Australia Implements Ballot for Work and Holiday Visa Applicants

The Australian Government has confirmed that citizens from China, India, and Vietnam will face an additional requirement when applying for the Work and Holiday visa, officially known as the Subclass 462 visa. This new regulation, signed by Tony Burke, Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, is outlined in the Migration (Specification of Foreign Countries for Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) Visa Pre-Application Process) Instrument (LIN 24/058) 2024, which came into effect on September 16, 2024.

Under this instrument, passport holders from the specified countries who have not previously held a Subclass 462 visa must first be selected through a pre-application ballot before they can lodge a full visa application. This requirement is established under subsection 46C(1) of the Migration Act 1958.

Nationals from other countries participating in the Subclass 462 program are not subject to this ballot and can apply directly. The pre-application ballot system aims to manage high demand from these countries and ensure a controlled distribution of available visa places.