Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
417 Working Holiday vs 482 Skills in Demand
The working holiday visa is a year of any work for any employer, with a six-month limit per employer unless permission is granted; the 482 is a sponsored position in a listed occupation at the threshold salary for up to four years with the 186 after two. The usual story is the one that connects them: a working holiday maker proves themselves to an employer, who sponsors them, and the 482 is lodged onshore from the 417 before it ends, with the bridging visa keeping the worker lawful and the earlier visa’s conditions governing work until the grant. The 417 is the audition; the 482 is the contract, and the occupation and the salary decide whether the audition can be converted.
By Keshab Chapagain, registered migration agent (MARN 1576536) since 2015 · WIDEN, Sydney · Reviewed 30 October 2026
Keshab Chapagain · MARN 1576536 · Registered since 2015 - Who
- Passport holders of the 417 countries aged 18 to 30, or 35 for some · Anyone an approved sponsor nominates in a listed occupation
- Work
- Any job; 6 months per employer unless permission is granted · The nominated occupation for the sponsor
- Length
- 12 months; up to 3 years with specified work · Up to 4 years
- Charge
- $840 for a first or second visa; $1,000 for a third · $4,015 primary applicant; the employer pays the nomination and levy
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 417 Working Holiday | 482 Skills in Demand | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Passport holders of the 417 countries aged 18 to 30, or 35 for some | Anyone an approved sponsor nominates in a listed occupation |
| Work | Any job; 6 months per employer unless permission is granted | The nominated occupation for the sponsor |
| Length | 12 months; up to 3 years with specified work | Up to 4 years |
| Charge | $840 for a first or second visa; $1,000 for a third | $4,015 primary applicant; the employer pays the nomination and levy |
| Path to PR | None directly | 186 after 2 years with the sponsor |
| Moving between them | Lodge the 482 onshore before the 417 ends; the bridging visa carries the 417’s conditions | The 482 cannot be converted back; a 417 is a fresh application |
| Watch out | The 6-month rule while the nomination is pending; the age limit for a second 417 | The occupation must be on the list and the salary at the threshold |
Charges are the current government application charges (from 1 July 2026, main applicant) — see the fee calculator for your family's total. Checked 30 October 2026.
The honest verdict
The working holiday visa is a year of any work for any employer, with a six-month limit per employer unless permission is granted; the 482 is a sponsored position in a listed occupation at the threshold salary for up to four years with the 186 after two. The usual story is the one that connects them: a working holiday maker proves themselves to an employer, who sponsors them, and the 482 is lodged onshore from the 417 before it ends, with the bridging visa keeping the worker lawful and the earlier visa’s conditions governing work until the grant. The 417 is the audition; the 482 is the contract, and the occupation and the salary decide whether the audition can be converted.
Which side of that line you fall on depends on facts a table cannot hold — your age, score, occupation's lists, and what evidence you can actually assemble. That is consultation territory, not guesswork territory.
More head-to-heads: 482 vs 494 · 190 vs 491 · 189 vs 190 · 482 vs 186
General information only, not migration advice. Settings shown are the general rules; exemptions and stream variations exist. Migration advice is provided by Keshab Chapagain (MARN 1576536) after a paid consultation under the Migration Agents Code of Conduct.
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Questions we get asked first
417 Working Holiday or 482 Skills in Demand — which is better?
The working holiday visa is a year of any work for any employer, with a six-month limit per employer unless permission is granted; the 482 is a sponsored position in a listed occupation at the threshold salary for up to four years with the 186 after two. The usual story is the one that connects them: a working holiday maker proves themselves to an employer, who sponsors them, and the 482 is lodged onshore from the 417 before it ends, with the bridging visa keeping the worker lawful and the earlier visa’s conditions governing work until the grant. The 417 is the audition; the 482 is the contract, and the occupation and the salary decide whether the audition can be converted.
What is the main difference between the 417 Working Holiday and the 482 Skills in Demand?
Who: 417 Working Holiday — Passport holders of the 417 countries aged 18 to 30, or 35 for some; 482 Skills in Demand — Anyone an approved sponsor nominates in a listed occupation. Work: 417 Working Holiday — Any job; 6 months per employer unless permission is granted; 482 Skills in Demand — The nominated occupation for the sponsor. Length: 417 Working Holiday — 12 months; up to 3 years with specified work; 482 Skills in Demand — Up to 4 years.
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