You lodge the visa directly with the Australian Government — it's easier than it looks and you skip the middleman fees. Here's how, for free. And when you land, we handle the hard part: work, housing, banking and insurance.
Quick check for US passport holders. Requirements are set by the Department of Home Affairs.
The whole process is online, on the official Australian Government website. You do not need an agent to lodge it.
Check the official caps page to confirm the USA (462) still has places available.
Age 18–30, a valid US passport, education (a tertiary qualification or ≥2 years of undergraduate study), and about AUD 5,000 in funds. No dependent children traveling with you. As a US national, functional English is already met.
Register at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au and verify your email. It is the official account you use to lodge and track every Australian visa. It is free — nobody should charge you to create it.
Select the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) and answer the identity, health and character questions honestly. Inconsistencies delay or sink applications. You can save drafts.
Passport, proof of funds, a passport-style photo and your proof of education. Use clear, color scans.
The visa fee is about AUD 840 (from 1 July 2026), paid inside ImmiAccount when you submit. Note your TRN (Transaction Reference Number) to track your case.
Depending on your circumstances, Home Affairs may request biometrics and/or a health examination after you apply. They contact you by email and via ImmiAccount.
Your first 462 must be applied for and granted while you are outside Australia. Check the official processing times and your spam folder too.
You must first enter Australia within 12 months of the grant; your 12-month stay starts on that first entry. You can work up to 6 months per employer and study up to 4 months. This is where we come in 👇
A team member walks you through preparing and submitting your Work and Holiday application, step by step, so you don't get stuck. AUD 200, one-off payment.
I want the agency's help →Application-support service. We are not a migration agent. It is the client's sole responsibility to check they meet the visa requirements; Kangaroland is not responsible for eligibility or for a visa refusal, which are decisions solely of the Australian Government. Does not include the official visa fee.
Official fee: ~AUD 840, paid by the applicant directly to the government (from 1 July 2026). Funds to show: ~AUD 5,000. Processing: varies — check the official Home Affairs times. Remember to budget your flight and insurance from day one. We do not charge for the visa application — we show you how to do it yourself.
Finding work, a place to live without scams, your TFN, a bank account, a SIM and an Australian-style resume in your first weeks — that is what really makes the difference. Book a free call and land with a plan.
See the arrival packs → →The Work and Holiday does not require insurance, but you have no Medicare cover and a single emergency can cost thousands of AUD. We point you to OVHC, the cover designed for Working Holiday visitors (OSHC is only for students).
Compare and get my OVHC insurance →