Work and Holiday Visa – Subclass 462

Work and Holiday visa 462 holder doing regional farm work in Australia

The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) allows young people from eligible countries to travel and work in Australia for up to 12 months, with the option to extend their stay by completing specified regional work. This visa is designed to encourage cultural exchange while also supporting industries in need of labour, such as agriculture, hospitality, tourism, and construction. To qualify for a second or third 462 visa, applicants must complete 3 or 6 months of specified work in approved areas. Understanding the eligible industries, postcodes, and how to count your work days is essential to meet these requirements.

Main visa criteria

1st WHV:

You must have a passport from an eligible country*.
You must meet our education requirement.
You must have at least Functional English.
You must give us a letter of support from your government
You must have enough money to initially support yourself while you are in Australia. This is usually about AUD5,000.

2nd WHV:

You must have completed 3 months of specified work while holding your first WHV.
You must have enough money to initially support yourself while you are in Australia. This is usually about AUD5,000.

3rd WHV:

You must have completed 6 months of specified work while holding your first WHV or a bridging visa between your first and second WHV.
You must have enough money to initially support yourself while you are in Australia. This is usually about AUD5,000.

Specified work

To be eligible for a second or third Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462), applicants must complete paid or volunteer work in approved industries and regions, including:

Tourism and hospitality in Northern, Remote, or Very Remote Australia.
Plant and animal cultivation such as fruit picking, pruning, harvesting, shearing, or dairy farming.
Fishing and pearling in Northern Australia.
Tree farming and felling in Northern Australia.
Construction in Northern Australia and specified regional postcodes.
Bushfire recovery work in declared affected areas (after 31 July 2019).
Flood, cyclone, or natural disaster recovery work in declared postcodes (after 31 December 2021).
Critical COVID-19 healthcare and medical work anywhere in Australia (after 31 January 2020).

Specified work must be carried out in regional or remote Australia.

How to count the regional work

For a second visa: complete at least 3 months (88 calendar days) of specified work.
For a third visa: complete at least 6 months (179 calendar days) of specified work, on or after 1 July 2019.
Work can be full-time, part-time, or casual, and may be spread across multiple employers and locations.
Days are counted based on the equivalent of a full-time schedule for that industry.
Piecework (e.g. fruit picking) can count if covered by a lawful piecework agreement.

FAQs - frequently asked questions

The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) is available for the following countries only: Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, China- People’s Republic of, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea (PNG), Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, Uruguay, United States of America, Vietnam.

No, there is no obligato to perform regional work while on a Work and Holiday visa 462. However, if you wish to extend your visa to a second or third Work and Holiday visa (and provided you meet the other eligibility criteria such as the age and the financial requirements) you will need to perform 3 or 6 months of regional work.

To qualify for your first W&H, you must hold a passport from an eligible country and have enough funds to support yourself when you arrive in Australia (usually around AUD 5,000).

To be granted a second W&H, you must complete at least 3 months of specified work in regional or remote Australia while on your first W&H. You will also need to show you have sufficient funds (usually around AUD 5,000) to support yourself.

For a third W&H, you must complete 6 months of specified work while on your first or second W&H (or on a bridging visa between them). You must again show that you have enough funds to support yourself (around AUD 5,000).

One day of work counts as a standard full workday in your industry (usually 7 hours). Full-time contracts of 35 hours per week let you count the full 7 days, including weekends and paid leave. If you work less than full-time, convert hours into full days (e.g., 21 hours = 3 days). Long shifts (10–12 hours) still count as one day. Volunteer disaster recovery counts as one day per calendar day worked.

Keep records such as payslips, tax statements, bank statements, and employer references showing dates, hours, and location of work. If self-employed, you must show ABN and client invoices.

Key conditions include:

Work for the same employer for no more than 6 months (unless exempt).
Study or train for up to 4 months.
No dependent children may accompany you.
Comply with Australian laws and all visa conditions.

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Work and Holiday Visa – Subclass 462

Main visa criteria

Specified work

How to count the regional work

FAQs - frequently asked questions

PERTH (WA)

SYDNEY (NSW)