Australia’s New Work & Holiday Visa Ballot for Applicants from 3 Countries
Citizens of Vietnam, China or India seeking to apply for a Work and Holiday visa in Australia must now register for a ballot. The Australian government will then randomly invite applicants each year to apply for a visa until the annual country cap is reached.
This guide explains how this new ballot system works…
Why Australia has introduced a Work and Holiday visa ballot system
The reason for the ballot system is that there are far more people from China, Vietnam and India who want to apply for a Australian Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas than the number of places available.
The maximum number of citizens from these countries who can get an Australian subclass 462 visa is:
- China: 5,000 people
- India: 1,000 people
- Vietnam: 1,500 people
The Australian government introduced the pre-application ballot process in October 2024 to try to make the system fairer. The ballot randomly selects applicants from each of those countries, giving everyone who registered within each year’s registration period an equal chance of being selected.
“This ballot process provides an equitable, streamlined and transparent way to randomly select applicants from partner countries where demand exceeds the number of places available in a program year,” the Department of Home Affairs states on its website.
The ballot system replaces the annual application cap that previously applied. The application cap system still applies to other nationalities eligible for the subclass 462 visa. Under that system, applications open on 1 July each year and close once the annual grant cap has been reached.
How to register for Australia’s Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa ballot
If you are a citizen of Vietnam, China or India aged 18-30, and you meet the requirements for an Australian Work and Holiday (462) visa, you can register your interest online with the Australian government when registration is open.
You will need to first create an ImmiAccount with the Australian government, if you haven’t already. This is free.
If you’re an Indian passport holder, you’ll need a PAN card. Vietnamese passport holders must have a 12-digit national ID card.
There is a non-refundable AUD25 fee to register in the ballot. (This is roughly equivalent to VND415,000, CNY120 or INR1,400.)
It does not matter where you are when you register for the online ballot. However, if you are already in Australia and are subsequently selected, you would need to exit Australia before applying for your first Work and Holiday visa.
When do Australia’s Work and Holiday visa ballots open?
You can complete a “visa pre-application registration” in ImmiAccount once registrations are open for the current program year. Note that the Australian Work and Holiday visa program year begins on 1 July and ends on 30 June.
There is one “registration period” in each program year. You can only register between these dates.
The Australian government will then randomly select applicants from each country between the selection open & close dates. It will continue to invite people to apply for a visa until the annual cap is reached.
For the 2024-25 program year, the registration and selection open & close dates were:
| Country | Registration Open Date | Registration Close Date | Selection Open Date | Selection Close Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 1 October 2024 | 8 November 2024 | 14 October 2024 | 30 April 2025 |
| India | 1 October 2024 | 31 October 2024 | 14 October 2024 | 30 April 2025 |
| Vietnam | 1 October 2024 | 10 October 2024 | 14 November 2024 | 30 April 2025 |
The registration period for the 2025-26 program year will commence after 1 May 2025. The government will publish the exact dates at a later time.
What happens if you get selected in the ballot?
Citizens of Vietnam, China or India who register in the ballot may receive an invitation to apply for a First Work and Holiday visa during the selection period.
If you’re randomly selected, the Australian government will send you a “Notification of selection” letter by email. You can use the link in this letter to then complete a subclass 462 visa application form in ImmiAccount.
If you are selected, you will have 28 days to apply for a Work and Holiday visa. If you don’t submit your application by midnight on the 28th day after being notified, your invitation will expire and your place will be given to somebody else. So, keep an eye on your email inbox!
After receiving a First Work and Holiday visa, you can apply for a second or third-year visa later on if you meet the usual requirements (including by completing specific work in Australia). You won’t need to enter a ballot for this.
See the Department of Home Affairs website for full details about the ballot process.
How can you increase your chances of getting selected in the Australian Work and Holiday visa ballot?
Unfortunately, there isn’t any specific way to increase your chances of getting selected. As the Australian government says:
The selection of registrations is a random automated process. It is not based on any criteria.
Remember that you can only be selected if you fully complete your application, pay the registration fee and submit it correctly. You’ll know when your registration has been submitted because you’ll receive an email from the Australian government and your registration status in ImmiAccount will be “received”.
At the end of the day, you have to be in it to win it! So, if you are from China, India or Vietnam and you want to get an Australian Work and Holiday visa, you’ll just need to participate in the ballot process and hope for the best.
What happens if you don’t get selected?
The Australian government will not notify you if you are not randomly selected. Unfortunately, it also will not refund your registration fee.
If you are not selected in the current program year, your ballot registration will expire. You will need to register again in next year’s ballot for another chance. You can register once per year, until you turn 31 years old.
