the final decision.

05Step 5. Gather your 462 visa documents

With your English evidence and any letter of support sorted, it's time to put together the rest of your documents before you start the form in ImmiAccount.

Identity

• Valid passport - make sure your details match the other documents you attach.
• Change of name documents - if your current name is different from the one on your degree or other documents.
• Recent passport photo (45 × 35 mm) - in colour, as a digital file (JPG or PNG).

Education

• Your degree or other tertiary qualification.
• If you haven't graduated yet: a letter or academic transcript from your university showing at least two years of undergraduate study.
• Evidence of any other qualification you plan to use to meet the education requirement.

English

Your English test result, or documents from your school or university confirming that you were taught in English and for how long.

Funds

Evidence that you can support yourself at the start of your stay, usually about AUD 5,000, such as a recent bank statement. The money doesn't have to be in an Australian bank account.

Other documents

Depending on your situation, Home Affairs may also ask for police certificates or health examinations. Not every applicant needs these, and some are only requested after you apply.

Do documents need to be translated?

Yes. Documents that are not in English need an English translation, and you attach both the original and the translation.

Translations done outside Australia don't have to be by a NAATI translator, but they must include the translator's full name, address, phone number and details of their qualifications and experience.

06Step 6. Create an ImmiAccount and fill in the application

Work and Holiday applications are lodged online through ImmiAccount, the official Home Affairs system.

Once your account is set up, start a new application and choose Working Holiday Maker → Work and Holiday Visa (462). The form asks about your personal and passport details, address, education, English, travel and visa history, and health and character.

Answer truthfully and in line with your documents. Before you submit, double-check your passport number, date of birth and your answers about previous visas.

07Step 7. Attach your documents and pay the 462 visa fee

After the form, you upload your documents and pay. From 1 July 2026, the government fee for a first Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa is AUD 840.

Card surcharges may apply, plus any costs for health checks, translations or extra documents.

08Step 8. Wait for a decision: 462 visa processing time

While your application is being processed, Home Affairs may ask for more documents, health examinations, police certificates or more information. This doesn't mean something is wrong, but check your ImmiAccount and email regularly and reply by the deadline.

Home Affairs says it is normalising processing for most Working Holiday Maker visas and expects the average processing time to be around three months. This is a guide, not a guarantee, and it depends on your application and how complete it is.

Home Affairs advises against booking flights or making travel, work or study commitments until your visa is granted.

09Step 9. Visa granted? Get ready to go

Congratulations! You must enter Australia within 12 months of the date your visa is granted. Your Visa Grant Letter shows the exact date, and Home Affairs won't extend it.

How to check when your visa expires

After you arrive, use VEVO (Visa Entitlement Verification Online) to see your visa status, expiry date and conditions, including work and study.

Before you fly

• check the conditions and dates on your visa grant;
• book flights and health insurance;
• prepare an Australian-style CV;
• arrange your first accommodation;
• look into opening a bank account and applying for a Tax File Number (TFN);
• learn how the Australian job market works;
• check whether you'll need an RSA, White Card or other certificate for the jobs you want.

Planning a second year?

To be eligible for a second Work and Holiday visa, you need to complete 3 months of specified work in the right industry and location. Not every seasonal or farm job counts, so check before you accept a job.

Second and third years are also set to move to a ballot. Read more in our article Work and Holiday (462) visa reopens for 22 countries.

Information current as at 14 October 2026. This article provides general information about Australian education and Student visa settings and does not constitute migration or legal advice. Edvise Education Agency, Sydney.