Work and Holiday visa for Indians: 1,000 places, 28 days to apply and a year to use well

Visa guide · 2026-10-24 · 10 min read

Young Indian woman organising travel papers and a passport beside a laptop, with a backpack behind her.

The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) gives Indian passport holders aged 18 to 30 one year in Australia to work, travel and study for a short while, but you cannot simply apply for it. You first register in a ballot for AUD25, wait to be randomly selected, and then have 28 calendar days to lodge a visa application that costs AUD840.00. India's places are capped at 1,000 a year, so the visa rewards people who are ready before selection, not after it.

Where India fits in the Work and Holiday program

The Australian High Commission announced on 1 October 2024 that India had joined the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa program under a new visa pre-application process. The places come from the India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement (ECTA), in force since 29 December 2022, which sets 1,000 places a year for India; Home Affairs shows the same annual cap.

India is not on the eligible passport list for the better-known Working Holiday visa (subclass 417), so the 462 is the only working holiday route for Indian passports. And India, Vietnam and China passport holders must win a pre-application ballot before applying for a first 462 visa.

If you are a recent graduate of a top-ranked Indian institution, compare this with the separate MATES ballot, which offers up to two years of work. Our guide to preparing for Mates ballot registration sets out how that ballot year runs.

Who can register: the requirements at a glance

The rules are set out on the official first Work and Holiday visa page. Check yours before the ballot opens, not after selection.

Requirement	What Home Affairs asks of Indian applicants	How to prepare
Age	18 to 30 years old, inclusive	Near the upper limit? Aim for the earliest ballot you can
Education	At least 2 years of completed post-secondary study	Keep transcripts and completion letters ready in English
English	At least functional English, with a test taken within 12 months before applying	Time the test so the result is still current when you lodge
Identity	A valid Indian passport and a valid PAN card (not an Aadhar card) whose details match the ballot registration	Make sure name and date of birth match across both
Family and location	Apply online from outside Australia, not accompanied by dependent children	Plan the year as a solo move

Home Affairs publishes the list of English tests it accepts, including IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL iBT and OET taken at a secure test centre. If English is your weak link, PractiseNow's IELTS and PTE practice helps you prepare before booking the real test.

The PAN card rule and the 28-day window

Home Affairs says Indian passport holders must hold a valid PAN card, not an Aadhar card, and its details must match the ballot registration. A spelling difference between your PAN and passport is far easier to fix months before the ballot than inside a 28-day deadline.

Once selected, you have 28 calendar days to apply: enough to upload documents you hold, too little to start collecting them. Have these ready first:

A passport with plenty of validity. From 1 July 2026 a fresh or reissued 36-page passport costs Rs. 2500 (normal) or Rs. 5000 (Tatkaal).
Your PAN card, checked against your passport.
Education documents showing at least 2 years of completed post-secondary study.
A current English test result.

Most applicants must also meet the health requirement. Health examinations outside Australia are done by a Home Affairs approved panel physician, and you need a HAP ID to book. If Home Affairs asks for a police certificate, the Indian document is the Police Clearance Certificate (PCC): Indian citizens living in India apply through the Regional Passport Office, at a Passport Seva Kendra within its jurisdiction, and from 1 July 2026 the fee is Rs. 750. A PCC for an Australian visa is valid for 12 months from its issue date.

Latest update: how the 2026-2027 cycle ran

For program year 2026-2027, India's Work and Holiday ballot registration ran from 4 June 2026 to 25 June 2026 and is now closed. Selections were made on 10 August 2026 and 25 September 2026, and Home Affairs says all registrations for this cycle expire on 30 April 2027.

If you registered and have not been selected, watch your email and the official pre-application process page until that date. If you missed the window, the next program year's dates are set by the department alone and will appear on that page, not through an agent or a coaching centre.

The High Commission warned on 4 October 2024 about scammers targeting these ballot registrations. Our explainer on Work and Holiday ballot scams in India shows why nobody can sell you a better chance in a random draw.

What it costs in rupees

The two official charges are the AUD25 ballot fee and the AUD840.00 visa application charge. Together they come to roughly INR 57,000, a rough comparison only at the Reserve Bank of Australia rate of 65.89 rupees per Australian dollar published on 16 October 2026; rates change. You also pay for an English test, health checks, police certificates and biometrics, plus flights and money to live on until your first pay.

One step you can skip: Australia is not on MEA's list of 19 ECR countries, so ECR Emigration Clearance does not apply.

Step by step: from ballot to first payslip

Confirm your age, your 2 years of post-secondary study and your passport validity.
Match your PAN card details to your passport and correct any difference.
Book an accepted English test at a secure test centre so the result will be under 12 months old when you apply.
When Home Affairs opens the next window, register on the official ballot page and pay the AUD25 fee yourself.
If selected, lodge your application online from outside Australia within 28 calendar days and pay the AUD840.00 charge.
Once granted, confirm the visa in VEVO before booking travel: ImmiAccount is the only official website for applying, and a grant that cannot be found in VEVO is probably fake.
On arrival, apply for a tax file number and open a bank account, using our 30-day plan for Indian professionals arriving in Australia.

What the visa lets you do in Australia

The subclass 462 allows a stay of 12 months, study for up to 4 months and usually work with the same employer for up to 6 months. The six-month limit suits hospitality, retail, farm and project work, not one long-term role.

Pay, tax and super

From 1 July 2026 the National Minimum Wage is $26.44 an hour, and most employees are covered by an award whose rates may be higher. Working holiday makers pay tax at 15c for each $1 up to $45,000 (2025-26 rates on the ATO's working holiday maker tax page, the latest shown). A tax file number is free to apply for online and should arrive within 28 days.

Employers must also pay superannuation, at 12.00% of ordinary earnings from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. You can claim it back as a departing Australia superannuation payment (DASP) after you leave, but for working holiday makers the DASP is taxed at 65%, so budget on take-home pay.

Know your rights too: cashback schemes, where an employer makes you pay for a job, are illegal in Australia, and an employer cannot cancel your visa; only Home Affairs can.

Can you stay for a second year?

Under the current rules on the Home Affairs page, doing 3 months of specified subclass 462 work makes you eligible to apply for a second Work and Holiday visa, with a base charge of AUD1,000.00. The official page lists the kinds of work and the regional areas that count, so check every job against it before you rely on the days.

Much of that work is seasonal: harvest, packing sheds and farm jobs. Seasonal Jobs Australia's harvest job listings and planning guides help you line up work in the right season. Keep payslips for every day you count.

Making the year count for your career

A working holiday is not employer sponsorship and does not lead to permanent residence on its own. Its value for professionals is Australian experience, local referees and a clear view of whether a longer move suits you. For a long-term career, the route usually runs through an employer. Read our planning guide to the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482) and browse sponsored roles such as IT and technology jobs in Australia and New Zealand or this chef role in Bunbury, Western Australia. DFAT says ECTA did not waive labour market testing or sponsorship requirements, so the trade deal is no shortcut.

Applying during your year, or for a sponsored role afterwards, starts with a resume Australian employers recognise. Our guide to the Australian resume format for Indians shows what to remove and what to lead with. You will not be alone: the 2021 Census counted 673,352 people in Australia who were born in India.

Common mistakes Indian applicants make

Registering with details that do not match the PAN card. The PAN, not the Aadhar card, is what Home Affairs checks against your registration.
Taking the English test too early. A result older than 12 months when you apply does not meet the rule.
Starting paperwork after selection. 28 calendar days pass quickly when a passport renewal or transcript request is still pending.
Paying an agent for a "priority" entry. Selection is random, and the High Commission says Home Affairs is the only official provider of Australian visas.
Treating the 462 as a sponsored job. Work with one employer is usually limited to 6 months.

Frequently asked questions

Can Indian passport holders apply for the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)?

No. India is not on the eligible passport list for the subclass 417 visa. Indian passport holders use the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462), which for India starts with a ballot and random selection.

How much does the Work and Holiday visa cost for Indian applicants?

The ballot registration fee is AUD25 and the visa application charge for a first Work and Holiday visa is AUD840.00. An English test, health checks, police certificates and biometrics cost extra.

Can I use my Aadhar card instead of a PAN card for the Work and Holiday ballot?

No. Home Affairs says Indian passport holders must hold a valid PAN card, not an Aadhar card, and its details must match the ballot registration. Fix any mismatch between your PAN and passport before you register.

How long do I have to apply after I am selected in the ballot?

Selected applicants have 28 calendar days to lodge their visa application online from outside Australia. Prepare documents and your English result before selection.

Can I work for one employer for the whole year on a subclass 462 visa?

Usually not. The visa generally lets you work with the same employer for up to 6 months. For long-term work with one employer, look at an employer-sponsored visa such as the Skills in Demand visa (subclass 482).

Key takeaways

Indian passport holders reach the Work and Holiday visa through a ballot: AUD25 to register, random selection, then AUD840.00 for the visa.
Your PAN card, not your Aadhar card, must match your registration details.
Prepare documents and an English result before selection: you get only 28 days to apply.
The visa gives 12 months, with work for one employer usually limited to 6 months.
For a long-term career, plan the sponsored route alongside the working holiday.

Every case is different — book a consultation and our partner registered migration agents (MARA) / licensed NZ advisers will assess yours.

Last checked: 2026-10-24 against the official pages linked above.

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