Working Holiday Visa Update 1 July 2019

Immigration introduced a number of changes to the Subclass 417 Working Holiday and Subclass 462 Work & Holiday visa schemes on 1 July 2019, expanding access to the program by including more countries and reducing documentary requirements. The first also saw the introduction of the third year 417 and 462 visa where certain requirements are met. These are summarised as follows:

New Countries

Passport holders from Greece and Ecuador who are between 18 and 30 years of age (inclusive) can now apply for the Subclass 462 Work & Holiday Maker visa. Applicants from these countries must have completed at least 2 years of undergraduate university studies, and need to provide a letter of support from their government as well as evidence of Functional English.

Age Increase

French passport holders can now apply for a Subclass 417 Working Holiday Maker up until the day before they turn 35. France joins Ireland and Canada on the list of accepted countries with a higher age cut-off for applicants.

Less paperwork

Applicants from Austria, Portugal, and Spain are no longer required to provide a letter from their Government supporting the application for a Subclass 462 Work & Holiday Maker visa. Internet lodgement is now required for applicants from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Third Year Visa

It is now possible to apply for a third year visa provided an additional 6 months of specified regional work is undertaken while the applicant is the holder of a second 417 or 462 visa. Further information is available on our Extensions page here.

Want to learn more?

Visit our section on Working Holiday visas for more information on the Subclass 417 and 462 visa requirements, application process, and visa conditions. For further assistance and advice, please contact us.