If you’ve ever dreamed of living, working and travelling around Australia, the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program could help you make it happen. In place since 1975, the WHM visa program allows young adults to live in Australia for a period of 12 months. During this time, you can holiday in Australia as well as pursue short-term work and study.
Eager to learn more about the WHM visa program? You’ve come to the right place. Let’s take a look at the most important details of this visa scheme.
Read more: 5 Things I Wish I Knew Before Applying for the Working Holiday Maker Visa Program
Working Holiday Maker visa types
Under the WHM program, there are two visa types: the Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa and the Working Holiday (subclass 462) visa. The conditions and allowances of both visas are essentially identical; the main difference is the countries from which you must be a passport holder to apply for the 417 visa vs. the 462 visa.
Working Holiday Maker visa eligibility
To be eligible for a 417 visa, you must hold a passport from any of the following nations:
- Belgium
- Canada
- Republic of Cyprus
- Denmark
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Germany
- Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China (including British National Overseas passport holders)
- Republic of Ireland
- Italy
- Japan
- Republic of Korea
- Malta
- Netherlands
- Norway
- Sweden
- Taiwan (other than an official or diplomatic passport)
- The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
To be eligible for a 462 visa, you must hold a passport from any of the following nations:
- Argentina
- Austria
- Brazil
- Chile
- China, People’s Republic of
- Czech Republic
- Ecuador
- Greece
- Hungary
- Indonesia
- Israel
- Luxembourg
- Malaysia
- Mongolia
- Peru
- Poland
- Portugal
- San Marino
- Singapore
- Slovak Republic
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Switzerland
- Thailand
- Turkey
- Uruguay
- United States of America
- Vietnam
There are a number of additional eligibility requirements you must meet to apply for a Working Holiday visa, including providing proof of sufficient funds, meeting the character requirement, and falling within a certain age range. For most applicants, you’ll need to be under the age of 30. The only exceptions to this are passport holders from the following countries who can apply for the 417 visa until they are 35 years old (inclusively):
- Canada
- Denmark
- France
- Republic of Ireland
- Italy
If you apply for your designated visa at the maximum age limit and your visa is granted after you surpass the age limit (by the time you turn 31 or 36 in certain cases), you can still receive a visa.
As of 2023, there is also talk that the age limit for the WHM program could increase to 50 years of age. According to The Guardian, Tourism and Transport Forum Australia Chief Executive Margy Osmond said Australia could reap more benefits by increasing the eligible age to 50.
Work limitations on Working Holiday Maker visa holders
Historically, Working Holiday visa holders have been subject to a 6-month work limitation, meaning they have only been allowed to work for any employer for a maximum of six months. This rule was temporarily relieved in 2022 to help fill gaps left in the workforce by the COVID-19 pandemic.
While the 6-month work limitation was set to come into effect again on 1 January 2023, the Government has postponed this again. It is now set to be reintroduced on 1 July 2023.
Options to extend a Working Holiday Maker visa
On both the 417 and the 462 visa, you have the option to extend your visa into a second and third year. This means that you could stay in Australia for up to three years under the WHM program.
To do this, you must complete specified work in a regional area. This is sometimes known as the “88 days” rule because you’ll need to complete 88 days of work to receive a second-year Working Holiday visa. To receive a third-year Working Holiday visa, you must complete six months of specified work.
Specified work is work undertaken in a ‘specified’ industry and area of Australia. Various sectors are eligible, including tourism and hospitality, plant and animal cultivation, construction, flood recovery, bushfire recovery and critical COVID-19 work in the healthcare and medical sectors. Here, you’ll find a list of accepted postcodes in which you can complete your specified work.
For some passport holders, there are some changes coming to this rule. In 2022, the Australian Government signed the Australia-United Kingdom Free Trade Agreement (Australia-UK FTA). While the agreement is not yet effective, once it does come into action, it will allow UK citizens to:
- apply for a Working Holiday visa until the age of 35 years (inclusively)
- receive up to three Working Holiday visas without having to fulfil the specified work requirement.
Learn more about the Working Holiday Maker program
If you have more queries about a working holiday adventure in Australia, you can learn more about the WHM visa scheme via the Department of Home Affairs.
