Working Holiday Visa program changes from 1 July 2026

Australia has introduced changes to its Working Holiday Maker program from 1 July 2026, including a substantial increase in visa application charges for young travellers seeking to live and work in Australia.

The base application charge for both the Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa and the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa has increased by 37.3%, rising from AUD 670 to AUD 920 for primary applicants. The second and third year visa in the same program the application charges increase from $670 to $1,000 - a 49.3% increase.

The increase is the largest percentage increase across Australia's major temporary visa programs and exceeds the 25 per cent increase applied to most visa application charges from 1 July 2026.

The Working Holiday Maker program continues to play an important role in supporting Australia's tourism, hospitality, agriculture and regional industries by enabling young people to travel and undertake short-term employment while experiencing Australia.

Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa

The Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa is available to eligible passport holders from 19 partner countries and regions.

Eligible countries and regions are:

• Belgium*

• Canada

• Cyprus

• Denmark

• Estonia*

• Finland

• France

• Germany

• Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

• Ireland

• Italy

• Japan*

• Malta*

• Netherlands*

• Norway*

• Republic of Korea

• Sweden*

• Taiwan*

• United Kingdom

For most participating countries, applicants may apply up to the age of 35 years. However, the legislative instrument specifies a younger age of 30 years for applicants from Belgium, Estonia, Hong Kong SAR, Japan, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Taiwan.

Applicants must also satisfy country-specific passport requirements. For example, most applicants must hold a passport confirming they are a national of the relevant country, while Taiwanese applicants must not hold an official or diplomatic passport and United Kingdom applicants must hold a passport identifying them as a British Citizen or British National (Overseas).

Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa

The Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa is available to young people from 31 partner countries. Unlike the subclass 417 visa, applicants must generally meet educational requirements and, for some countries, other eligibility criteria.

Eligible countries are:

• Argentina

• Austria

• Brazil

• Chile

• China

• Czech Republic

• Ecuador

• Greece

• Hungary

• India

• Indonesia

• Israel

• Luxembourg

• Malaysia

• Mongolia

• Papua New Guinea

• Peru

• Philippines

• Poland

• Portugal

• San Marino

• Singapore

• Slovak Republic

• Slovenia

• Spain

• Switzerland

• Thailand

• Turkey

• United States of America

• Uruguay

• Vietnam

All subclass 462 participating countries currently have a maximum application age of 30 years.

Most applicants must have completed either:

• tertiary qualifications; or

• at least two years of undergraduate, tertiary or post-secondary education, depending on their country.

There are several country-specific exceptions:

• Israel: secondary school qualifications and completion of military service (or a legal exemption).

• Thailand: tertiary qualifications are mandatory.

• United States: secondary school qualifications only.

• Switzerland: successful completion of at least two years of study following compulsory schooling.

• Brazil and India: at least two years of post-secondary study.

• Papua New Guinea: at least two years of undergraduate university study.

What the changes mean

The increase in visa application charges represents a significant additional upfront cost for young people seeking to participate in Australia's Working Holiday Maker program. Despite the higher fees, the program remains one of Australia's key migration pathways for cultural exchange and temporary labour mobility, with participants contributing to industries experiencing workforce shortages while travelling throughout the country.

Prospective applicants should ensure they meet both the nationality and educational requirements applicable to their country before lodging an application and budget for the higher visa application charge now in effect.

Photo by Naassom Azevedo on Unsplash