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Working Holiday in Australia: Frequently Asked Questions

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You can apply online for your Australian Working Holiday by using our Online Application:

Below are some FAQ containing essential information you need to know before applying for an Australia Working Holiday Visa:

Q: Do I need a visa to visit Australia?

A: Yes, Australian Immigration requires all visitors to have a visa before entering the country. If you are going to Australia on holiday, please visit the Australian Travel Visa section of the Australian Visa Bureau website.

Q: Am I eligible for a Working Holiday Visa for Australia?

To be eligible for a Working Holiday Visa for Australia, you must:

Q: Where do I apply?

A: A Working Holiday Visa cannot be granted in Australia. All Australia Working Holiday Visa applications must be made overseas.

Passport holders of the following 18 foreign countries are able to apply for a Working Holiday Visa in any country (except Australia): 

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

Holders of passports from The Republic of Cyprus are not eligible to apply for an electronic working holiday visa, and must lodge their application with their resident Australian Government office.

Q: Do I need a medical examination for a Working Holiday Visa?

A: All applicants are required to meet health criteria. In certain circumstances, you will be required to undergo formal health examinations.

A chest x-ray will be required if you:

A chest x-ray and a medical examination, including any specialist reports, will be required if:

Additionally, you will need to undergo HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C testing if you intend to work in the health care industry.

Depending on the circumstances, the Australian Government retains the right to add further health requirements at the discretion of the visa processing officer. Further information can be found on the DIAC website.

Q: What are the financial requirements of the Working Holiday Visa?

A: You need to have access to sufficient funds to support yourself at least for the initial stage of your holiday in Australia; you may be asked to show evidence of this on arrival to satisfy immigration officials.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) regard a sufficient amount as being a minimum of AUD$5,000, although the amount may vary depending on your length of stay and how much travelling you intend to do. You should also have either a return or onward ticket, or at least the funds for a fare to depart Australia if travelling on a one way ticket.

Evidence may include a certified copy of a bank statement and an air ticket out of Australia.

Q: How long can I stay in Australia on a Working Holiday Visa?

A: A Working Holiday Visa gives you 12 months to travel to Australia from the date the visa is granted, and allows you to stay in Australia for 12 months from the date you first enter Australia.

You can leave and re-enter Australia within the 12 months from the date of initial entry to Australia. However, if you depart Australia during your 12 month stay, you are not able to recover in any way the period of time spent outside Australia.

Working holiday makers who have been employed in specified work in regional Australia for a minimum of three months will be eligible to apply for a second working holiday visa, allowing them to stay in Australia for a further 12 months, provided they continue to meet the working holiday eligibility requirements.

Specified work includes plant / animal cultivation, fishing, tree farming, mining and construction work.  A full list is available on our Second Year Visa page.

Q: Do I need a stamp or label in my passport?

A: You will not normally need to have a visa label placed in your passport unless the Department of Immigration and Border Protection makes this a condition of your visa. This is because the visa is linked electronically to the passport details provided in your visa application.

However, any Working Holiday Visa holder who chooses to, may have a visa label placed in their passport. This may be useful to show potential employers that you have the right to work in Australia.

There are two main ways to obtain a visa label or otherwise provide substantiated proof of your visa:

Q: Are there any other ways to demonstrate my visa's validity to employers?

You should be aware of the Entitlement Verification Online (EVO) service, which allows certain third parties (e.g. employers) to check your visa information. However, they may only do so provided they obtain your consent, which you can do by providing the third party with your name, date of birth, passport number and passport country of issue.

Q: What does 'specified worker in regional Australia' mean?

Specified Work: the definition of specified work includes tasks in more primary industries such as plant and animal cultivation, felling trees, fishing and pearling, mining and construction, a full list can be found on our Second Year Visa page.

The most common form of specified work however, is fruit picking and other seasonal farm work. You can find more info on looking for work in these areas on our Farm Work Australia page. 

Regional Australia: anywhere in Australia except Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, the NSW Central Coast, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Perth, Melbourne or the ACT. Any area identified on the Australian JobSearch website as requiring harvest workers will come within the definition of 'regional Australia'.

The postal areas that make up the definition of 'Regional Australia' can be found on our Second Year Visa page.

Q: Can I study in Australia on my Working Holiday Visa?

A: Working Holiday Visa holders are permitted to study or train for up to four months.

Q: Can I apply for a Working Holiday Visa if I have previously been granted a Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) visa?

A: No. Previously, a person with dual citizenship and a passport from both one of the Subclass 417 (Working Holiday) visa eligible countries as well as a passport from one of the Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) visa eligible countries (i.e. Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Turkey or the USA) could potentially apply for both visa subclasses.

However, legislation has now been introduced to prevent a person who has previously been in Australia as the holder of a Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) visa from applying for a Subclass 417 (Working Holiday) visa (and vice versa).

Q: Do I need travel or health insurance?

A: Medical treatment in Australia can be very expensive and it is advisable to have both travel and health insurance. Visa Bureau recommends our selected partner Columbus Direct, who offer comprehensive cover at a competitive price, with a 10% discount available exclusively to Visa Bureau clients.

Q: What is superannuation?

A: If your monthly wage is more than $AU450 as a Working Holiday Visa holder in Australia, your employer must contribute an amount equal to 9% of your wage into a superannuation account for you.

Australians generally cannot access these contributions until they reach retirement age. However, as a Working Holiday Visa holder in Australia you can, in most cases, access your contributions earlier, although the money will be taxed.