The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) allows eligible applicants aged 18 to 30 to holiday in Australia while working to supplement their travel. Like the subclass 417 Working Holiday visa, the 462 program provides for a first, second, and third Work and Holiday visa — each subsequent visa requires the holder to have completed a specified period of specified work in a regional area of Australia during their previous 462 visa. Unlike the subclass 417, the 462 applies a strict 18 to 30 age limit for all nationalities (there is no extended age limit for any country). The 462 also requires a pre-application process before the visa application can be lodged. The list of eligible postcodes for specified work was updated in April 2025 and applies to both 417 and 462 holders. The 462 is available to different nationalities than the 417, as it operates under bilateral arrangements with specific countries including the United States, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, and others. This page explains the second and third year 462 eligibility, the age limit, the pre-application requirement, and the key differences from the 417 pathway.

For current specified work requirements, eligible postcodes, and application instructions for the second and third 462 visa, refer to the DHA subclass 462 page.

• Migration Regulations 1994, Schedule 2, Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) criteria — sets out the eligibility criteria for the first, second, and third Work and Holiday visas; the second and third visa criteria include the specified work requirement; the regulations provide that a second or third 462 may only be granted if specified work was completed during the previous 462 visa
• Migration Regulations 1994 — specified work instrument (462) — DHA publishes an instrument specifying the occupations, activities, industries, and postcodes that constitute specified work for the purposes of the 462 second and third visas; the April 2025 update applied to both the 417 and 462 specified work instruments
• Bilateral arrangements — country-specific letters of support — the 462 program operates under bilateral Working Holiday Arrangement agreements between Australia and each eligible country; most 462 arrangements require the applicant to obtain a letter of support or confirmation from the immigration authority of their home country as part of the pre-application process
• DHA: Second Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/second-462
• DHA: Third Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/third-462
• DHA: Specified work for subclass 462 — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/specified-462-work

The 462 program — first, second, and third year structure

The subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa program permits eligible nationals to apply for up to three 12-month visas in Australia:

• First 462: the standard entry; requires a bilateral arrangement between Australia and the applicant's country; requires a letter of support from the home country authority in most cases; the pre-application process must be completed before lodging
• Second 462: requires specified work during the first 462; extends the working holiday for another 12 months
• Third 462: requires further specified work during the second 462; provides a third year in Australia

The overall structure mirrors the 417 program — specified work in regional Australia unlocks subsequent visas.

Age limit — 18 to 30 with no extended ages

All 462 applicants (first, second, and third visa) must be 18 to 30 inclusive at the time of application — no exceptions and no extended ages for any nationality. This contrasts with the subclass 417, which extends the upper age limit to 35 for Canadian, French, and Irish citizens. American citizens, for example, are eligible for the 462 but not the 417, and must be under 31 at the time of each application regardless of how long they have been participating in the program.

Pre-application process — 462-specific requirement

The subclass 462 has a mandatory pre-application process that must be completed before the visa application can be lodged. This process typically involves:

• Creating an ImmiAccount and registering interest in the 462 visa
• Obtaining a letter of support or confirmation from the immigration or government authority of the applicant's home country — the specific requirement varies by country under the bilateral arrangement
• Completing any required pre-application declarations or checks on the DHA portal before an invitation or permission to apply is issued

The pre-application process applies to the second and third 462 as well as the first. Applicants who attempt to lodge a 462 application without completing the pre-application process will find the application cannot be submitted. For current pre-application instructions, refer to the DHA 462 pre-application news page.

Specified work — same concept as 417, different instrument

The specified work requirement for the 462 second and third visa operates on the same framework as the 417 — work in an eligible occupation in a regional postcode during the previous 462 visa. The specific occupations, activities, and eligible postcodes for the 462 are set out in a separate specified work instrument from the 417, though the two instruments largely overlap. The April 2025 postcode update applied to both the 417 and 462 programs.

• Eligible occupations include agriculture, horticulture, plant propagation and maintenance, fishing, pearling, tree farming, logging, mining, and construction in regional areas
• The postcode must be on the current eligible list at the time the work is performed
• The required period of specified work for the second 462 and the third 462 is set out on the DHA specified work page — refer to the DHA page for current requirements as they are subject to change

For documentation requirements when applying for a second or third 462, the same employer letter and payslip evidence applies as for the 417 — see the WHM specified work page.

Key differences between 462 and 417 second/third year pathways

The 462 and 417 programs are structurally similar for second and third year purposes, but key differences are:

• Nationalities: 417 is for Europeans, certain Asian countries, and others under the standard 417 arrangement; 462 is for countries with a separate bilateral arrangement (United States, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Chile, Argentina, and others)
• Age limit: 417 allows 18-35 for Canadian, French, and Irish citizens; 462 applies a strict 18-30 limit to all nationalities
• Pre-application process: 462 requires a pre-application step (home country letter of support or similar); 417 does not have this requirement
• Both have the April 2025 postcode update: the April 2025 natural disaster recovery expansion applied to both programs

For the full list of 462-eligible nationalities, refer to the DHA subclass 462 page.

The subclass 462 second and third year pathway is particularly relevant to American, Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and other non-European nationals who want to extend their working holiday in Australia — these nationalities cannot access the subclass 417 and must use the 462. The age limit difference (strict 18-30 for 462 vs 18-35 for some 417 nationalities) is a practical constraint — a 30-year-old American on their first 462 must lodge their second 462 application before their birthday to remain eligible, which requires timely planning of specified work completion and the pre-application process. The pre-application requirement for the 462 is frequently overlooked, particularly by second and third year applicants who completed their first 462 before the pre-application process was implemented for subsequent visas. For current specified work requirements (periods, occupations, postcodes), the pre-application process, and application instructions for the second and third 462, refer to the DHA subclass 462 page.