Full List: 3 Countries Whose Citizens Must Enter Ballot for Australia Work and Holiday Visa
- Australia's Minister for Immigration Tony Burke signed an instrument naming 3 countries subject to a Work and Holiday visa pre-application process
- Citizens from the listed countries who have never held a Subclass 462 visa must first be selected in a ballot before they can submit a full visa application
- The instrument took effect on 16 September 2024, under the authority of Australia's Migration Regulations 1994
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Australia has confirmed that citizens of three countries face an additional hurdle before they can apply for its Work and Holiday visa, with a formal government instrument naming China, India, and Vietnam as the countries affected.
Signed by Tony Burke, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, the Migration (Specification of Foreign Countries for Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) Visa Pre-Application Process) Instrument (LIN 24/058) 2024 came into effect on 16 September 2024. It was made under the authority of paragraph 1224A(3A)(b) of Schedule 1 to the Migration Regulations 1994.
Source: UGC
What Australia Subclass 462 ballot means
The Subclass 462 visa, commonly known as the Work and Holiday visa, allows eligible young people to travel and work in Australia for up to 12 months. For most nationalities, the process involves a straightforward application, but citizens of the three specified countries must clear an additional step first.
Under the instrument, passport holders from China, India, and Vietnam who have not previously held a Subclass 462 visa must be selected through a pre-application process before they may lodge a full visa application. This requirement is set out under subsection 46C(1) of the Migration Act 1958, which governs how certain visa applications may be made.
Which countries are on the list
The instrument lists three countries in total:
- China
- India
- Vietnam
Nationals from all other countries that participate in the Subclass 462 programme are not subject to this ballot requirement and may apply for the visa directly through standard channels.
The pre-application ballot system is designed to manage demand from high-volume applicant countries, ensuring the available visa places are distributed in a controlled and orderly manner. Applicants from the three listed countries who are selected in the ballot are then eligible to proceed with a full application for the Work and Holiday visa.
In a similar report, Legit.ng published that Australia released a list of 13 countries whose citizens can pay less for specialist skills visa.
Australia: Holiday-Work visa eligible countries
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Australia announced its First Work and Holiday visa, including the 30 countries whose citizens can apply and the rules for young travellers aged 18 to 30. The visa allows holders to work while funding an extended holiday in Australia.
But citizens of China, India and Vietnam must first win a ballot before submitting their applications, while applicants from Nigeria and other African countries are excluded from the list. With offshore applications taking several months, Australia has warned travellers not to book flights until their visas are approved.
Source: Legit.ng
