Australian Work and Holiday visa paused for 23 nationalities
The Australian Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) is nearly closed to new applicants, with 23 out of 29 partner countries showing 'paused' status on the official Department of Home Affairs page.
Out of 29 partner countries, 23 now show a "paused" status on the Department of Home Affairs’ official dashboard—updated on 19 August 2026—which means no new first-time applications can be submitted until quota limits reopen. Only San Marino and Turkey remain open, while four countries operate under a ballot system.
Program nearly blocked two months after launch
The 2026-2027 Work and Holiday program opened on 2 July 2026, as it does each year. Two months later, most national quotas are already suspended. Each partner country has an annual cap on first-time subclass 462 visas, and the Department of Home Affairs reports demand exceeding availability for several nations, forcing it to pause new applications.
Here’s the current status as published on the official country-cap status page, with each nation’s annual quota in parentheses:
Status | Partner countries (annual visa quota) |
|---|---|
Paused | Argentina (3,400), Austria (500), Brazil (500), Chile (3,400), Ecuador (100), Spain (3,400), Greece (500), Hungary (500), Israel (2,500), Luxembourg (100), Malaysia (1,100), Mongolia (100), Papua New Guinea (100), Peru (1,500), Poland (1,500), Portugal (500), Singapore (2,500), Slovakia (1,000), Slovenia (200), Switzerland (200), Czech Republic (500), Thailand (2,000), Uruguay (1,500) |
Open | San Marino (100), Turkey (100) |
Ballot | China (5,000), India (1,000), Vietnam (1,500), Indonesia (5,000) |
The suspension affects applicants across Latin America, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Pacific. One key detail for those tracking nationalities: Home Affairs warns that status changes may take up to 48 hours to appear on the page. The table above reflects the last official update at the time of writing and may change at any time.
"Paused" does not mean "closed"
This is the critical distinction for applicants, and Home Affairs spells it out: a paused quota may reopen later in the program year as authorities adjust to manage demand or monitor approaching caps. A closed quota, by contrast, means the year’s allocation is fully allocated—it only reopens on 2 July 2027, the start of the next program year.
Today, none of the 23 countries are closed—all are paused. While any could reopen before June 2027, no reopening dates have been announced. The only official instruction is to keep checking the status page regularly for quoatas moving back to open. Attempting to submit during a pause will trigger an error message.
The subclass 417 Working Holiday is unaffected
Australia operates two separate working holiday visa subclasses, and quota caps apply only to subclass 462.
The subclass 417 (Working Holiday), which covers passports from the UK, Canada, Japan, Germany, South Korea, Italy, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Nordic countries, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and—under a bilateral agreement—France (we covered the France-Australia agreement in this article), has no annual cap: applicants from these countries can continue to submit applications as usual.
Subclass 417 has also just expanded: since 1 July 2026, passport holders from Cyprus, Finland, Germany, or South Korea can apply for this visa until age 35 (previously 30). Applications can be lodged up to the day before the 36th birthday.
A shared caveat applies to both subclasses: Home Affairs notes high application volumes and processing times that may exceed published indicative durations. The official advice is clear: do not book travel to Australia until you receive written visa grant notification.
Already in Australia? Second and third 462 visas not capped
National quotas apply only to first-time Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas. Home Affairs makes this explicit: there are no caps on second or third subclass 462 visas. Travelers already holding a first visa who meet the specified work requirements to extend their stay can apply for a renewal unaffected by the pause. Only new entrants are locked out at this stage.
China, India, Vietnam—and soon Indonesia—use ballots instead of first-come queues
For four countries, the pause question doesn’t arise in the same way: applications operate via a pre-registration ballot rather than an open intake. Passport holders from China, India, and Vietnam must register for the ballot before lodging an application, within their respective caps (5,000, 1,000, and 1,500 visas).
Indonesia is joining this system: Home Affairs confirms that first-time Indonesian passport holders will now be managed by ballot, with registrations expected later in 2026. The opening date will be posted on the Working Holiday Maker program news page. In the meantime, Indonesian applicants simply wait for this announcement—on par with the 23 paused nationalities watching for a quota reopening.
A specialist in regulatory monitoring and a content destination expert, she analyzes daily changes in entry formalities to turn complex administrative processes into practical guides. Her role blends ground-level expertise with technical precision to ensure the reliability of the information provided to travelers.
Get our visa news first in your Google results: add Visamundi to your preferred sources.
