Working Holiday visa (Australia)
Australian Visa letting young travellers live and work up to three years.
Tony Burke, minister for Home Affairs, told the National Press Club on 17 September 2026 that the working holiday visa's second and third years will be balloted, with 5,000 third-year places against 31,000 qualifiers last year.
Last refreshed: 3 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How many backpackers will lose their third year under the ballot?
Timeline for Working Holiday visa (Australia)
Moved extension years to a ballot
Nomads & Communities: Canberra puts backpacker visas to ballotBackground
Australia's working holiday visa lets young travellers live and work in the country for up to three years. The first year is open to eligible nationals; second and third years have depended on completing regional work, such as farm or hospitality jobs outside the big cities.
Burke's 17 September 2026 announcement puts both extensions into a draw. The second year gets 45,000 places, against 57,000 people WHO qualified last year. The third year gets 5,000, against 31,000. Completing regional work still earns entry to the draw, but no longer guarantees the visa.
Measured against last year's demand, the second-year draw would succeed for roughly 79% of qualifiers and the third-year draw for about 16%. No start date for the ballot had been published by the end of September. For travellers WHO plan a three-year stay, the third year has turned from an entitlement earned by regional work into a lottery ticket.
How many working holiday visas will Australia grant in year three?
How likely is a second-year working holiday visa under the ballot?
Does the regional work requirement still apply?
