Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
417 Working Holiday vs 500 Student
For a young person from a 417 country who wants a year in Australia, the working holiday visa is cheaper, faster and freer: any job, any employer, up to six months with each, study for up to four months, and a second and third year on specified work. The student visa buys a qualification at international fees with work limited to 48 hours a fortnight in session, and it is the only one of the two that leads anywhere, through the 485 and the skilled or sponsored visas after it. Come on the 417 to work and look; come on the 500 to study toward a migration plan, and since October 2026 apply for it from outside Australia.
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 with a confirmed enrolment who meets the Genuine Student requirement
- Work
- Any job; up to 6 months with one employer unless permission is granted · 48 hours a fortnight in session; unlimited in breaks
- Study
- Up to 4 months · The course
- Length
- 12 months; up to 3 years with specified work · The course, plus the 485 for eligible graduates
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 417 Working Holiday | 500 Student | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Passport holders of the 417 countries aged 18 to 30, or 35 for some | Anyone with a confirmed enrolment who meets the Genuine Student requirement |
| Work | Any job; up to 6 months with one employer unless permission is granted | 48 hours a fortnight in session; unlimited in breaks |
| Study | Up to 4 months | The course |
| Length | 12 months; up to 3 years with specified work | The course, plus the 485 for eligible graduates |
| Charge | $840 for a first or second visa; $1,000 for a third | $2,500, plus tuition and health cover |
| Path to PR | None directly; many 417 holders move to a 482 or a student visa | 485, then skilled or sponsored visas |
| Watch out | Age limits and the specified work for the second year | Onshore applications closed for most temporary visa holders from 2 October 2026 |
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
For a young person from a 417 country who wants a year in Australia, the working holiday visa is cheaper, faster and freer: any job, any employer, up to six months with each, study for up to four months, and a second and third year on specified work. The student visa buys a qualification at international fees with work limited to 48 hours a fortnight in session, and it is the only one of the two that leads anywhere, through the 485 and the skilled or sponsored visas after it. Come on the 417 to work and look; come on the 500 to study toward a migration plan, and since October 2026 apply for it from outside Australia.
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 500 Student — which is better?
For a young person from a 417 country who wants a year in Australia, the working holiday visa is cheaper, faster and freer: any job, any employer, up to six months with each, study for up to four months, and a second and third year on specified work. The student visa buys a qualification at international fees with work limited to 48 hours a fortnight in session, and it is the only one of the two that leads anywhere, through the 485 and the skilled or sponsored visas after it. Come on the 417 to work and look; come on the 500 to study toward a migration plan, and since October 2026 apply for it from outside Australia.
What is the main difference between the 417 Working Holiday and the 500 Student?
Who: 417 Working Holiday — Passport holders of the 417 countries aged 18 to 30, or 35 for some; 500 Student — Anyone with a confirmed enrolment who meets the Genuine Student requirement. Work: 417 Working Holiday — Any job; up to 6 months with one employer unless permission is granted; 500 Student — 48 hours a fortnight in session; unlimited in breaks. Study: 417 Working Holiday — Up to 4 months; 500 Student — The course.
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