Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417)
Work, travel, and explore Australia for up to 3 years with the ultimate work and travel visa
The Subclass 417 Working Holiday visa allows eligible young people to spend 12 months working and traveling in Australia, with the opportunity to extend for a second and third year. Earn money to fund your adventure, explore stunning landscapes, and gain international work experience all in one incredible journey.
Why Choose the Working Holiday Visa?
Full Work Rights
Work full-time, part-time, or casual to fund your travels (up to 6 months per employer)
12-Month Adventure
Stay in Australia for 12 months with unlimited entries and exits
Study Allowed
Undertake short courses or training up to 4 months
Multiple Entry
Travel in and out of Australia freely during your visa period
Extend Up to 3 Years
Qualify for second and third year visas with specified regional work
Flexible Travel
Work in cities or regional areas, explore at your own pace
Eligibility Requirements
Key requirements you must meet for the Working Holiday visa
18-30 years old (18-35 for Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, UK)
Valid passport from participating country (UK, Canada, Germany, Japan, Korea, and more)
At least AUD $5,000 to support yourself initially plus departure funds
Cannot be accompanied by dependent children during working holiday
Must not have previously held a Subclass 417 or 462 visa
Meet health standards (medical exam may be required)
Clean criminal record and meet character requirements
First-time applicants must apply from outside Australia
Age Requirements by Country
Extended age limits for select countries
🌍 Standard Age Limit
18-30 years old (inclusive)
Applies to:
- ✓ Belgium
- ✓ Germany
- ✓ Netherlands
- ✓ Norway, Sweden, Finland
- ✓ Estonia, Malta, Cyprus
- ✓ Japan, South Korea
- ✓ Hong Kong, Taiwan
Must apply before your 31st birthday
🌟 Extended Age Limit
18-35 years old (inclusive)
Special eligibility for:
- ★ United Kingdom (including British National Overseas)
- ★ Canada
- ★ France
- ★ Ireland
- ★ Italy
- ★ Denmark
Must apply before your 36th birthday
Work & Study Rights
What you can do on your Working Holiday visa
💼 Work Rights
- Full-time, part-time, or casual work
- Work for any employer in Australia
- Maximum 6 months with each employer (Condition 8547)
- Unlimited number of different employers
- Regional work can exceed 6 months (critical industries)
- Earn money to fund your travels
- Gain international work experience
📚 Study Rights
- Study up to 4 months
- Short courses and training allowed
- English language courses
- Certificate programs
- Skills-based workshops
- Surf lessons, diving courses
- No need for student visa
✈️ Travel Freedom
- Unlimited travel throughout Australia
- Multiple entries and exits
- Visit home and return
- Travel to nearby countries
- 12-month validity from first entry
- No location restrictions
- Explore cities and regional areas
Extend Your Stay: 2nd & 3rd Year Visas
Stay in Australia for up to 3 years total with extensions
First Year: Initial Working Holiday (12 months)
Apply offshore as first-time applicant. Work, travel, and explore Australia for 12 months. If you want to stay longer, complete 88 days (3 months) of specified work in regional Australia.
Second Year: Extension After Specified Work (Another 12 months)
Requirement: Complete 88 days of specified work in regional Australia during your first year. Specified work includes farming, plant/animal cultivation, mining, construction, fishing, or bushfire recovery in designated regional areas.
UK Exception: As of July 2024, UK passport holders are exempt from specified work requirement for 2nd year.
Third Year: Second Extension (Another 12 months)
Requirement: Complete an additional 6 months of specified work during your second year (total 9 months of specified work across both years). This qualifies you for a third 12-month visa.
UK Exception: UK passport holders are also exempt from specified work requirement for 3rd year.
Specified Work for Extensions
Understanding the work requirements for 2nd and 3rd year visas
📋 What Counts as Specified Work?
Work must be in these industries in regional Australia:
- ✓ Plant and animal cultivation (farming, orchards)
- ✓ Fishing and pearling
- ✓ Tree farming and felling
- ✓ Mining operations
- ✓ Construction projects
- ✓ Bushfire recovery and reconstruction
Must be in designated regional postcodes
📝 Proof Required
Document your specified work with:
- ✓ Payslips showing dates worked
- ✓ Employer references/letters
- ✓ Tax records and group certificates
- ✓ Bank statements showing pay deposits
- ✓ Evidence of regional location
- ✓ Detailed work logs with dates
⏰ Days Calculation
How days are counted:
- ✓ 2nd year: Minimum 88 days (approximately 3 months)
- ✓ 3rd year: Additional 6 months (179 days) during 2nd year
- ✓ Full-time, part-time, or casual work all count
- ✓ Days don’t need to be consecutive
- ✓ Work for multiple employers can combine
Common Refusal Reasons (And How We Help)
Avoiding the pitfalls that lead to visa denials
❌ Incomplete Application
Problem: Missing documents or incorrect information
Our Solution:
- Complete document checklist
- Form preparation and review
- Verify all information accuracy
- Proper file formatting
- Nothing overlooked
❌ Eligibility Issues
Problem: Doesn’t meet age or passport requirements
Our Solution:
- Pre-application eligibility screening
- Verify age and nationality
- Confirm first-time status
- Check offshore requirement
- Only proceed when eligible
❌ Insufficient Funds
Problem: Cannot prove $5,000 available
Our Solution:
- Guide on fund requirements
- Bank statement preparation
- Official bank letters
- Explain unusual transactions
- Ensure compliance before applying
❌ Health/Character Issues
Problem: Medical or criminal record concerns
Our Solution:
- Health examination guidance
- Police certificate assistance
- Supporting statements
- Address issues proactively
- Full transparency approach
❌ Specified Work Not Proven (Extensions)
Problem: Cannot verify 88 days or 6 months work
Our Solution:
- Verify work logs before application
- Confirm days count correctly
- Review all payslips and references
- Check regional postcode eligibility
- Only apply when fully qualified
❌ Wrong Work Type (Extensions)
Problem: Work doesn’t qualify as “specified”
Our Solution:
- Confirm work is in eligible industries
- Verify regional location
- Review job descriptions
- Ensure proper documentation
- Advise if additional work needed
Required Documents Checklist
Everything you need for your Working Holiday visa application
🆔 Identity Documents
- Valid passport (biographical pages)
- Passport from eligible country
- Birth certificate
- National ID card
- Recent passport-sized photos
💰 Financial Evidence
- Bank statements (showing $5,000+)
- Recent bank balance letter
- Proof of departure funds
- Return ticket or sufficient funds
- Payslips or income evidence
🏥 Health Requirements
- Medical examination (if required)
- Chest x-ray (high-risk TB countries)
- Health insurance policy
- Vaccination records (recommended)
- Medical history declarations
🔒 Character Documents
- Police clearances (if required)
- Character declarations
- Court documents (if applicable)
- Character references
- Rehabilitation evidence (if needed)
📋 For 2nd/3rd Year Extensions
- Payslips for specified work
- Employer references/letters
- Work log with dates
- Tax documents (group certificates)
- Bank statements showing wages
- Proof of regional location
- Evidence of 88 days or 6 months
🇬🇧 UK Applicants (Extensions)
- Valid UK passport
- Proof of previous WHV
- Application forms
- No specified work required!
- Standard health/character docs
Why Choose VisaTasker?
Expert assistance for just $500 flat fee
MARA Registered
Certified migration agent (MARN 2318017) with legal authorization
$500 Flat Fee
Transparent pricing – no hidden costs or surprise charges
Complete Service
End-to-end assistance from eligibility check to visa grant
Fast & Efficient
We handle all paperwork so you can focus on planning your adventure
Onshore & Offshore
Support for first-time applicants and extensions, anywhere
High Success Rate
Minimize refusal risk with accurate, complete applications
Simple, Affordable Pricing
Professional migration service without breaking your travel budget
Complete Working Holiday Service
Flat fee – First-time or extensions
- Personalized eligibility assessment
- Complete document checklist
- Form preparation & completion
- ImmiAccount creation & submission
- Health insurance guidance
- Specified work verification (extensions)
- Document review & verification
- Department correspondence handling
- Application progress monitoring
- Updates until visa grant
- First, second, or third year visas
- Onshore or offshore applications
Government & Other Fees
Visa application charge (approximate)
- Visa application: AUD $510 (approx.)
- Paid directly to Home Affairs
- Same fee for 1st, 2nd, 3rd year
- Non-refundable
- Medical exam: $300-$500 (if required)
- Police checks: Varies by country
- Health insurance: $50-$200/month
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I work full-time on a Working Holiday visa?
Yes! You can work full-time, part-time, or casual on the Working Holiday visa.
Key points about working:
- No restrictions on hours per week
- Maximum 6 months with any single employer (Condition 8547)
- Work for multiple employers throughout your stay
- Most jobs allowed (hospitality, retail, farm work, construction, etc.)
- Some regional critical jobs exempt from 6-month limit
- Must pay Australian taxes on earnings
- Apply for Tax File Number (TFN) after arrival
2. What does “88 days of specified work” mean for the second year visa?
To qualify for a second year Working Holiday visa, you must complete 88 days (approximately 3 months) of specified work in regional Australia during your first year.
Specified work includes:
- Plant and animal cultivation (farming, fruit picking, harvesting)
- Fishing and pearling
- Tree farming and felling
- Mining
- Construction
- Bushfire recovery and reconstruction
Important requirements:
- Must be in designated regional areas (not major cities)
- Full-time, part-time, or casual all count
- Days don’t need to be consecutive
- Can work for multiple employers
- Must provide payslips and employer references as proof
- Work must be during your first WHV period
3. Can I study while on a Working Holiday visa?
Yes, you can study for up to 4 months during your Working Holiday visa period.
What you can study:
- English language courses
- Certificate courses
- Short vocational training
- Skills-based workshops
- Surf lessons, diving courses (PADI)
- Barista training
- First aid courses
- Any short-term educational program
Limitations:
- Maximum 4 months (17 weeks) of study total
- Cannot exceed 4 months even across multiple courses
- For longer study, you’d need a student visa
4. I’m 31 years old – can I still apply?
It depends on your nationality:
If you’re from these countries, YES (age limit 18-35):
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom (including British National Overseas)
- 🇨🇦 Canada
- 🇫🇷 France
- 🇮🇪 Ireland
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- 🇩🇰 Denmark
If you’re from other eligible countries, NO (age limit 18-30):
- Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Finland
- Estonia, Malta, Cyprus
- Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan
Important: You must apply before your 31st birthday (or 36th for the six countries listed above).
5. Can I bring my partner or children?
Partner: Yes (with separate visa) | Children: No
Partner (spouse/de facto):
- Cannot be included on your Working Holiday visa
- They must apply for their own visa independently
- If eligible, they can apply for their own Working Holiday visa
- Both must meet all eligibility criteria separately
- You can travel together if both granted visas
Dependent children:
- NOT allowed on Working Holiday visa
- This visa is for independent young adults only
- Cannot be accompanied by dependent children
- If you have children, this visa is not suitable
- Consider family visitor visas or other visa options instead
6. How long does it take to get a Working Holiday visa?
Processing times vary, but Working Holiday visas are generally processed relatively quickly.
Typical timeframes:
- Standard cases: 2-4 weeks on average
- Fast cases: Some granted within days
- Complex cases: 1-2 months if health exams or checks needed
- Peak season delays: Longer during busy periods (Nov-Jan)
Factors affecting processing time:
- Completeness of your application
- Whether health examination is required
- Whether police checks are needed
- Complexity of your travel/work history
- Department workload and seasonal volume
- Time to respond to any requests for information
Ready for Your Australian Adventure?
Start your working holiday journey with VisaTasker’s expert assistance. For just $500, we handle all the paperwork so you can focus on planning the trip of a lifetime. Whether it’s your first year or an extension, we make the visa process smooth and stress-free!
Book Your Consultation📋 Free Document Checklist
Get the complete list of documents you need for your application — updated for 2026.
View Working Holiday 417 Document Checklist →
Reviewed by VisaTasker Migration Services
MARA Registered Migration Agent · MARN 2318017
This page is written and reviewed by VisaTasker Migration Services, a MARA-registered migration agency based in Australia. As registered agents, we are bound by the Migration Agents Code of Conduct and required to provide accurate, up-to-date advice based on Australian migration legislation. Information is reviewed against the latest Department of Home Affairs policy.