Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
Visa Cost
AUD 670
2025-26 financial year first-instalment base VAC (primary applicant), from 2025-07-01. The 417 and 462 Working Holiday visa fees are the same, both AUD 670. Note for Chinese passport holders: 417 is for countries/regions with a 417 reciprocal arrangement with Australia (such as the UK, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc.); mainland Chinese passports are not on the 417 list, so mainland Chinese citizens should apply for the 462 (Work and Holiday). This record is presented alongside 462 as required by the task.
Processing Time
About 15-45 days (75% of applications are finalised within weeks; online applications are usually faster)
Eligibility
- Aged 18 or over and under 31 at application (relaxed to 35 for some arrangement countries such as the UK, Canada, France, Italy and Denmark)
- Hold an eligible passport with a 417 working holiday reciprocal arrangement with Australia (such as the UK, Canada, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Germany, France, Italy, Hong Kong, Taiwan, etc.; mainland Chinese passports are not eligible and should apply for 462)
- No accompanying dependent children (you cannot bring minor children during the application or while in Australia)
- Hold sufficient funds to support yourself in the early period in Australia (usually about AUD 5,000) and the means for a return trip or to buy a return ticket
- Meet health and character requirements (a health examination and police clearance if necessary)
- First-time 417 applicants have not previously held a 417 or 462 visa (the second and third require completing the prescribed specified work in a specified industry in a designated area)
- Consistent with the spirit of a genuine temporary entrant (GTE), with the main purpose being a holiday and work secondary
Key Information
Validity / Stay / Residence
12 months from first entry, with multiple entries; completing 88 days of work in a designated area on the visa allows a second visa, and completing 6 months (179 days) on the second allows a third.
Eligible Dependants
Dependent children cannot accompany you; each applicant must apply individually.
PR / Permanent Residence Pathway
This visa has no direct PR channel; you can apply for a second/third year 417 on completing the required regional work, or transition via a student visa, skilled migration or an employer-sponsored visa.
View provisional-to-permanent transition overview →Common Visa Conditions
Full explanations of condition codes are in the Visa Conditions Lookup
Application Steps
Confirm passport eligibility for 417
Confirm passport eligibility for 417
Check whether your passport's country/region is on the 417 reciprocal list, and confirm your age and number of times comply.
- Mainland Chinese passport holders do not qualify for 417 and should apply for 462 (Work and Holiday) instead
- Confirm whether this is the first/second/third 417; the second and third require evidence of past specified work
Create ImmiAccount and gather documents
Create ImmiAccount and gather documents
Register an ImmiAccount on the Department of Home Affairs website, and scan your passport and proof of funds, etc.
- Prepare the passport bio-data page, a recent digital photo, and proof of bank savings
- If applicable, prepare specified work evidence for the second/third application
Lodge the online application
Lodge the online application
Complete the application form online in ImmiAccount and upload supporting documents.
- Answer health and character questions truthfully
- The applicant usually lodges the first application offshore (onshore in some cases)
Pay the visa application charge
Pay the visa application charge
Pay the AUD 670 first-instalment VAC online.
- Payable by credit card/debit card/PayPal, etc.
- Keep the payment receipt
Complete health and character checks if requested
Complete health and character checks if requested
Complete the designated-clinic health examination and submit a police clearance as required by the system or case officer.
- Staying in Australia beyond a certain period or doing certain work may trigger a health examination
- Having lived in a country for a cumulative 12 months or more may require a police clearance from that country
Await decision and travel
Await decision and travel
After receiving the visa grant notice, check the conditions and travel to Australia within the first-entry deadline.
- First entry is usually required within 12 months of the grant date
- On entry you get a 12-month stay; you can apply for a second and third before it expires
Required Documents
| Document Name | English Name | Required | Description | Tips |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Valid passport bio-data page | Valid passport bio-data page | Prove identity and nationality, confirming the passport is from a 417-eligible country/region. | Passport validity should cover the entire stay; passport nationality is key to whether it is 417 or 462. | |
| Recent passport-style photograph | Recent passport-style photograph | For identity verification and the visa record. | White background, front-facing, no headwear, taken within the last 6 months. | |
| Evidence of sufficient funds (~AUD 5,000) | Evidence of sufficient funds (~AUD 5,000) | Prove you have sufficient funds to support yourself in the early period in Australia. | Bank statements/proof of savings, preferably showing a stable balance rather than a recent deposit. | |
| Return ticket or funds to buy one | Return ticket or funds to buy one | Prove you can leave after the working holiday ends. | Can be shown together with the proof of funds, without buying a ticket separately. | |
| Evidence of specified work (2nd/3rd WH) | Evidence of specified work (2nd/3rd WH) | Required only when applying for a second or third 417, proving you have completed the required days of work in a specified industry in a designated area. | The second requires 88 days and the third 6 months of specified work; corroborate with payslips, PAYG summaries, Form 1263 and an employer letter. | |
| Police clearance certificate(s) | Police clearance certificate(s) | Prove character meets requirements if the case officer requires. | Where you have lived in a country for a cumulative 12 months, that country's police clearance is usually required; translation must be by NAATI or a recognised provider. | |
| Health examination (if requested) | Health examination (if requested) | If the system determines a health examination is needed, complete it at a designated panel clinic. | Work in food, child or aged care, or coming from a high-TB-incidence area, is more likely to trigger a health examination. | |
| Birth certificate (if requested) | Birth certificate (if requested) | For verifying age and identity. | Non-English documents require a NAATI-certified translation. | |
| English / qualifications (certain countries) | English / qualifications (certain countries) | Provided where an individual arrangement country adds a functional English or qualification requirement for 417. | Most 417 countries have no hard English requirement; confirm against your country's arrangement terms. |
FAQ
Can mainland Chinese passport holders apply for 417?
What is the difference between 417 and 462?
Can it be renewed for a second and third year?
Is there a time limit on working for the same employer during a working holiday?
Common Refusal Reasons
- Over the 18-30 age limit (up to 35 for some nationalities)
- The passport held is not on the 417 reciprocal country list
- Insufficient proof of funds to cover early arrival costs
- Insufficient or non-compliant specified work evidence when applying for a second/third visa (days/area/industry do not match)
- Health or character requirements not met
Can you appeal after a refusal? See the Visa Refusal & Review (ART) Guide.