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Indonesian workers: is your Letter of Support ready for the new 462 visa ballot?

Visa guide · 2026-10-10 · 7 min read

If you are an Indonesian passport holder planning a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) for Australia, you need an SDUWHV, the Letter of Support from Indonesia's own immigration authority, before you can even lodge your visa application. Home Affairs has also just added a new step on its side: first subclass 462 applications from Indonesian passport holders will now be managed through a ballot. Here is what Imigrasi asks for, and what the ballot means for your plans either way.

What the SDUWHV is and who issues it

SDUWHV stands for Surat Dukungan untuk Work and Holiday Visa. It is issued by the Directorate General of Immigration, under Indonesia's Ministry of Immigration and Corrections, through its own online system at sduwhv.imigrasi.go.id. This letter is separate from your actual Australian visa application: it is Indonesia's side of the process, confirming you meet its own criteria, before Home Affairs looks at your case at all.

Imigrasi's criteria, at a glance

Funds and the English test, in detail

For the funds requirement, Imigrasi asks for a bank letter showing at least AUD 5,000 in active funds, plus a passport valid for at least 12 months. For English, Imigrasi's minimum is an average IELTS score of 4,5 across all components; it also accepts CELPIP General with an overall score of at least 5, or TOEFL iBT with an overall score of at least 26. Home Affairs separately asks subclass 462 applicants for at least functional English, with the test taken within 12 months before you apply, so book your test with enough time to still be valid when you lodge both the SDUWHV request and the visa application.

Not sure what AUD 5,000 means in rupiah, or what the bank letter should look like? Our newer guide works out how much 5,000 AUD is in rupiah for the WHV and how to prepare the SDUWHV bank letter.

The Letter of Support is not your Australian visa

Getting your SDUWHV approved is a milestone, not the finish line. Home Affairs requires Indonesian passport holders specifically to hold a letter of support from their own government before lodging a first Work and Holiday (462) application; Malaysian passport holders are asked for a different document, a Good Conduct Certificate, which shows these support requirements are set per nationality. Once your SDUWHV is in hand, you still lodge a separate visa application with Home Affairs, with its own fee and its own assessment.

Imigrasi and Home Affairs word the education rule differently. Our guide to the WHV education requirement for D3, S1 and current students shows where each study path sits and which papers prove it.

What is actually changing: the ballot

Home Affairs has announced that first subclass 462 applications from Indonesian passport holders will be managed through a ballot, with registrations expected to open later in 2026. Indonesia's annual cap for first Work and Holiday visas is 5,000 places. If you already hold an SDUWHV from an earlier program year, it is worth knowing exactly what that does and does not do: you can register for the ballot with it, but Home Affairs is explicit that an existing SDUWHV does not reserve you a place, does not give you priority, and does not exempt you from the ballot. In practical terms, an older letter of support gets you back in line, not to the front of it.

Be careful of anyone selling a "reserved place" in the ballot. Learn the warning signs of an Australian visa scam before you pay an agent.

Once you are through: the basics of the 462 visa itself

A first subclass 462 visa gives you a 12-month stay, lets you study for up to 4 months, and usually limits you to working with the same employer for 6 months at a time. The base application charge is AUD 840.00 for a first application, rising to AUD 1,000.00 for a second or third one. Completing 3 months of specified subclass 462 work makes you eligible to apply for a second Work and Holiday visa, which is worth planning for if you want more than one year in Australia.

Planning to spend those months on farms? Our guide to kerja di kebun Australia on a 462 or a sponsored visa compares the two routes and the farm pay rules.

Getting your SDUWHV: the practical steps

1. Confirm you meet Imigrasi's basic criteria: age 18 to 30, at least a Diploma III or 2 years of bachelor's study, and no previous Work and Holiday program.
2. Book and sit an accepted English test (IELTS, CELPIP General or TOEFL iBT) early, so the result is still valid when you apply.
3. Arrange your bank letter showing at least AUD 5,000 in active funds, and check your passport has at least 12 months of validity left.
4. Register and submit your documents through sduwhv.imigrasi.go.id.
5. Once your SDUWHV is approved, register for the Home Affairs ballot when registrations open, then prepare your separate subclass 462 visa application and fee.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Assuming the SDUWHV is itself the Australian visa, rather than a separate Indonesian government letter you need before applying.
• Letting an English test result expire before lodging the actual visa application.
• Believing an SDUWHV from a previous program year reserves a ballot place or gives priority.
• Applying for the SDUWHV with a passport that will not have 12 months of validity left.
• Not budgeting separately for the Home Affairs visa fee on top of any SDUWHV costs.

Frequently asked questions

What is the SDUWHV?

It is the Surat Dukungan untuk Work and Holiday Visa, a Letter of Support issued by Indonesia's Directorate General of Immigration that Indonesian passport holders need before lodging a first Australian Work and Holiday (462) visa application.

Does holding an SDUWHV mean an automatic place in the new ballot?

No. Home Affairs says an existing SDUWHV lets you register for the ballot but does not reserve you a place, give you priority, or exempt you from it.

What English test score do I need for the SDUWHV?

Imigrasi's minimum is an average IELTS score of 4,5 across all components, or equivalent scores in CELPIP General (at least 5 overall) or TOEFL iBT (at least 26 overall).

Not sure which test to book or when? Our guide to IELTS and other English tests for the WHV from Indonesia explains the average rule and how to time the test around the ballot.

How much money do I need to show for the SDUWHV?

Imigrasi asks for a bank letter showing at least AUD 5,000 in active funds, along with a passport valid for at least 12 months.

How much does the actual Australian visa cost on top of the SDUWHV?

The base application charge for a first subclass 462 visa is AUD 840.00, rising to AUD 1,000.00 for a second or third application.

Can I apply for the SDUWHV if I have done a Work and Holiday program before?

No, Imigrasi's criteria require that you have never done a Work and Holiday program previously.

Key takeaways

• The SDUWHV is Indonesia's own Letter of Support, separate from your actual Australian visa application.
• Imigrasi asks for age 18-30, at least a Diploma III, an English test, proof of funds (AUD 5,000) and good health and conduct.
• First subclass 462 applications from Indonesian passport holders now go through a ballot; an existing SDUWHV does not skip it.
• Once approved for the visa, you get 12 months in Australia, with a base visa fee of AUD 840.00 for a first application.
• Keep your English test and passport validity current for both the SDUWHV and the visa application.

For practice before you book your official English test, PractiseNow has IELTS and PTE practice material. While your paperwork is underway, it is worth browsing roles such as the current Sous Chef opening in Queenstown, our education jobs category, or our earlier guide on the working holiday ballot and farm labour rules.

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