Australia working holiday visa for Chinese citizens

This page is for citizens of China interested in Australia’s Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462). This visa allows you to stay in Australia for up to 12 months. To be eligible, you must be aged 18 to 30. You can apply until the day before your 31st birthday.

The application fee for a first visa is AUD840.00. You will also need to show you have sufficient funds for your stay, which is about AUD5,000 plus the cost of your fare to leave Australia. The program has a limit of 5,000 first visas available each program year. You must apply for this visa from outside Australia.

Passport

China

Age range

18 to 30

Stay

Up to 12 months

Fee

AUD840.00 (first visa)

Funds

About AUD5,000 plus your fare out

Places

5,000 first visas per program year

Status when checked

Managed by ballot

Conditions for Chinese citizens

• Education: A tertiary qualification (degree, graduate certificate or diploma) from a university, college or training centre, or completion of 2 years of undergraduate university study. Certificate I to IV and the Senior Secondary Certificate do not count.
• English: you need at least Functional English (for example an IELTS average band of 4.5 or more, or PTE Academic 30 or more, from a test in the last 12 months).
• First visas for this passport go through a pre-application ballot.

General rules of the program

• Up to 12 months from first entry; you must enter within 12 months of the grant date.
• Short-term work to help pay for the holiday; usually no more than 6 months with the same employer.
• Study for up to 4 months (17 weeks).
• Usually about AUD5,000 for the initial stay, plus the fare to leave Australia.
• Apply online from outside Australia; you must also be outside Australia when the visa is decided.
• You cannot include family members, and dependent children cannot accompany you.
• You must not have entered Australia before on a subclass 417 or 462 visa.
• 3 months of specified subclass 462 work can make you eligible for a second Work and Holiday visa.
• Apply before midnight Australian Eastern time on the day before your 31st birthday.
• Home Affairs says the average processing time is expected to be around three months and advises against booking travel before the grant.

What stands out

Unlike many other working holiday programs, the visa for Chinese citizens has specific educational and English language requirements. You must have a tertiary qualification or have completed two years of undergraduate study. You also need to prove at least Functional English, for example with an IELTS average band of 4.5 or a PTE Academic score of 30.

Another key point is that the application process is managed by a ballot system. This means you must enter a pre-application ballot before you can apply for the visa itself.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check that your passport is on the list for this subclass and that you are within the age limit on the day you lodge.
2. Gather your passport pages, birth certificate, proof of funds and the other documents Home Affairs lists.
3. For subclass 462, check the cap status for your country, and get your education evidence, English evidence and any required government support letter ready.
4. Apply online through ImmiAccount from outside Australia and pay the visa application charge.
5. Wait for the decision outside Australia; Home Affairs advises not to book travel until the visa is granted.
6. Enter Australia within 12 months of the grant.

Other programs open to Chinese citizens

From the programs in this directory. Status is shown only where the official page stated it.

Full list: working holiday visas for Chinese citizens.

All passports for this program: Australia working holiday visas: subclass 417 and 462.