China 462 Visa Ballot: Registration Is Closed for 2026–27, but Selection Is a Separate Stage
As checked on 18 October 2026, Home Affairs lists registration for the 2026–27 first Work and Holiday visa ballot for China as closed. This does not mean an existing valid registration immediately stops being considered. Registration and selection have separate periods. Start by establishing what you actually completed, rather than following an old guide that still describes the ballot as open.
Identify your current stage
If you did not register validly for this program year, check the official page for future arrangements. Do not treat the end of the selection period as an opportunity to submit a late registration. If you registered and have not been selected, retain your confirmation and keep access to the registered email address. If you received a formal selection notification, read the entire notice immediately and establish the visa application deadline.
The dedicated current-year table lists registration from 4 to 25 June 2026 and a selection period from 2 July 2026 to 30 April 2027. Those dates describe different processes. They do not announce the next registration window or guarantee that a particular registration will be selected.
Selection is an opportunity to apply
A registration, a selection notification and a granted visa are separate records. Selection does not establish that you meet the education, English, funds, health, character or other requirements for a first subclass 462 visa. Review the actual applicant's circumstances; another person's invitation or visa screenshot is not evidence of your eligibility.
The ballot registration charge listed at this check is AUD25. It is not the visa application charge or the total cost of professional assistance, documents and checks. Keep those amounts separate when comparing a service quote. A service provider can assist with an authorised preparation task, but cannot promise random selection or a government visa decision.
Protect the records and contact details you used
Keep the submitted registration information and official confirmation. A saved draft or a payment made to a private provider does not prove that a valid registration was received. Where someone assisted you, establish which account and email address were used and obtain the relevant records.
If passport or contact information changes, follow the update instructions Home Affairs permits for that information. Do not assume a new passport creates a new identity for a second registration. Retain the connection between the old and new document and keep the underlying facts consistent. You should also retain control over personal email and account access rather than share passwords or verification codes with unrelated people.
Act on the notification, not a social media announcement
The official ballot guidance gives selected applicants 28 calendar days after notification to apply for the first visa. Check the notice and applicable timing promptly. Do not restart the period from the day you happen to open an older email. Sending documents to an adviser, booking a check or paying a private invoice is not the same as lodging a valid government application.
You may be inside or outside Australia when registering for the ballot, but a selected applicant must apply for the first Work and Holiday visa from outside Australia. Do not carry the registration location rule into the visa application stage. If you are already in Australia, review your current permission and travel arrangements separately before making commitments.
For an unregistered reader, the useful next step is to monitor official announcements and organise genuine personal records. For a registered reader, it is to manage the account, email and evidence needed if selected. Recheck the current program-year page before acting: this article records the status on its stated checking date, rather than promising a future opening or selection.
Official sources and verification date
18 October 2026
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