Australian Working Holiday Visa vs. Work & Holiday Visa – What’s the difference?

Thinking of venturing Down Under? Let’s sort you out with a visa!

If you’re dreaming of an Australian working holiday, it’s important to be aware that there are some major differences between the Work & Holiday Visa (subclass 462) and the Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417), and not everyone will be eligible for each visa.

In this guide, you will find out everything you need to know about which visa is the right one for you.

What is the Australian Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417)?

The Australian Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) is a temporary visa that allows young people between 18 and 30 years old to live, work and travel in the country for up to 12 months.

However, if you are a citizen of France, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Italy or the UK you can be aged between 18 and 35 years and apply for this visa.

Note that the largest number of entrants under this visa come from the UK.

How do I know if I am eligible?

You can apply for the Australian 417 visa if:

Your age is within the set limits (18-30 or up to 35 if you are from the countries mentioned above)
You hold a valid passport from an eligible country

Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417) eligible countries

Canada
Belgium
Republic of Cyprus
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Hong Kong
Republic of Ireland
Italy
Japan
Republic of Korea
Malta
Netherlands
Norway
Sweden
Taiwan
United Kingdom

417 Visa Requirements

Your passport must be valid throughout your time in Australia
You have no dependents with you while you are in Australia eg. a child
You haven’t been granted and entered Australia on a Working Holiday Visa or a Work and Holiday Visa before
Must be financially able to support yourself during your time in Australia (eg. AUD 5,000 for 3 months)
You have no criminal records

If you wish to apply for the 417 visa, you must provide the following documents:

A valid passport with blank pages
A completed application form

Can you obtain a 417 visa extension?

Yes, it is possible to extend your 417 Working Holiday Visa, provided that you meet the relevant requirements.

Applying for an extension means applying for a Second 417 Working Holiday Visa.

Applying for a Second Working Holiday Visa (417) Visa

If you don’t want your Australian dream to end, you can extend your WHV for 12 more months. You can apply for your Second Working Holiday Visa while in Australia or outside the country.

Eligibility conditions and requirements are similar to those of the first 417 visa when applying for your second one.

However:

You must have the same requirements you had applied with for your first-year visa eg. you have not breached any Australian immigration rules and are in full health
You must have completed your specified work in regional Australia for three months while undergoing your first Working Holiday Visa
You must show proof of your specified work (eg., provide payslips from your employer). You must provide a completed Employment Verification Form 1263. This must be fully completed by each employer you have done your specified work for during your first 12 months in Australia
You must not be employed by any employer for more than 6 months, without prior permission in writing from immigration

If you wish to apply for the second 417 WHV for Australia, you will need to provide the following documents:

A valid passport with blank pages
Completed forms (Application Form, Employment Verification Form and Specified Work Questionnaire)
Proof of regional work such as payslips or Notice of Assessment

Apply For Your Second Australian Working Holiday Visa

Applying for a Third Working Holiday (417) Visa

If you have fallen in love with Australia, you can enjoy it for another year with a third Working Holiday Visa, extending your stay in Australia to 36 months in total. You have the option to apply for this visa while in Australia or outside the country.

Eligibility conditions and requirements are similar to the previous visas but, when applying for your third 417 visa you must have:

Completed six months of specified work in the regional area of Australia while on your Second Working Holiday Visa
You must provide proof of this specified region work and an Employment Verification Form for each employer you have done specified work for during your second 12 months in Australia
You must not be employed by any one employer for more than 6 months, without prior permission in writing from the immigration authorities

If you want to apply for your third Australian Working Holiday Visa (417), you will need:

A valid passport with blank pages
A fully complete application form, Employment Verification Form and Specified Work Questionnaire
Proof of regional work such as payslips or Notice of Assessment

What is an Australian Work & Holiday (462) Visa?

The Australian Work & Holiday Visa (subclass 462) is a fantastic visa that allows you to experience the full Aussie lifestyle of what it’s like to travel, live, and work in Australia.

This 462 visa will allow you to stay for up to 12 months and you can undertake temporary work in the country. The highest number of citizens who are granted this visa are from the US.

How do I know if I am eligible for a Work & Holiday Visa (subclass 462)?

You can apply for this visa if:

You are between the age limit of 18 and 30 years old
You hold a valid passport from an eligible country

Eligible countries for the 462 visa

Chile
Malaysia
Thailand
Turkey
USA
Argentina
Austria
China
Czech Republic
Ecuador
Greece
Hungary
Indonesia
Israel
Luxembourg
Peru
Poland
Portugal
San Marino
Singapore
Slovak Republic
Slovenia
Spain
Uruguay
Vietnam
Brazil
Mongolia
Papua New Guinea
Switzerland

462 Visa Requirements

You have no dependents with you (such as children) while in Australia
This is your first Australian Work & Holiday 462 visa
You have no criminal records
Meet the education requirements (will depend on your nationality)
Have a certain level of the English language and have proof of that (for countries where English is not the official language)
Have a letter of support (relevant for certain countries)
A passport that is valid with blank pages
Passport photos
A fully completed application form
Financially able to support yourself in Australia (eg. AUD 5,000 for three months)

Can you obtain a 462 visa extension?

Similar to the 417 visa, you can extend the 462 visa. This involves applying for a Second 462 Work & Holiday Visa.

Apply For Your Work & Holiday Visa (subclass 462)

What is the Second Australian Work & Holiday Visa (subclass 462)?

If you decide you don’t want to end your Australian experience after 12 months, you can extend it for an extra 12 months with the Second 462 visa.

In order to be eligible for a Second Work & Holiday Visa, you need to still live up to the requirements for the first one and have 3 months of regional work.

How Do I Know If I Am Eligible For The Second 462 Visa?

You can apply if:

You are between the age of 18 and 30
You have adhered to all the requirements on your first Work and Holiday Visa
You must have only had one Work and Holiday Visa
You must have fully finished three months of work in northern and regional Australia

Requirements for the Second 462 Visa for Australia

If you apply for a Second 462 visa, you must provide a number of required documents:

A valid passport with blank pages
Completed application form, Employment Verification Form and Specified Work Questionnaire
Proof you can financially support yourself in Australia
Proof of regional work (payslips or Notice of Assessment)

What is the Third Australian Work & Holiday Visa (subclass 462)?

A Third Work & Holiday 462 Visa’s eligibility and requirements are similar to the Australian second Work & Holiday Visa.

It is important to note, you must have 6 months of specified 462 work in northern and regional Australia work completed. You must show proof of your completed work. This can be shown by providing payslips or a Notice of Assessment. You must also provide a completed Employment Verification Form 1464 and Specified Work Questionnaire for each employer.

Please, note that the processing time for each of these visas depends on the Immigration Office and it may vary.

Apply For Your Third Work & Holiday Visa (subclass 462)

What are the main differences between the 462 and 417 visas?

A 462 visa requires an educational certificate to meet the education requirement whereas the 417 visa does not
A 462 visa requires proof of at least functional English and a 417 does not
A 462 visa requires a letter of support from your government (if required for your country) whereas a 417 does not
With both visas, you are allowed to study for up to 4 months

Exciting news for UK working holiday makers in the next year

As you may already know, the age for UK citizens to apply for an Australian Working Holiday Visa has increased to 35 from 30 from 1 July 2023.

However, there will be another significant change for UK citizens coming in 2024, and that is the opportunity to obtain up to three Working Holiday Visas without having to fulfill any specified work requirements.
Previously, to qualify for a second or third Working Holiday Visa, UK citizens needed to demonstrate they completed a minimum of three or six months of specified work.

This new arrangement will commence on 1 July 2024 and will apply to UK citizens who obtain a Subclass 417 Working Holiday Visa.

Read also:
Australian Working Holiday Updates for UK Passport Holders – Here’s What You Need to Know!

Why choose Australia for your working holiday in 2024?

Australia is an amazing place to work as it has a growing economy and plenty of job opportunities, as well as having the highest minimum wage even for holiday workers.

It is well known for its incredible megacities such as Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane thriving with culture, sightseeing and offering some of the best nightlife.

Travellers get to engage with diverse cultures like the Aboriginal culture and meet people from around the world.

The country has so much to offer! Travellers like bathing in the great sunny weather while enjoying the breathtaking views, wide-open spaces, deserts and beaches.

“The Outback” and “The Bush” are the perfect road trip destinations. Visit the Great Barrier Reef and go scuba diving to explore its gorgeous exotic ocean life.

Read:
Hiking in Australia – everything you need to know from popular trails to hiking gear

Why choose Visa First?

Need a visa? At Visa First, we support travelers in applying for both the Working Holiday Visa 417 and 462 visas.

When you apply with Visa First, our team will take care of the tricky application forms and documents associated with arranging travel visas and permits.

We have been licensed visa experts since 2003 and have over 1 million clients worldwide – that’s a lot of visas! Also, we have a 99.7% approval success rate.

We also offer a wide range of Australian visa services to cater for all your needs.

We will organize an Australian Bank Account so that you are ready to earn as soon as you arrive
We offer an Australian Employment Course to help increase your chances of a successful job hunt
Our Taxsaver Pack will help you get an Australian Tax File Number to avoid emergency tax and make it easier to claim a tax refund!

Apply for your visa with Visa First today!

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