The Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) is the visa most Canadians use for a first year in Australia. It gives you 12 months in the country, the right to work, and up to 4 months of study. Canadian passport holders are eligible with an age range of 18 to 35 inclusive (Department of Home Affairs, accessed 2026-07-01).
Who qualifies
- Aged 18 to 35 inclusive. You can lodge until midnight Australian Eastern time the day before your 36th birthday.
- A Canadian passport.
- Evidence of about A$5,000 in funds, plus a fare onward or home.
- No previous entry to Australia on a 417 for the first visa, and no accompanying dependent children.
- The usual health, character, debt and Australian-values requirements.
The application fee is A$840 for FY 2026-27, paid in ImmiAccount on lodgement (Department of Home Affairs, accessed 2026-07-01).
Second and third years: the specified-work rule applies
A second 417 requires holding or having held a first 417, entering Australia on it, complying with its conditions, and completing three months of specified work. A third requires a second 417 plus six months of specified work (Department of Home Affairs, accessed 2026-07-01). Three months means at least 88 calendar days at the normal full-time work pattern for the role. The work and area must match a published pairing, pay must comply with Australian law except for eligible volunteer recovery work, and evidence must cover every claimed period.
The six-month employer limit
Working Holiday Maker visa holders are generally subject to condition 8547, the six-month limitation with any one employer, unless an exemption or written permission applies. Home Affairs lists blanket exemptions from 1 January 2024, including different locations for the same employer and certain industries.
Health cover: no reciprocal agreement
Canada is not on the Services Australia reciprocal health care list (Services Australia, checked 2026-07-10). A Canadian passport alone therefore provides no reciprocal Medicare access. If you were living in an agreement country immediately before Australia, check that country's residence and evidence conditions separately; otherwise price private cover for the whole stay. The health-cover guide sets out the gap.
The next step
Take the Canada 417 quick check for a first-visa verdict against the published rules, then build a profile if you want the document checklist: passport scan, funds evidence, ImmiAccount setup, lodgement and the health-cover step, in order.
