Australia charges A$25 ballot fee for Work and Holiday visa subclass 462

Australia replaced direct, first-come, first-served filing with a randomized ballot for certain first Work and Holiday visas on Sept. 16, 2024.

Direct filing gave way to a draw

Chinese, Indian and Vietnamese passport holders seeking their first Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) must now register through ImmiAccount and be selected before filing a visa application.

Registration costs A$25 (about $16) and is nonrefundable. Each country has a separate electronic draw and applicants can submit only one registration per program year. Multiple registrations trigger automatic disqualification.

The ballot adds both cost and uncertainty to a visa that allows eligible travelers ages 18 to 30 to live, travel and work in Australia for up to 12 months. The route is covered further in Stamped Nomad’s guide to moving to Australia.

Who the ballot catches

The requirement applies only to first-time subclass 462 applicants holding mainland Chinese, Indian or Vietnamese passports. Selection doesn’t guarantee approval; invited applicants must still meet the visa’s education, English, financial, health and character requirements.

Other Work and Holiday partner countries continue using the standard application process. The ballot doesn’t cover visitor visas or second and third subclass 462 applications for Chinese and Vietnamese passport holders.

The current pool expires April 30

Registration for the 2026-27 program year ran from June 4 through June 25 and is closed. The Department of Home Affairs will continue making random selections from that pool until all registrations expire on April 30, 2027.

Applicants already in the pool need to monitor ImmiAccount and email through that date. Selection starts a firm deadline: invitees generally have 28 calendar days to submit the full visa application. Registrations simply expire if they aren’t selected.