Work and Holiday (Subclass 462) — Informational Verified 2026-04-19Australia Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462) — Informational
Informational guide. The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) allows young Indians aged 18–30 to work and travel in Australia for up to 12 months, but India has a ballot-based quota. SureshotVisa does not process work visas.
No visa is ever guaranteed — the final decision always rests with the Australia visa authority. We make sure your file is presented at its strongest.
Please note: we do not deal with work permits for foreign countries. This page is informational only. For Australia work and migration pathways, consult the Department of Home Affairs directly or a registered Australian Migration Agent (MARA).
Processing
Variable — ballot selection happens first (annual), then visa processing takes 2–6 months
Stay Duration
12 months from first entry
Starting Fee
AUD 670
Apply At
11 VFS centres
Good to know before you apply
Rules that apply to every Australia visa type — worth a quick read so nothing trips up your file.
- 1All Indian applicants MUST apply online via ImmiAccount — there is no paper form, no VFS lodgement. VFS Global is only the biometrics collection agent in India.
- 2Your passport must be valid for the entire duration of your intended stay. Renew BEFORE applying if expiry is within 6 months.
- 3Australia does NOT place a visa sticker in your passport. Your visa is digitally linked to your passport — verify via VEVO after grant.
- 4You must be OUTSIDE Australia when you apply AND when the visa is decided (for most visitor and temporary visas).
- 5Be a 'genuine visitor' — you must intend to return to your home country. Australia's Department of Home Affairs scrutinises this closely for Indian applicants.
- 6Health requirement: you may need a medical examination (chest X-ray, general health check) at a Bupa Medical Visa Services panel physician. Bupa is the only authorised provider in India.
- 7Character requirement: police clearance certificate (PCC) from the passport office may be required if you've spent 12+ months in any country in the last 10 years.
- 8'No Further Stay' condition 8503 is commonly attached to visitor visas — if attached, you cannot apply for another visa while in Australia. Check your grant letter carefully.
- 9Visitor visa holders: be aware of recent laws restricting 'visa hopping' to the Student visa program — you generally cannot switch to Student visa while in Australia on a Visitor visa.
- 10The ballot is the gating step — most applicants never pass this stage because demand far exceeds quota.
- 11Ballot registration is once a year — watch homeaffairs.gov.au for announcements.
- 12Age is calculated at date of application, not date of entry. Plan accordingly.
- 13SureshotVisa does not process this category — consult a MARA-registered Australian Migration Agent.
Who Can Apply
- Indian citizens aged 18–30 (inclusive) at time of visa application
- Functional English (e.g., IELTS 4.5+ or equivalent)
- Tertiary qualification (diploma or degree) OR substantial tertiary study
- Sufficient funds (typically AUD 5,000+)
- No dependent children
- Selected in the annual India ballot (registration opens once per year on homeaffairs.gov.au)
Not eligible under this visa:
- Anyone outside the 18–30 age window
- Applicants without a tertiary qualification or ongoing tertiary study
- Those without functional English
- Applicants with dependent children
- Those not selected in the annual India ballot
What it costs
Government & VFS fees
Paid directly to Australia / VFS — these are not our service fee, and we never mark them up.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) | AUD 670 |
| Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) | AUD 670 |
| Biometrics | ₹1,850 |
The ballot registration itself has a nominal fee (~AUD 25). Only if selected in the ballot do you proceed to pay AUD 670 visa application charge. Additional costs: biometrics, health check, police clearance, English test.
What to gather
Documents required
Having a document isn't the same as presenting it right — that's the part we handle.
Ballot-Stage Documents
3 items- Indian passport (valid)Required
- Personal details for ballot registrationRequired
- Ballot registration fee payment (~AUD 25)Required
Visa Application Stage (only if selected in ballot)
6 items- Tertiary qualification evidence (degree/diploma + transcripts)Required
- English test results (IELTS/PTE/Cambridge) at functional levelRequired
- Funds evidence (AUD 5,000+ bank statement)Required
- Police clearance certificateRequired
- Health examination at Bupa Medical Visa ServicesRequired
- Biometrics at VFS Global IndiaRequired
Required · optional / if applicable
The journey.
6 steps from intake to approval. Curved spine on the right shows the natural pace — never as linear as government sites pretend.
- 01
Wait for annual ballot registration window
The Department of Home Affairs announces the India ballot window annually on homeaffairs.gov.au. Registration is open for a short period.
- 02
Register for the ballot via ImmiAccount
Create an ImmiAccount, complete the ballot registration, pay the nominal ballot fee. Only one registration per person per round.
- 03
Ballot draw (random selection)
The Department randomly selects registrations up to the quota (around 1,000 places for India per year). If not selected, you must wait for the next annual round.
- 04
Receive invitation to apply (if selected)
Selected applicants have a limited window (typically 28 days) to lodge a full Work and Holiday visa application.
- 05
Lodge visa application with all supporting evidence
Upload qualifications, English test, funds, biometrics, health check, police clearance. Pay AUD 670 VAC.
- 06
Visa decision
2–6 months typical. Digital visa via VEVO.
Download official forms
Official forms are hosted by VFS Global — we don't host third-party forms ourselves, so you always get the latest version.
How to download from VFS:
- Click the form name below — opens the official VFS Global page for Australia
- Select the visa category you're applying for (e.g. Tourist, Business, Student)
- Scroll down to the "Download Form" section at the bottom
- Click the PDF icon next to the form name → saves to your device
ImmiAccount — Online Application Portal
Australia's official online visa application portal. ALL Australian visas for Indian applicants must be lodged here — no paper forms, no VFS lodgement. Create your ImmiAccount, select the visa subclass, pay online, and upload documents.
Department of Home Affairs — Official Website
Authoritative source for all Australian visa information. Includes Visa Finder tool, Visa Pricing Estimator, Visa Processing Time Guide, and health requirement details.
Visa Finder Tool
If you're unsure which visa is right for you — answer a few questions and the tool recommends matching visa subclasses.
VEVO — Visa Entitlement Verification Online
After visa grant, use VEVO to check your visa conditions, stay period, and entry rights. Australia grants digital visas only — no sticker in passport.
VFS application centres
Quiz not yet available for this visa type
We're actively building per-visa quizzes. For now, the best way to assess your eligibility for Australia Work and Holiday Visa (Subclass 462) — Informational is a free 1-on-1 consultation with our team.
Free · No obligation · Reply in minutesFrequently asked
Questions, answered straight
Via ImmiAccount during the annual ballot registration window announced on homeaffairs.gov.au. Registration is online, requires a nominal fee, and can only be done once per round per person.
The quota is typically ~1,000 places per year for India, with tens of thousands of registrations. Odds are low. Statistics are published annually by the Department.
Yes, with limits. The subclass 462 visa allows work for up to 6 months with any one employer. Specified work in regional areas can allow second-year extensions.
No — India is NOT on the subclass 417 Working Holiday list. Indian citizens can only access the subclass 462 Work and Holiday program via the annual ballot.
We specialise in short-stay visit visas, not work/migration categories. Work and Holiday applications are best handled by MARA-registered Australian Migration Agents who specialise in this niche.
Still have a question about your case? Ask us directly — we usually reply in 5 minutes.
This page is for information only
SureshotVisa does not process this visa category. For other Australia visa types we can help with — Tourist, Visitor, Business, Student, or Family Reunification — see the related visa types below.
Other Australia Visa Types
Australia Tourist Visa (Subclass 600 — Tourist Stream)
Australian visitor visa for Indian citizens travelling to Australia for tourism, sightseeing, or visiting friends and relatives. Typically 3, 6 or 12 months stay.
View guideAustralia Business Visa (Subclass 600 — Business Visitor Stream)
Australian business visitor visa for Indian professionals attending meetings, conferences, negotiations, or exploratory business visits. Paid employment is NOT permitted.
View guideAustralia Sponsored Family Visa (Subclass 600 — Sponsored Family Stream)
Australian visitor visa for Indian citizens visiting close relatives who are Australian citizens/PR holders and who sponsor the application. An Assurance of Support may be required.
View guideAustralia Electronic Travel Authority (Subclass 601) — Informational
The ETA (subclass 601) is Australia's quick online visa for tourism/business visits, but it is NOT available to Indian passport holders. Indian citizens must apply for the Visitor visa (subclass 600) instead.
View guideAustralia eVisitor (Subclass 651) — Informational
eVisitor (subclass 651) is a free online visa for short visits to Australia, but it is exclusively for European passport holders. Indian citizens are NOT eligible — apply for subclass 600 instead.
View guideAustralia Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) — Informational
Informational guide. The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is NOT available to Indian passport holders. Indian citizens should refer to the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) via the annual ballot.
View guideAustralia Student Visa (Subclass 500)
The Student visa (subclass 500) allows Indian students to live in Australia and undertake a full-time eligible course of study — school, VET, undergraduate, postgraduate, or research — for up to 6 years.
View guideAustralia Student Guardian Visa (Subclass 590)
The Student Guardian visa (subclass 590) allows an Indian parent, custodian, or close relative aged 21+ to come to Australia to provide care and support for a student visa holder under 18 (or in exceptional cases, 18+).
View guideSource & Disclaimer
Data on this page is sourced from the official VFS Global Australia website and Embassy of Australia. Last verified 2026-04-19. Always verify with the official embassy before applying — fees and requirements change without notice.