Specialist visa library Settledin updated its Work and Holiday (Subclass 462) guidance on 4 October, reflecting July fee changes and new concessions for Papua New Guinea (PNG) citizens. The application charge for a first-time 462 remains AUD 840, but from 1 July 2026 PNG passport-holders pay a lower, unpublished rate automatically in ImmiAccount. Second and third-year visas now cost AUD 1 000 each. The factsheet also clarifies English-language and educational requirements after Home Affairs revised eligible document lists on 20 September. Notably, functional-English exemptions now extend to Irish passport holders and to applicants who completed at least five years of secondary education entirely in English—a change benefiting several Latin-American markets. Employers in hospitality, agriculture and construction—industries heavily reliant on Work and Holiday labour—should note that processing times remain at 21 days (75th percentile) but could lengthen during the southern-summer peak. HR managers are advised to lodge renewal applications early and to verify that any regional work used to qualify for a second or third visa meets new postcode mappings introduced in August. Youth-mobility planners should also watch forthcoming bilateral expansions. Negotiations with India and Mongolia are at an advanced stage, and caps for China, Vietnam and India continue to be managed via random ballots expected to open again in January 2027. Companies with graduate intakes tied to visa 462 should build ballot outcomes into workforce forecasts.
Source: Settledin.app
