Second Australian subclass 462 visa: Do you need the ballot again?

The ballot for passport holders from China, India and Vietnam applies to the first Work and Holiday visa, subclass 462. If you entered Australia on your first 462 and are applying for a second, you do not enter the ballot again. Check your age, first-visa record and specified work before lodging. The Department of Home Affairs requires applicants to be aged 18 to 30 inclusive and to have completed three months of specified subclass 462 work.

Check the job, address and dates together

Make a list of the work you actually did, where you did it and when. Compare each entry with the Department’s subclass 462 specified-work list. For example, if a hospitality employer rostered you across two venues, record the actual address of each venue. Your payslip may show the company’s head office. Ask for an employer statement covering your duties, dates and venue addresses if the payroll record leaves those details unclear.

Reconcile the calendar and the shifts

Home Affairs describes three months as the equivalent of the three shortest calendar months, with a minimum period of 88 calendar days. You must also complete the number of normal workdays or shifts a full-time employee in the role and industry would ordinarily complete in that period. Normal rest days can count in qualifying continuous full-time employment. If you worked part-time or moved between employers, use your actual shifts and periods of employment to check the calculation. If two jobs overlap on the same date, retain both sets of shift records and count the date once.

What to check — Records to collect

Duties and location — Employer statement, roster or site allocation

Employment dates and shifts — Payslips, timesheets and rosters

Payment for the claimed period — Australian bank statements matched to the relevant pay runs

Visa held when the work was done — Grant notice, travel records and any relevant bridging visa dates

If one bank deposit covers several pay periods, note which payslips it matches. If your employer statement covers a longer period than your roster records, identify the missing dates and obtain the records before relying on that period.

Check whether you will apply inside or outside Australia and what visa you hold on the day you lodge. Your plans to travel while the application is pending can affect the arrangements you need to make. Review the Department’s second-visa guidance before booking travel, particularly if your first visa is close to expiry.

For a document review with Premiervisa Group, have your grant notice and a dated list of employers, work locations and evidence ready.

Policy checked on 6 November 2026. Sources include Home Affairs second subclass 462 visa, specified subclass 462 work and first-visa ballot scope.