Working Holiday Maker (WHM) Program

March 18, 2026

Working holiday makers are temporary visitors to Australia and are important to Australia’s economy. They are an essential source of labour especially in industries that rely on seasonal employment.

What is the Working Holiday Maker Visa Program?

The Australian Working Holiday Maker Visa Program is a reciprocal scheme that allows adults aged 18 – 30 years (35 years for some counties) from eligible countries to travel and work in Australia.

The two visas that form the program are:

Holders of these visas can work for the same employer for up to six months. They are also able to undertake study for up to four months. (Can we indicate the visa holders have full work rights?)

These visas are valid for 12 months and if eligible, visa holders can apply for a second and third Working Holiday or Work and Holiday visa.

Australia’s Working Holiday Maker (WHM) Visa Program attracts over 200,000 applicants every year and is considered one of the most desired WHM programs in the world.

To be eligible for the 1st Work and Holiday Visa (subclass 462), applicants must:

Have a passport from an eligible country. Visit the Department of Home Affairs website for a list of eligible countries.
Be 18 to 30 years of age
Have not previously entered Australia on a Work and Holiday Visa or Working Holiday Visa
Meet education requirements. For a list of education requirements visit the Department of Home Affairs website. (Do we need to give them the list?)
Have at least Functional English
Have a letter of support from their government if coming from one of the following countries: Ecuador, Greece, Indonesia, Luxembourg, Malaysia (Good Conduct Certificate), Mongolia, Peru, Poland, San Marino, Slovenia, Thailand, Turkey
Have enough money to support themselves while in Australia
Meet health requirements
Meet character requirements
Have paid back any debt to the Australian Government
Not have had a visa cancelled or an application refused
Sign the Australian Values Statement

To be eligible for the 1st Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417), applicants must:

Be a citizen and hold a passport of an eligible country. Visit the Department of Home Affairs website for a full list of eligible countries.
Be 18 to 30 years of age (35 years of age for some countries)
Have not previously entered Australia on a Work and Holiday Visa or Working Holiday Visa
Have enough money to support themselves while in Australia
Meet health requirements
Meet character requirements
Have paid back any debt to the Australian Government
Not have had a visa cancelled or an application refused
Sign the Australian Values Statement

To be able to work in Australia under any of these visas, working holiday makers must:

Apply for a tax file number (TFN)
Complete a TFN declaration for their employer
Know their workplace rights
Lodge a tax return if applicable

Employing Working Holiday Makers

Working holiday makers provide Australian businesses with a flexible, readily available workforce. Working holiday makers can fill critical shortages in sectors such as agriculture, hospitality and tourism especially in regional areas.

While working holiday makers offer a great staffing option, there are obligations that employers must abide by in order to employ working holiday makers.

Employers must:

Register as an employer of working holiday makers
Check the worker has permission to work in Australia
Withhold tax for any working holiday makers employed by their business
Pay employees superannuation
Provide employees with payment summaries

Australia benefits greatly from working holiday makers. They not only fill critical labour shortages in key industries, they also spend a large portion of the money they earn on accommodation, food, recreational activities, retail, transport etc. Working holiday makers bring cultural diversity and contribute billions of dollars to Australia’s economy.

To learn more about the Working Holiday Maker Visa Program or any other aspect of migration, contact the team of experienced registered migration agents. Book a consultation.

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