Seven things people get wrong about the Working Holiday visa

"Under 31" is about when you apply — the cut-off is the day before your 31st birthday

The cut-off is midnight Australian Eastern time (AEST/AEDST) on the day before you turn 31.

That same deadline applies even if you are applying from another country — counting in your own timezone will put you off by hours.

If you are 30 when you apply, the visa can still be granted after you turn 31. This is stated explicitly on the official page.

You then have 12 months to enter Australia, and your stay runs 12 months from the day you arrive. So being 31 or 32 on a Working Holiday visa is possible.

The "88 days" counts calendar days — if you work 5 days that week, the other 2 count too

The official wording is "3 months", meaning 88 calendar days including your days off. The worked example says that if you work 5 days a week for 3 months, the days you did not work are counted as well.

If you work fewer than 5 days a week, the total period stretches proportionally. For a third visa it is "6 months" = 179 days.

Note that the official page gives worked examples but does not spell out every boundary. Not cutting it close is the safer play — the department itself advises applying early and says exceptions are not made.

Six months per employer — but as of 2026, hospitality is exempt from asking permission

Since January 2024, critical sectors including tourism and hospitality do not need to request permission to work more than 6 months with one employer, anywhere in Australia.

There is also a "different location" rule: separate branches of the same chain, different sites under the same ABN, or subsidiaries of the same parent can each be worked for up to 6 months.

When a new Working Holiday visa is granted (for example your second), the 6-month count resets.

⚠ This exemption is temporary — it stands "until the government decides otherwise". Check the official page before you rely on it.

If you are granted another visa after your Working Holiday visa, the Working Holiday visa ends

When a different visa is granted, your Working Holiday visa — and the work rights attached to it — cease.

If you enter Australia on a different visa, the Working Holiday visa is not granted.

Even if you hold an ETA, your Working Holiday stay is counted from the day you enter Australia.

You cannot apply for your first Working Holiday visa from inside Australia

You must be outside Australia both when you apply and when the decision is made.

The application itself is online, but "from outside Australia" is a condition of it.

There is an official figure for the money you may be asked to show on arrival

The official guide is "about AUD5,000", plus the fare to wherever you are going after Australia.

The page says "about" — so treat it as a guide, which is how we pass it on here.

Amounts get revised. Always confirm on the official page.

You can study for 4 months on a Working Holiday visa — precisely, 17 weeks and 3 days

Condition 8548 defines it as "17 weeks and 3 days".

Weekends, public holidays and study-free periods before exams are included. Orientation and vacation periods are not.

Distance or practical training you could take from outside Australia is not counted towards this.