2-Year Working Visa Australia: Which Subclass Actually Gives You 2 Years
There's no single visa called the "2-year working visa" in Australia. This covers the three real visas that can give you two years of work rights — the Skills in Demand 482, the Working Holiday 417/462 second year, and the Temporary Graduate 485 — what each requires, and what each costs. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
Watch
Chapters
- 0:00 No single "2-year working visa" —
- 0:15 Subclass 482 Core Skills:
- 0:31 Income thresholds, from 1 July 2026
- 0:53 The 186 pathway:
- 1:11 417 / 462: 12 months, then 12 more
- 1:28 A third year needs
- 1:41 Subclass 485: length depends
- 2:02 Other visas that can reach 2 years
- 2:26 What each one costs, from 1 July 2026
- 2:49 Which one fits your situation
- 3:09 Moving between them means
- 3:24 Where to read more
Transcript
Searching for a two-year working visa in Australia? There's no single visa with that name. But at least three real visas can give you two years of work rights. Here's which is which.
The Skills in Demand visa, subclass 482, Core Skills stream, can run up to 4 years — and can be granted for exactly 2 years if the sponsoring employer's nomination supports that period. You need an Australian employer to sponsor you.
To qualify, the position needs to be on the Core Skills Occupations List, and you need to meet the Core Skills Income Threshold: 79,423 Australian dollars from 1 July 2026, indexed every 1 July. The Specialist Skills stream needs a higher 146,576, and runs 4 years, not 2.
The 482 can lead to permanent residence through the subclass 186 Employer Nomination Scheme — but not simply after 3 years with one employer. What actually counts is 2 years of eligible sponsored employment within the 3 years before you apply, and time with an earlier approved sponsor still counts.
The Working Holiday, subclass 417, and Work and Holiday, subclass 462, visas both start at 12 months. To reach a second 12 months — two years total — you need at least 88 days of specified regional work during your first year.
A third 12-month extension is available after a further 6 months of specified work in your second year — taking the total stay to 3 years. But you can't work for the same employer for more than 6 months without permission.
The Temporary Graduate visa, subclass 485, gives graduates work rights after study. The Post-Higher Education Work stream runs 2 years for a bachelor's or coursework master's, 3 years for a research master's or doctorate, and up to 5 years for Hong Kong or B N O passport holders. The Post-Vocational Education Work stream runs 18 months.
A few other visas can also land near two years: the subclass 494 is a 5-year provisional visa, subclasses 408 and 407 can run up to 2 years in some streams, and subclass 476 is an 18-month visa for engineering graduates. None are interchangeable with the 482, 417, 462 or 485.
On cost, as at 1 July 2026: the 417 or 462 charges 840 dollars for a first visa and 1,000 for a second or third. The 482 charges 4,015 dollars, plus employer nomination costs of 330 to 540. The 485 charges 5,750 dollars.
So which fits you? An employer ready to sponsor you points to the 482. Being 18 to 30, or 35 for some countries, from an eligible working holiday country points to the 417 or 462. A recent Australian qualification points to the 485.
None of these is a seamless upgrade from another. Moving from a working holiday to a subclass 482, for example, means meeting every 482 requirement from scratch — skills, English, salary and occupation list included.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description. And if you'd like to talk it through, you can compare registered migration agents there, and see their fees before you book anything.
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