Summary
The age limit for South Korean applicants just rose from 30 to 35 — from 1 July 2026, Koreans aged up to 35 can now apply for Australia’s Working Holiday visa (subclass 417); age is now assessed at lodgement not at decision, so apply before your 36th birthday.
South Korea is one of Australia’s top five working holiday nationalities — 14,785 Korean working holiday visas were granted in 2022-23, making Korea consistently one of the largest WHV cohorts; the age extension opens Australia to a new wave of Korean professionals and experienced travellers.
AUD to KRW transfers are fee-free with OrbitRemit — send money between Australia and South Korea with no fee on either side.
From 1 July 2026, Australia opened its Working Holiday program to South Koreans aged up to 35 — a five-year extension that brings Korea in line with countries like the UK, Canada, France and Germany, which have long enjoyed a higher age ceiling.
For Koreans in their early-to-mid thirties who assumed the window had closed — a career break taken too late, a postgraduate degree that ran over, a few years spent building savings — Australia just reopened the door.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Australia’s Working Holiday visa for South Korean citizens in 2026.
The age change: what happened on 1 July 2026
From 1 July 2026, two legislative changes took effect under the Australian Migration Regulations 1994:
1. Age limit raised from 30 to 35 for four countries
The Department of Home Affairs confirmed that South Korean passport holders — along with Cyprus, Finland and Germany — can now apply for the subclass 417 Working Holiday visa up to the age of 35 inclusive. This means you can lodge your application any time before your 36th birthday.
2. Age is now assessed at lodgement, not at decision
Under the previous rules, the age requirement was checked at the time a case officer made a decision on your application — which could be weeks or months after you applied. From 1 July 2026, age is assessed at the moment you lodge. If you are under 36 when you submit your application, you qualify — regardless of how old you are when the decision is made.
What this means in practice: If you turn 36 in November 2026, you can lodge your application in October 2026 and still be eligible — even if the visa is not granted until after your birthday.
Both instruments apply to applications lodged on or after 1 July 2026. Applications lodged before that date are assessed under the old rules.
The subclass 417 Working Holiday visa: what it gives you
The subclass 417 Working Holiday visa is an open work permit allowing you to:
- Live and work anywhere in Australia for up to 12 months
- Work for any employer — you are not tied to a specific job or industry
- Study for up to 4 months
- Travel freely in and out of Australia during the visa validity period
No employer sponsorship needed. No skills assessment. No English test required. The 417 is one of the most straightforward visas Australia offers.
Second and third year extensions
You can extend your stay for a second year (and in some cases a third year) by completing specified regional work — work in agriculture, farming, construction, mining, fishing, forestry or tourism in a designated regional area.
- Second year: 3 months (88 days) of specified regional work during your first year
- Third year: 6 months of specified regional work during your second year
Regional work is widely available — harvest work, fruit picking, farm labour, regional hospitality, construction and mining in outback areas. Many Korean working holiday makers combine their first year in Sydney or Melbourne with a regional stint to qualify for the second year.
Visa requirements and application
Eligibility
- South Korean passport holder
- Age 18-35 at the time of lodgement (from 1 July 2026)
- No dependent children accompanying you
- No criminal convictions that would prevent entry to Australia
- Sufficient funds: approximately AUD $5,000 recommended on arrival
- Hold an adequate health insurance policy
Documents required
- Valid South Korean passport (ensure it does not expire within the period of your stay)
- Police clearance certificate from South Korea
- Evidence of funds (bank statement)
- Health insurance or agreement to arrange it before entering Australia
Visa fee and processing
- Visa fee: AUD $840 for a first application (as of 1 July 2026)
- Second and third year applications: AUD $1,000 each
- Processing time: typically a few days to a few weeks online
- Apply at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
- No annual cap on Korean 417 applicants — no ballot required
Age at lodgement: the critical rule
Under the new rules from 1 July 2026, your age is assessed when you submit your application. Lodge before your 36th birthday and you qualify. Do not wait.
Where to live in Australia
Sydney, New South Wales
Sydney has Australia’s largest Korean community. The inner west and eastern suburbs have strong Korean concentrations — Campsie, Strathfield, Eastwood and Haymarket are well-established Korean hubs with Korean restaurants, grocery stores, karaoke, churches and community organisations. Working holiday makers typically find hospitality and retail work in the city and inner suburbs.
Average one-bedroom apartment rent: AUD $2,400-$2,800 per month in inner Sydney; more affordable in the western suburbs.
Melbourne, Victoria
Melbourne’s Korean community is concentrated in the inner and south-eastern suburbs — Melbourne CBD, Monash (Clayton), Doncaster and Box Hill. Melbourne is known for its café culture, arts scene and university life; many Korean working holiday makers in Melbourne work in hospitality, retail and English language schools.
Average one-bedroom apartment: AUD $2,000-$2,400 per month in the inner city; more affordable in the south-east.
Brisbane, Queensland
Brisbane’s subtropical climate, growing economy and more affordable rents than Sydney or Melbourne make it increasingly popular with Korean working holiday makers. The Korean community is smaller but established.
Average one-bedroom apartment: AUD $1,900-$2,300 per month.
Gold Coast and Queensland regions
The Gold Coast — famous for its beaches, surf culture and theme parks — draws a significant number of Korean working holiday makers, particularly for hospitality and tourism work. Queensland’s agriculture regions (Bundaberg, Bowen, Stanthorpe) are also popular for the regional work needed to extend to a second year.
Regional Australia
Regional areas are essential for second and third year visa extensions. Popular options for Korean working holiday makers include:
- Bundaberg, QLD — fruit and vegetable farms
- Mildura, VIC — stone fruit and citrus harvests
- Toowoomba, QLD — vegetable farming
- Broome, WA — pearling, hospitality and tourism
- Darwin, NT — hospitality and construction
Work in Australia
What work can you do?
The 417 visa is an open work permit — you can work in any industry, for any employer. However, you cannot work for the same employer for more than 6 months in the same location (though you can work for the same employer chain in a different location).
Most common industries for Korean working holiday makers
- Hospitality and restaurants — Sydney and Melbourne’s Korean restaurant scenes regularly employ Korean working holiday makers; café and bar work is abundant across all major cities
- English language schools — Korean working holiday makers with teaching backgrounds often find work as Korean-speaking staff at language schools or tutoring agencies
- Retail — Korean beauty stores (Innisfree, Nature Republic and others have Australian outlets), Korean grocery chains (H Mart) and general retail
- Healthcare — Korean-speaking healthcare workers (nurses, physiotherapists, pharmacists) can work in their field if their qualifications are recognised; some roles require a separate registration process
- IT and tech — Korean IT professionals are in demand in Australian tech companies; 417 visa allows working in any role
Tax in Australia for 417 visa holders
Working holiday makers are taxed at a flat 15% on all earnings up to AUD $45,000, and 30% on earnings above $45,000 up to $135,000. This is slightly different from the standard resident tax rate.
Tax File Number (TFN): Apply at ato.gov.au immediately on arrival. Without a TFN, employers must withhold tax at the highest rate (45%).
Superannuation: Your employer pays 12% superannuation on top of your wages. When you leave Australia permanently, you can claim your superannuation back through the Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) process. A 35% withholding tax applies on DASP claims for working holiday makers — still worth claiming.
Cost of living
Australia is an expensive country by global standards, but working holiday wages are generally sufficient to cover costs with money left over to save and travel.
| City | Rent (1BR shared room) | Rent (1BR private) | Groceries/month |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney | AUD $800-$1,100 | AUD $2,400-$2,800 | AUD $400-$500 |
| Melbourne | AUD $700-$1,000 | AUD $2,000-$2,400 | AUD $380-$480 |
| Brisbane | AUD $700-$950 | AUD $1,900-$2,300 | AUD $360-$460 |
| Regional | AUD $200-$500 | AUD $800-$1,400 | AUD $300-$400 |
Practical tip: Most Korean working holiday makers in Sydney and Melbourne share accommodation — room sharing in a house or apartment with other Korean working holiday makers is the most common and affordable arrangement, typically AUD $800-$1,100 per month.
Korean community in Australia
Australia is home to approximately 165,000 Korean-born residents, making it one of the larger Korean diaspora communities outside Asia. As of the 2021 Census, 102,096 people born in South Korea were living in Australia.
Sydney’s Korean community is the largest in Australia, centred in Campsie, Strathfield and Eastwood — areas with Korean churches, restaurants, supermarkets, bathhouses (jjimjilbang), karaoke venues, Korean beauty stores and Korean-language media. Melbourne’s Korean community is concentrated in the CBD, Monash and Box Hill.
K-culture connection: Australia’s Korean community has been one of the strongest advocates for Korean food, K-beauty, K-pop and K-drama in the country. Korean cultural influence on Australian youth culture — through BTS, Blackpink, Korean beauty products and Korean food — has significantly broadened Australian awareness of Korean culture over the past decade.
Practical steps before you leave Korea
- Apply for your 417 visa online at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au — lodge before your 36th birthday
- Arrange travel insurance — required for the visa and essential for Australia’s healthcare costs
- Get an international driving permit — the Korean Automobile Association issues these; most Australian states allow Korean licence holders to drive on their Korean licence for a grace period (typically 3 months), after which you can exchange it for an Australian licence without a road test
- Open a bank account — most major Australian banks (CommBank, Westpac) allow you to open an account before arriving; this means your account number is ready for your employer on day one
- Download a budget carrier SIM — Lebara, Boost or Optus SIMs are available at the airport; an Australian mobile number is essential for bank app verification and employer contact
Fun facts: South Korea and Australia
- Australia and South Korea signed a Free Trade Agreement (KAFTA) in 2014 — one of Australia’s most comprehensive trade deals, covering goods, services, investment and professional mobility; Korean working holiday makers benefit from the strong bilateral relationship this reflects
- South Korea is consistently one of Australia’s top 5 working holiday nationalities — 14,785 Korean WHVs were granted in 2022-23, ranking 5th after the UK, France, Ireland and Taiwan
- K-beauty is now mainstream in Australian pharmacies — Korean skincare brands (Cosrx, Some By Mi, Innisfree) are stocked in Chemist Warehouse and Priceline; Korean working holiday makers often find familiar products wherever they land
- Australia and South Korea are both members of CPTPP — the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership; the bilateral trade relationship continues to deepen
- NZD to KRW transfers are also fee-free — Koreans living in New Zealand can send money home to Korea with $0 fee via OrbitRemit
Sending money home from Australia to South Korea
For Koreans in Australia on a working holiday, sending savings home to South Korea regularly — to support family, pay off a loan, or build savings in KRW — is straightforward with OrbitRemit.
- AUD to KRW: $0 fee — always fee-free
- NZD to KRW: $0 fee — always fee-free
- Fee-free above AUD/NZD $10,000 on all transfers
- Direct to all major Korean banks: KB Kookmin Bank, Shinhan Bank, Hana Bank, Woori Bank, IBK Industrial Bank of Korea, NH NongHyup Bank, KakaoBank
- Over 85% of transfers arrive within 2 hours
- Rate fixed at the time of confirmation — no hidden charges
- Regulated by ASIC in Australia (AFSL: 470646)
- Rated Excellent on Trustpilot from over 34,000 reviews
Fees and rates subject to change. Check orbitremit.com for current rates.
FAQ’s (Frequently asked questions)
What is the age limit for Koreans applying for the Australia Working Holiday visa in 2026?
From 1 July 2026, South Korean passport holders can apply for the subclass 417 Working Holiday visa up to the age of 35 inclusive — up from the previous limit of 30. Age is assessed at the time of lodgement.
How much does the 417 Working Holiday visa cost for Koreans?
AUD $840 for a first application (as of 1 July 2026). Second and third year extensions cost AUD $1,000 each.
How long can I stay in Australia on a Working Holiday visa?
The initial 417 visa grants up to 12 months. You can extend to a second year by completing 3 months of specified regional work in your first year, and to a third year with 6 months of regional work in your second year.
Do I need a police clearance for the 417 visa?
Yes. South Korean applicants must provide a Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) criminal record certificate. Apply at your local police station or online at the KNPA website.
Can I work in my professional field on a Working Holiday visa?
Yes. The 417 is an open work permit — you can work in any industry, including your professional field. However, some regulated professions (healthcare, law, engineering) require separate registration with Australian professional bodies.
Can I study on a 417 visa?
Yes, for up to 4 months in total.
What regional work qualifies for a second-year visa extension?
Work in agriculture (including fruit picking, vegetable farming, cotton harvesting), fishing, forestry, construction, mining, and tourism in a designated regional area. The work must be completed during your first visa year.
Can I claim my superannuation back when I leave?
Yes. Your employer pays 12% superannuation on your wages. When you leave Australia permanently, apply for a Departing Australia Superannuation Payment (DASP) refund through the ATO. A 35% withholding tax applies.
How do I send money from Australia to South Korea?
OrbitRemit supports fee-free AUD to KRW transfers. Visit orbitremit.com/south-korea for current rates.
This guide is for general information only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Visa requirements and fees are subject to change — always verify current requirements at immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before applying. Last updated July 2026.
Sources: Department of Home Affairs — Working Holiday Maker Program latest news (immi.homeaffairs.gov.au, 11 July 2026) | solmigration.com — Working Holiday Visa 417/462 Changes 1 July 2026 | racc.net.au — Working Holiday Visa Age Limit Rises to 35 for Four Countries | ternvisa.com — Australian Working Holiday Visa 2026 Complete Guide (updated 4 July 2026) | The Herald Business Korea — Australia raises working holiday visa age limit to 35 for Koreans (July 2026) | Wikipedia — Korean Australians | Korean diaspora | Working holidays in Australia | vic.gov.au — South Korean community profile
