Subclass 417
Working Holiday visa. Core markets: UK, Ireland, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Korea, Italy, Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Finland.
Condition 8547 · Working Holiday 6-Month Employer Cap
You are on a Working Holiday visa. Your employer wants to extend past 6 months.
8547 says otherwise. You cannot keep working for the same employer past 6 months unless a specific exception applies. If your employer wants to keep you long-term, an employer-sponsored visa is the cleaner solution.
Quick answer
6 months maximum with any single employer.
Condition 8547 restricts Working Holiday visa (Subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visa (Subclass 462) holders. Exceptions apply for specified agricultural, construction, and regional work.
Who 8547 applies to
WHV and WHM visa holders.
Applies to all stints including second-year and third-year WHVs.
Subclass 462
Work and Holiday visa. Partner markets: US, Argentina, Chile, China, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Malaysia, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam.
All stints
Applies to first, second, and third year WHV stints.
Counting the 6 months
Actual time worked, not calendar time.
Short breaks between stints with the same employer reset the counter only if they are substantial.
Time worked, not elapsed6 months of actual work. Intermittent arrangements with the same employer all accumulate against the cap.
Exceptions: northern AustraliaPlant and animal cultivation work in northern Australia has no employer time limit.
Exceptions: agricultural and careSpecified agricultural work in regional Australia. Aged care or disability care work in rural areas (specific rules). Emergency work during natural disasters.
Breach consequencesCancellation under Section 116. 3-year re-entry ban. Employers also face sanctions.
Many misunderstand 8547 as a calendar rule.
It is an employer-relationship rule. You can work for any number of employers in any 6-month window — you just cannot exceed 6 months with any single employer without an exception.
Frequently asked
Condition 8547 questions.
If condition 8547 affects your visa, book a consultation with Sourabh Aggarwal.
Can I leave and come back to the same employer?
If the break is short, the clock keeps running. If you leave the country and return on a new WHV, it does not restart with the same employer unless you take an extended break.
Does 8547 apply to my second or third year WHV?
Yes. 8547 applies to all WHV stints.
Can I work for a labour hire company longer than 6 months?
Labour hire is the employer. Different host sites under the same labour hire company still count as one employer.
Can my WHV employer sponsor me for an SID visa instead?
Yes. A SID sponsorship can replace the 417/462 and remove 8547. Occupation and employer eligibility need to fit.
Some information on this page has been sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and has been interpreted and approved by Principal Migration Agent Sourabh Aggarwal (MARN 1462159). Last reviewed: May 2026.