Australia Releases List of 30 Countries Eligible for Work and Holiday Visa

• Australia's government has published the full list of 30 countries whose citizens can apply for the First Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)
• The visa is open to people aged 18 to 30 and allows holders to work in Australia while funding an extended holiday stay
• Citizens of China, India, and Vietnam face an additional hurdle, as they must first go through a ballot process before they can apply

Australia has released the full list of 30 countries whose nationals are eligible to apply for its First Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462), a pathway that allows young people to live, travel, and work in the country for an extended period.

The visa is available to applicants aged between 18 and 30 years old, inclusive. It is designed to support an extended holiday, with work permitted as a means of funding that stay rather than as the primary purpose of the visit.

Australia First Work and Holiday visa eligibility list

The 30 countries whose passport holders qualify for the visa are:

1. Argentina
2. Austria
3. Brazil
4. Chile
5. China, People's Republic of
6. Czech Republic
7. Ecuador
8. Greece
9. Hungary
10. India
11. Indonesia
12. Israel
13. Luxembourg
14. Malaysia
15. Mongolia
16. Papua New Guinea (PNG)
17. Peru
18. Poland
19. Portugal
20. San Marino
21. Singapore
22. Slovak Republic
23. Slovenia
24. Spain
25. Switzerland
26. Thailand
27. Türkiye
28. Uruguay
29. United States of America
30. Vietnam

Notably, no African country appears on the list, meaning citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, and other African nations are ineligible to apply for this particular visa category.

Ballot requirement and processing delays for some applicants

Not all eligible nationals go through the same application process. Citizens of China, India, and Vietnam must first complete a visa pre-application process known as a ballot and be randomly selected before they can proceed with a full application.

The Australian government has also issued a caution to all prospective applicants, warning that offshore applications may take several months to process due to the current prioritisation of onshore Working Holiday Maker visa requests. Authorities have advised applicants not to book flights or make any travel commitments until a visa has been formally granted.

In a similar report, Legit.ng published that the Australian government announced a list of English language tests it no longer accepts for student visa processing.

UK names countries for ETA not visa

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the UK government published a list of 82 countries whose citizens can enter with an Electronic Travel Authorisation instead of a full visa. The permit covers short visits of up to six months to Britain, Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man.

Only Mauritius and Seychelles made the list from Africa, while Nigeria and most other African countries were left out. This means many African travellers must still follow the longer and more costly process of applying for a standard visa.

Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.