462 Work and Holiday Visa Australia: Countries, Ballot & Rules (2026)
How the subclass 462 Work and Holiday visa actually works — which countries qualify, the age limit, the pre-application ballot for China, India and Vietnam, and how it differs from the subclass 417. Figures as at September 2026.
Read the full guide, with official sources →
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Chapters
- 0:00 462 visa:
- 0:14 462 visa:
- 0:34 462 vs 417:
- 0:45 China, India, Vietnam:
- 0:56 462 conditions
- 1:07 Second: 3 months.
- 1:17 Hard ceiling:
- 1:34 Super: 12% in.
- 1:45 Not a PR pathway —
Transcript
The subclass 462 is the working holiday route for passports the subclass 417 doesn't cover — and a first 462 has to be applied for from outside Australia.
Once you enter, it runs for up to 12 months from your first entry — and you have up to 12 months from grant to enter at all.
Every 462 country shares the same age window: at least 18, with an upper limit of 30 to apply — unlike the 417's split ages.
The 462 adds requirements the 417 doesn't: an education test, at least functional English, and for some countries, a letter of government support.
Applicants from China, India and Vietnam have one extra step: they have to be selected in a pre-application ballot before they can even lodge a first 462.
Condition 8547 caps you at 6 months with any one employer. Condition 8548 caps study or training at 4 months in total.
A second 462 needs at least 3 months of specified work on your first visa. A third needs 6 months of specified work on your second.
There's a hard ceiling on top of that: you cannot hold more than 3 462 visas in Australia in total.
A second or third 462 can be lodged inside Australia if you hold a substantive visa, or held one within the previous 28 days.
Your employer pays 12% super on top of your wages, but it's taxed at 65% if you claim it back as a DASP after leaving Australia.
The 462 isn't a direct path to permanent residence — but work done on it can be relevant to a later skilled visa application.
The full guide, with the official sources, is on migratio.com.au. The link is in the description.
Short versions
- The extra step China, India and Vietnam face on a 462 (0:26)
- 462 vs 417: what actually makes them different (0:30)
- The 6-month and 4-month limits on a 462 (0:28)
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