To be eligible for the 12-Month Work and Holiday Visa for Australia you need to meet the following criteria:

• You must hold a passport from the USA;
• You must be aged 18 to 30 years old  (inclusive) at the date of application;
• You must be enrolled in a post secondary course of study, or you hold post secondary qualifications, or you have graduated from high school;
• You must meet the health and character requirements of Australian Immigration:
• You must be outside of Australia when you apply for and are granted the visa;
• You must not be accompanied by any dependants when you travel to Australia.

Note: If you are from any of the following countries you are probably eligible for an Australian Working Holiday Visa:

Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan and United Kingdom.