The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) allows eligible young people to holiday in Australia and supplement their trip with short-term work. It is a temporary visa — valid for 12 months from the date of grant — and can be extended through a second and third working holiday visa for applicants who complete specified work in regional Australia. The 417 is one of two Australian working holiday visa subclasses — the other is the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462), which applies to different nationalities and has different eligibility criteria.

For current eligible passport countries, processing times, and visa application charges, refer to the DHA subclass 417 page.

• Migration Regulations 1994 — Subclass 417 (Working Holiday) — the visa criteria
• DHA: Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/work-holiday-417
• DHA: First Working Holiday visa (417) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/work-holiday-417/first
• DHA: Second Working Holiday visa (417) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/work-holiday-417/second
• DHA: Third Working Holiday visa (417) — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/work-holiday-417/third
• DHA: Specified work for WHM 417 — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/work-holiday-417/specified-work

Eligible passport holders and age requirements

The subclass 417 is available to passport holders of specific countries that have a working holiday arrangement with Australia. The age requirement is 18 to 30 years old (inclusive) at the time of application for most eligible nationalities. Canadian, French, and Irish citizens can apply up to age 35 (inclusive). The current list of eligible passport countries is published on the DHA subclass 417 page. The applicant must not be accompanied by dependent children in Australia.

First Working Holiday visa — 12 months

The first subclass 417 is granted for 12 months from the date of grant. The holder can enter Australia at any point during the visa validity and stay for the 12-month period. The visa allows the holder to:

• Work in Australia for any employer in any occupation
• Study for up to 4 months (aggregate)
• Travel to and from Australia multiple times during the 12-month period

An applicant can only be granted the first subclass 417 once — they cannot re-apply for a first visa after it has been granted or expires.

6-month employer work limitation — condition 8547

A key condition of the subclass 417 is condition 8547, which limits the holder to working for the same employer for no more than 6 months without obtaining DHA permission. This applies during the first visa and any subsequent working holiday visas. The 6-month period resets if the holder leaves an employer and returns later. Working for the same employer beyond 6 months without permission is a visa condition breach. For full details, refer to the DHA 6-month work limitation page.

Second Working Holiday visa — specified work requirement

A holder who has completed 3 months (88 days) of specified work in a regional area of Australia while on their first subclass 417 is eligible to apply for a second subclass 417, which is also valid for 12 months. Specified work includes:

• Plant and animal cultivation (including fruit, vegetable, and grain harvesting; pruning; livestock work)
• Fishing and pearling
• Tree farming and felling
• Mining
• Construction work in specified regional areas
• Bushfire recovery work (during designated periods)
• Hospitality, tourism, and other work in designated areas during certain periods (check DHA for current)

The work must be performed in a regional area as defined by DHA — not in a major metropolitan area. For current eligible specified work types and regional area definitions, refer to the DHA specified work page and the WHM specified work page.

Third Working Holiday visa — additional specified work

A holder who completes a further 6 months of specified work in a regional area while on their second subclass 417 is eligible to apply for a third subclass 417, also valid for 12 months. The third visa was introduced to support regional and agricultural labour supply. The 6-month requirement is in addition to the 3 months required for the second visa. For current specified work categories eligible for the third visa, refer to the DHA third working holiday visa page.

Subclass 417 vs. subclass 462 — the two working holiday visas

Australia has two working holiday visa subclasses:

• Subclass 417 (Working Holiday): Applies to passport holders from specific countries — including the UK, Ireland, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and others
• Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday): Applies to passport holders from a different set of countries — including the USA, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Argentina, Chile, and others — under bilateral arrangements with different conditions (may require a letter of support from the applicant's home government; annual cap on places for some countries)

The eligibility criteria for second and third visas under the 462 may differ from the 417 — refer to the DHA subclass 462 page for details.

The subclass 417 is one of Australia's most popular temporary visas. The specified work pathway for second and third visas has been significant for regional agricultural labour supply — and has been a point of ongoing policy discussion around exploitation risks for working holiday makers. The DHA and Fair Work Ombudsman have protections for WHM workers against underpayment and exploitation. For current visa application charges, processing times, and the complete list of eligible passport countries, refer to the DHA subclass 417 page.