The 462 work and holiday visa allows you to live and work in Australia for up to three years if you complete six months of regional work in your second year and three in your first. Each visa lasts 12 months, and it will cost you $485 for each application you make. In order to be eligible for this visa, you must also have adequate healthcare in place.
Pricing is based on a single live in the State of New South Wales on a visa and is not from a country that Australia has a Reciprocal Health Care Agreement (RHCA) with and is not eligible for cover under Medicare. Prices are accurate for 2020 but are subject to change.
The 462 visa is part of the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program. It’s intended primarily for backpackers and young adults looking to do short-term work and study in Australia while they travel and explore the country.
With this visa, you can also study for up to four months and travel to and from Australia as many times as you want.
This visa is open to people from the following countries:
Argentina, Austria, Chile, People’s Republic of China, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Peru, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, USA and Vietnam.
In order to be eligible for the 462 visa, you must be between 18 and 30 years old, apply from outside of Australia, not be accompanied by dependent children and not have previously been on a 462 or 417 visa. You must also maintain adequate healthcare requirements while you are on this visa.
Second Work and Holiday Visa
In order to be eligible for the second 462 visa, you need to have completed at least three months of regional work while on your first work and holiday visa.
Third Work and Holiday Visa
In order to be eligible for a third year, you need to have completed six months of regional work during your second work and holiday visa. You are also eligible if you had a bridging visa that came into effect when your second 462 visa expired. It’s also essential that you complied with all the conditions on your previous work and holiday visas in order to be eligible for a third.
The six months of work must all be carried out on or after 1 July 2019, meaning an application shouldn’t be made until after January 2020 in order to be successful.
The 462 visa usually comes with a six-month work limitation. This means you can’t work for the same employer for more than six months, though there are exceptions. For instance, you can work for the same employer for more than six months without asking permission in the following situations:
- You work in different locations that doesn’t exceed six months
- You work in plant and animal cultivation
- You work in specific industries in Northern Australia
You also cannot study for more than four months on this visa.
All Australians and permanent residents have access to Medicare, though the majority also have some form of private health insurance. Australia’s Medicare system can be split into two sections: hospital and out-of-hospital services, also known as extras.
Medicare only covers some hospital expenses on a restricted basis, which basically means you’ll have to pay something when you have to go to hospital. It also doesn’t generally cover out-of-hospital expenses like dental, optical or physio.
462 visa applicants probably won’t be able to access Medicare through Australia’s Reciprocal Health Care Agreements (RHCA). This is because the nationalities eligible for the 462 visa are not part of the RHCA agreement, apart from Slovenia. As a result, you’ll need to find another way to meet healthcare requirements.
Your best option is to get overseas visitors health cover (OVHC). This is health insurance tailored specifically to non-residents, travellers and backpackers. Most policies will meet the healthcare requirements set out by the 462 visa, but you should check with the provider before signing up.
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