Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa holders — on both the subclass 417 Working Holiday visa and the subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa — are subject to mandatory visa condition 8547, which limits the holder to working for any one employer for a maximum of 6 months without DHA's prior written permission. The 6-month restriction applies to work for the same employer in the same occupation at the same location. WHMs who wish to continue working for the same employer beyond 6 months must submit a permission request to DHA before the 6-month period lapses — they can continue working while the request is assessed. From 1 January 2024, the previous exemption process was continued by the Minister while consultation on WHM program reform settings was underway. This page explains condition 8547, the permission process, the January 2024 continuation, what counts as the same employer, and the consequences of breaching the condition.

For the current permission request process, exemption categories, and the WHM program reform update, refer to the DHA 6-month work limitation page.

• Migration Regulations 1994 — visa condition 8547 — the mandatory condition attached to Working Holiday visas (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visas (subclass 462); the condition states that the holder must not be employed by any one employer for more than 6 months without the prior written permission of the Secretary; the condition is imposed on grant of the visa and cannot be waived by the employer or the holder unilaterally
• Migration Act 1958, s 116 — the power to cancel a visa on the ground that the holder has breached a condition of the visa; a breach of condition 8547 may result in visa cancellation under s 116
• DHA: 6-month work limitation — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/6-month-limit
• DHA: Permission to work longer than 6 months with one employer — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/permission-6-months
• DHA: WHM condition 8547 permission request form — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/8547-form

What condition 8547 requires

Visa condition 8547 provides that a WHM visa holder must not be employed by any one employer for more than 6 months without the prior written permission of the Secretary (DHA). The key elements are:

• Employer: a single legal employer entity; related companies under common ownership may or may not be treated as the same employer depending on the legal structure
• Same occupation: working in the same role or position for the same employer
• Same location: working at the same workplace or in the same area for the same employer
• 6-month period: 6 calendar months from the date the WHM started working for that employer

A WHM who changes occupations or moves to a significantly different location while remaining with the same employer may not be triggering the same "employer, occupation, location" combination that the 6-month restriction targets — DHA's guidance should be consulted in those circumstances.

Applying for permission to work longer than 6 months

If a WHM wishes to remain with the same employer beyond the 6-month limit, the process is:

• Submit the permission request before the 6 months expires: this is a strict timing requirement — requests submitted after the 6-month period has lapsed are not accepted as timely requests; the WHM must track the start date and submit the request in advance
• Continue working while the request is assessed: once a timely permission request is submitted, the WHM may continue working for the same employer while DHA assesses the request; they do not need to stop work at the 6-month mark while waiting for an outcome
• Submit using the condition 8547 permission request form: DHA provides a specific permission request form (WHM Condition 8547 Permission Request Form) through ImmiAccount or the DHA website

The January 2024 exemption continuation — WHM reform

From 1 January 2024, the Minister for Immigration made a decision to continue the previous exemption process for condition 8547, during the period of consultation on Working Holiday Maker program settings and reform. This means:

• WHMs who need to work beyond 6 months for the same employer can use the established permission/exemption process as it existed before the reform consultation
• The exemption process continues while the WHM program review and reform consultation is ongoing
• The DHA WHM program page should be consulted for current information on the status of the reform consultation and any updates to the condition 8547 process that may result

Applies to both 417 and 462

Condition 8547 is a mandatory condition on both WHM visa subclasses:

• Subclass 417 (Working Holiday): condition 8547 applies to all 417 holders — European, UK, Canadian, French, Irish, and all other 417 nationalities
• Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday): condition 8547 applies equally to all 462 holders — American, Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and all other 462 nationalities

The condition applies for the duration of each WHM visa — first, second, and third year visa holders are each subject to the 6-month limit during their respective visa period.

Consequences of breaching condition 8547

Continuing to work for the same employer beyond 6 months without DHA permission is a breach of a mandatory visa condition:

• Breach of a visa condition is grounds for visa cancellation under section 116 of the Migration Act — DHA may cancel the WHM visa if a breach of condition 8547 is identified
• A cancelled visa means the holder becomes unlawful — subject to detention and removal from Australia
• Future visa applications may be affected by a visa cancellation history
• Employers who knowingly permit or encourage a WHM to breach condition 8547 may face compliance action from the Fair Work Ombudsman or DHA under the work rights enforcement framework

The 6-month rule under condition 8547 is one of the most practically significant conditions on WHM visas — it affects a wide range of WHMs who find good employment and wish to stay with one employer for the duration of their working holiday. The permission process is the correct mechanism for longer stays, but it requires careful timing: submitting after the 6 months have passed is too late. WHMs who rely on agricultural or hospitality employment — where seasonal demand may create 6+ month opportunities — are the most frequently affected. The January 2024 continuation of the exemption process provides important clarity that the established permission pathway remains available during the reform period. The interaction between condition 8547 and the "specified work" requirement for a second WHV should also be noted — specified work for the second year visa is not restricted by the 6-month rule, but completing specified work at one employer for more than 6 months still requires compliance with condition 8547 (permission from DHA). For current information on the permission request form, the exemption process, and the WHM reform consultation status, refer to the DHA 6-month work limitation page.