Working Holiday Visa Age Limit Rises to 35 for Four Countries — Here's What Changed on 1 July 2026
- 15 hours ago
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Last Updated: 2 July 2026
Sc 417 applicants from Cyprus, Finland, Germany, and South Korea can now apply up to age 35. And for every 417 and 462 applicant, your age gets locked in the moment you lodge — not the moment a decision gets made.
Two legislative instruments took effect on 1 July 2026, and both change how the Department of Home Affairs assesses your Working Holiday Maker (WHM) visa application. If you hold a Cyprus, Finland, Germany, or Republic of Korea passport, you get five extra years of eligibility on the Subclass 417 visa. And regardless of your passport, the government now checks your age at lodgement, not at decision.
What changed on 1 July 2026?
Two separate instruments commenced on 1 July 2026, both amending the Migration Regulations 1994.
1. The Migration Amendment (Working Holiday Maker Age Criteria) Regulations 2026 moves the age criteria for Subclass 417 (Working Holiday) and Subclass 462 (Work and Holiday) visas from Schedule 2 to Schedule 1 of the Migration Regulations. Age eligibility now gets tested at the point you lodge your application, not at the point Home Affairs decides it.
2. The Migration (Arrangements for Subclass 417 (Working Holiday) Visa) Instrument 2026 repeals and replaces LIN 22/051 (2022). It raises the age limit from 30 to 35 for Subclass 417 applicants who hold a passport from Cyprus, Finland, Germany, or the Republic of Korea.
Both instruments apply to applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. If you lodged before that date, the old rules still apply to your application.
Why does it matter that age is now checked at lodgement, not decision?
Under the old Schedule 2 arrangement, age criteria sat among the "time of decision" requirements. In practice this meant a case officer checked your age against the limit when they finalised your application — which could be weeks or months after you applied.
Moving age criteria into Schedule 1 changes that. Schedule 1 requirements get checked at the point of lodgement. So if you're under the age limit on the day you submit your application, you meet the criteria — regardless of how long Home Affairs takes to process it afterwards.
This matters most for applicants close to the cut-off. Under the previous system, someone who turned 31 (or 36, for the newly eligible countries) while their application sat in the queue risked refusal on age grounds alone, even though they were eligible when they applied. The new rule removes that risk: lodge before your birthday, and your eligibility is locked in.
Working Holiday Visa Age Limit Rises, Who gets the new age limit of 35?
Only Subclass 417 applicants holding a passport issued by one of four countries:
Cyprus
Finland
Germany
Republic of Korea
These four countries move from the standard 18–30 age bracket to an extended 18–35 age bracket. Home Affairs made the change under bilateral reciprocal arrangements between Australia and each country — the kind of agreement that already gives some nationalities extended eligibility or waived requirements on the 417 visa.
If your passport isn't from one of these four countries, your Subclass 417 age limit stays at 18–30. The Subclass 462 age limit is unaffected by this instrument and remains 18–30 across the board.
What stays the same under LIN 22/051's replacement?
The new instrument repeals LIN 22/051 (2022) but keeps every other arrangement it covered unchanged. That includes country-specific work limitation exemptions, specified work definitions, and any other passport-specific conditions that existed before. Only the age criteria moved — everything else in the old instrument carries over into the new one.
Does this apply to applications I already lodged?
No. Both instruments apply only to applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. If you lodged your Subclass 417 or 462 application before that date, Home Affairs assesses it under the rules that applied when you lodged — including the old 18–30 age bracket, even if you hold a Cyprus, Finland, Germany, or Korean passport.
Frequently asked questions
Does the age limit change apply to Subclass 462 too?
No. The extended 18–35 age bracket applies only to Subclass 417 applicants from Cyprus, Finland, Germany, and the Republic of Korea. Subclass 462 age criteria remain 18–30 for all eligible countries.
What happens if I turn 31 after I lodge my 417 application?
Nothing changes for your application. Age criteria now sit in Schedule 1, which Home Affairs checks at lodgement. If you met the age requirement on the day you lodged, a birthday during processing doesn't affect your eligibility.
Can I apply for the Subclass 417 visa now if I'm 33 and hold a German passport?
Yes, provided you lodge on or after 1 July 2026. The age limit for German passport holders on the 417 visa is now 35, up from 30.
This update reflects legislative instruments as made and published on the Federal Register of Legislation. For advice on how these changes affect your specific circumstances, speak with a MARA-registered migration agent.
