The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) is one of the best-known doors for young people: it lets you travel to Australia and work to fund the trip. This is a general information guide — not an assessment of your case — about who it is for, which requirements usually come up and where the official list of eligible countries lives.
What is the 462 visa?
Broadly, the 462 lets people aged 18 to 30 (inclusive) take an extended holiday in Australia and work to fund it. The official information sets out the steps and conditions; it is not automatic and each country has its own additional requirements.
With this visa you can usually work in short stints, study for up to four months and travel in and out of Australia. The general stay is twelve months, and there are conditions for a second visa that the official page sets out.
General requirements
The official first-462 guide asks, in general terms, for:
- Be aged 18 to 30 when you apply (the application is lodged before your 31st birthday).
- Be a citizen and hold a valid passport from an eligible country.
- Meet the education requirement that applies to your country (generally a tertiary qualification or partial university study, per the official table).
- Not be accompanied by dependent children: the application is individual.
- For the first 462, apply from outside Australia, with health, character and English requirements per the official information.
The country list and the requirements are updated, so the date of your application matters: always confirm what is current on the official page before making decisions or paying for any step.
Eligible countries: what the official list says
The list of eligible countries is defined by the Australian Government and is updated. The official page includes several Latin American countries, among them Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, plus Spain in Europe. The education requirement varies by country: for Argentina, Ecuador and Peru, for example, the general rule is a tertiary qualification or two years of university study; for Chile, a tertiary qualification or being in your third year. Always check the current table before planning.
Costs, timing and the second visa
The 462 has an application charge that the Government publishes and updates; the official pricing estimator is where you see the current amount. Processing times can be longer than average because application volumes are high, and the official processing times guide says so.
There is also a second 462 for those who meet certain specified-work conditions. We don’t describe it in detail here: the visa’s official page is what defines the current requirements.
One last note: although the 462 sounds like a light adventure, it is a visa with real conditions. Reading the official information before lodging is not a decorative step: it is what separates an orderly application from one that generates avoidable delays or refusals.
If the English requirement raises questions, see our English requirements for Australia guide; if you are comparing the 462 with studying, the studying from Latin America overview helps you decide.
How you apply and what to expect
The first 462 application is lodged online through the Australian Government’s official system, and the official information asks you to apply from outside Australia. Before lodging, it’s worth having your passport, the study evidence your country requires and the health, character and English documentation that applies to your case.
One important point the official page repeats: don’t book flights or travel until you receive written notification that the visa has been granted. Processing can take longer than usual because of application volumes, and the Government says so explicitly.
And remember: if you are comparing options for young people, the 462 is not the only door. The student visa opens a different kind of path, with other conditions and other advantages.
The next step
Every country and every profile has its nuances. If you want to see whether the 462 (or another pathway) fits your situation, take the initial assessment and we’ll guide you with general information.
Want to see if the 462 fits you? Take the initial assessment →
General information · not individual legal advice.
Last reviewed: 2026-08-15 · Source: immi.homeaffairs.gov.au (Work and Holiday 462, first 462, pricing estimator, processing times)