Head to head · Checked 30 October 2026
462 Work and Holiday vs 482 Skills in Demand
The Work and Holiday visa is a year of any work for any employer for passport holders of the 462 countries, with the 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 connection is the same as for the 417: a Work and Holiday maker proves themselves, the employer sponsors, and the 482 is lodged onshore before the 462 ends with a bridging visa carrying the 462’s conditions until grant. The education and English requirements of the 462 mean its holders are often already qualified in a listed occupation, which is what the conversion needs.
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 462 countries aged 18 to 30, or 35 for a few, with the education and English the country requires · 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
- Set at the 417 level; see the fees page · $4,015 primary applicant; the employer pays the nomination and levy
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About the CPD →Side by side
| 462 Work and Holiday | 482 Skills in Demand | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Passport holders of the 462 countries aged 18 to 30, or 35 for a few, with the education and English the country requires | 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 | Set at the 417 level; see the fees page | $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 462 ends; the bridging visa carries the 462’s conditions | The 482 cannot be converted back |
| Watch out | The ballot and the cap for some countries; the 6-month rule while the nomination is pending | 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 Work and Holiday visa is a year of any work for any employer for passport holders of the 462 countries, with the 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 connection is the same as for the 417: a Work and Holiday maker proves themselves, the employer sponsors, and the 482 is lodged onshore before the 462 ends with a bridging visa carrying the 462’s conditions until grant. The education and English requirements of the 462 mean its holders are often already qualified in a listed occupation, which is what the conversion needs.
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
462 Work and Holiday or 482 Skills in Demand — which is better?
The Work and Holiday visa is a year of any work for any employer for passport holders of the 462 countries, with the 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 connection is the same as for the 417: a Work and Holiday maker proves themselves, the employer sponsors, and the 482 is lodged onshore before the 462 ends with a bridging visa carrying the 462’s conditions until grant. The education and English requirements of the 462 mean its holders are often already qualified in a listed occupation, which is what the conversion needs.
What is the main difference between the 462 Work and Holiday and the 482 Skills in Demand?
Who: 462 Work and Holiday — Passport holders of the 462 countries aged 18 to 30, or 35 for a few, with the education and English the country requires; 482 Skills in Demand — Anyone an approved sponsor nominates in a listed occupation. Work: 462 Work and Holiday — Any job; 6 months per employer unless permission is granted; 482 Skills in Demand — The nominated occupation for the sponsor. Length: 462 Work and Holiday — 12 months; up to 3 years with specified work; 482 Skills in Demand — Up to 4 years.
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