Australia Releases Age Requirements for Foreigners Who Want to Apply for Work and Holiday Visa

• Australia's Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) is open to foreigners, allowing them to work and travel in the country for up to 12 months
• The visa costs AUD840, though Papua New Guinea passport holders became eligible for a reduced fee from 1 July 2026
• Applicants holding passports from China, India, or Vietnam must first enter a ballot and be randomly selected before they can apply

Australia has outlined the age requirements and eligibility conditions for foreigners wishing to apply for its Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462).

Through the visa, the government is offering young travellers a structured pathway to live, work, and explore the country for up to a year.

Age requirements: Australia Work and Holiday Visa

According to the Australian Department of Home Affairs, applicants must be between 18 and 30 years old and hold a passport from an eligible country.

The visa is available for a fee of AUD840 and allows holders to work short-term to support their travels, study for up to four months, and travel in and out of Australia as many times as they wish during the 12 months.

Australia Work and Holiday Visa: Who can apply?

Several conditions govern eligibility. Applicants must apply from outside Australia, must not be travelling with dependent children, and cannot include any family members in their application. Those who have previously entered Australia on a subclass 462 or subclass 417 visa are not eligible for a first Work and Holiday visa and would need to explore a second visa option instead.

Nationals from China, India, and Vietnam face an additional requirement. They must first participate in a pre-application ballot process and be randomly selected before they are permitted to submit a formal visa application.

From 1 July 2026, Papua New Guinea passport holders who lodge a valid first Work and Holiday (subclass 462) application became eligible for a reduced visa cost, a concession introduced by the Australian government for that specific group.

What visa allows and processing timelines

Beyond working and holidaying, completing three months of specified subclass 462 work makes a holder eligible to apply for a second Work and Holiday visa, extending the opportunity for those who qualify.

On processing times, the Department of Home Affairs has flagged that onshore Working Holiday Maker applications are currently being prioritised. This means offshore applications could take several months to process. Prospective applicants are strongly advised not to book flights or commit to work, travel, or study arrangements until a visa has been officially granted.

The Australian government provides a Visa Pricing Estimator and a visa processing time guide tool on the Home Affairs website to help applicants calculate costs and check current processing timelines, though both tools offer general guidance rather than application-specific details.

Legit.ng has also published residency years for foreigners who want to become Qatari citizens.

Citizenship: Australia mentions residency years for foreigners

Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia's Department of Home Affairs has outlined the residence requirement foreigners must meet before applying for citizenship.

Applicants must have lived in Australia on a valid visa for a number of years before the date they apply for citizenship.

The rules also specify how much time applicants are allowed to have spent outside Australia during that period.