Under Australia’s Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program, young people (aged 18 to 30 years) from certain countries may apply for one of two visas—Working Holiday (subclass 417) or Work and Holiday (subclass 462). The visa available to applicants depends on their country of citizenship, but both visas enable young people to travel in Australia for extended periods and to support themselves during their stay with short-term employment in any industry. The program is usually reciprocal, allowing young Australians to travel and work under similar arrangements in partner countries.

This quick guide provides a brief overview of the program, sourced largely from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection’s (DIBP) WHM reports (published since 2011), fact sheets and historic departmental reports.