Can I Apply For A Working Holiday Visa While In Australia?

Lily Kerley

February 15th, 2024

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7 minute read

Can I Apply For A Working Holiday Visa While In Australia on a Tourist Visa?

Unfortunately, you cannot apply for a Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417 or 462) while in Australia on your Visitor Visa. Once you are on a Visitor Visa in Australia, you cannot convert it to any other type of visa, as there is a “no further stay clause” which prevents travellers from receiving another substantive visa.

As such, backpackers wanting to take a gap year must have their WHV visa approved before arriving into the country. However, if you’re currently in Australia and want to stay for longer than your visa allows, you can apply for a Visitor Visa (if you haven’t already got one) or Student Visa whilst you are in the country.

How to get a Working Holiday Visa for an Australian gap year

Backpackers looking to extend their visit into a gap year or working holiday need to return home, apply for a WHV and have their visa application approved before travelling back to Australia. Generally, the waiting process takes between 1 to 44 days after you have submitted a complete application, but check out our in-depth guide to getting your WHV for more detailed wait time breakdowns.

Nevertheless, if you’re in Australia on another visa without a further stay clause, and don’t want to leave the country to extend your time here (indeed, the flights can be immensely expensive and long!), there are a few ways that you can do just that.

Visas you can apply for within Australia

Visitor Visa Subclass 600 (apply in Australia)

You can extend your stay in Australia with a Visitor Visa (600) if you aren’t currently on a visa with a “no further stay” clause and haven't visited Australia on this visa in the last 18 months.

You may be eligible to receive up to 12 months of stay in Australia with this Visitor Visa. The Subclass 600 option is designed for those in Australia looking to extend their stay for purely touristic reasons (no working, medical treatment or business is permitted). There are two options for applying for this visa: both from in and outside of Australia. 

There are some pretty notable conditions attached to receiving your Visitor Visa (600), including:

• You cannot work while on this visa.
• You cannot undertake studies or training for more than 3 months.
• You must maintain eligible health insurance for your whole stay.
• You cannot apply for further visas in Australia while on this visa, meaning no immediate further stay is permitted.
• You must leave before the visa expiry.
• You cannot stay for more than 12 months in any 18-month period.
• You must have sufficient proof of funds for the duration of your visit.

Visitor Visa 600 wait times

Upon writing, 90% of Visitor Visa (subclass 600) are being approved between 1 to 18 days. Immigration Australia may ask to see proof of your return flights and lodgings, however, they are not currently listed as application requirements. The visa itself costs $475 AUD.

Student visa Subclass 500

You can extend your stay in Australia by applying for a Student Visa while in Australia. This visa is for full-time students accepted into eligible accredited institutions (check the Australian Immigration site for which courses and institutions are recognised). On this visa, you can stay in Australia for up to 5 years, in line with your enrollment. You will gain limited working rights (a maximum of 48 hours a fortnight).

There are many notable conditions and requirements for the Student Visa 500, so please refer to the official government page for the most detailed information.

Can I receive student loans in Australia as a non-resident?

It’s worth noting that student loan services accessible to Australian citizens are not offered to non-citizens, so you need to be able to afford the course on your own (which can be expensive).

Will I have enough time to apply for a Student Visa 500 in Australia?

You need to supply official enrollment documents from your institution to apply for the 500, which can take months from the application stage. As such, if you plan to study, it's way less stressful to have acceptance to your institution from your home country well in advance.

Student Visa 500 wait times

From the date of writing, 90% of Student Visas (subclass 500) for the higher education sector (universities and postgraduate studies) are being processed between 1 and 29 days. For vocational education and training institutions, 90% of Student Visa 500 applications are being processed between 1 and 59 days. The visa itself costs $719.

Is it worth applying for visas within Australia?

Pros for applying for visas within Australia

If you are currently in Australia and want to stay longer but don’t want to make the long journey home, it is absolutely worth trying to stay. This, in reality, will look like applying for a Visitor Visa (600) if you haven’t had one yet, or a Student Visa (500). This decision really depends on what your plans and financial capabilities are, as you can’t work on a Visitor Visa and study courses can be expensive. Whether you value the freedom of not being locked into a long-term plan or have simply decided you cannot leave our sprawling shoreline, many people are actually eligible for these two visas. Furthermore, normally you will be granted interim right of stay “bridging visa” while you’re waiting for the actual visa to be processed (more time under the sun!).

Cons of applying for visas within Australia

The biggest problems with leaving this visa “extension” process until the last minute when you are in Australia are money and stress. For most backpackers (who are indeed, often on a budget), it can be really difficult to live long-term in Australia without working rights and income. Similarly, last-minute plans can be expensive. We’re talking potentially needing to book an exy flight home in two weeks if your visa isn’t approved, copping peak-season hostel prices when extending stays and higher visa fees. Not to mention, visa applications often require physical documentation, a lot of paperwork and quite a bit of time and stress, which can quickly take away from your travel experiences as a tourist. The possibility of obtaining a Student Visa 500 quickly is not always likely if you haven’t been accepted into an institution, and the Visitor Visa 600 is not always a possibility for every traveller.

The verdict: get your Working Holiday Visa at home!

So, if it is a gap year or working holiday you’re dreaming of, we recommend obtaining your Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417 or 462) before you arrive Down Under. This way, you can lock in certain travel dates and avoid the stress of visa applications while in a foreign country. Similarly, you can work and earn a bit of money to fund your travels. Overall, applying for a Working Holiday Visa isn’t too difficult when there’s no time pressure, and afterwards have the option to extend your stay with a second and third WHV while in Australia (up to three consecutive years!).

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