Subclass 462 — Work and Holiday Visa — immi.wiki

The Subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa is functionally similar to the Subclass 417 Working Holiday visa — it allows young adults to holiday in Australia and supplement travel funds through work. However, it operates under different bilateral arrangements and applies to nationals of countries that have negotiated a Work and Holiday arrangement with Australia (rather than a Working Holiday arrangement).

Countries with Work and Holiday arrangements for the Subclass 462 include the United States, China, Chile, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Portugal, Spain, Luxembourg (from 3 June 2026), and others. The eligible countries list changes over time as new bilateral arrangements are concluded.

Luxembourg added: F2026L00637 (Migration Legislation Amendment (Arrangements for Work and Holiday Visas — Luxembourg) Instrument 2026), commencing 3 June 2026, added Luxembourg to the list of eligible countries under LIN 21/019 (the Subclass 462 country instrument).

The conditions and extension rules for the Subclass 462 are broadly the same as for the Subclass 417, though some bilateral arrangements impose additional eligibility requirements (such as minimum education qualifications or functional English language ability).

Eligibility requirements for the Subclass 462 include:

• Be a national of an eligible country with a Work and Holiday arrangement with Australia
• Be aged 18 to 30 years at time of application (or 18–35 for some countries)
• Have no dependent children accompanying or in Australia
• Meet any additional requirements specified in the bilateral arrangement — for example, the US arrangement requires functional English; the Chinese arrangement requires a letter from a designated Chinese university
• Have sufficient funds (generally AUD 5,000) at the start of stay
• Have a return ticket or sufficient funds for one
• Meet health and character requirements

The specific additional requirements vary by country — applicants should check the requirements for their specific nationality against the current legislative instrument specifying country-specific requirements.

Applications for the Subclass 462 are lodged online via ImmiAccount, following the same process as the Subclass 417. Some countries have quotas on the number of Subclass 462 visas available per year under their bilateral arrangement; once the quota is reached, no further applications are accepted until the next quota period.

The conditions on the Subclass 462 are the same as those on the Subclass 417:

• Work restriction — maximum 6 months with the same employer in the first 12 months
• Study restriction — maximum 4 months of study or training
• No accompanying dependants

Second and third year extensions

The same regional work requirements that apply to the Subclass 417 apply to the Subclass 462: 88 days (3 months) of specified regional work in a designated regional area to be eligible for a second-year visa, and the same again for a third-year visa.