Paused first 462 visas
- Most capped partner countries cannot lodge a first Work and Holiday visa while their cap is paused
- Trying to apply usually returns an error until the status changes
Visa Updates · 18 August 2026
Work and Holiday Visa Applications Paused for Most Capped Countries
Home Affairs has paused first Work and Holiday (subclass 462) applications from most partner countries that have an annual cap. A pause is not a permanent close, but new lodgements cannot be submitted until that country’s status returns to open. Ozreach can help you check what this means for travel plans and other visa options.
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What Changed
How the Working Holiday Maker Pause Works
The Working Holiday Maker program has two main streams. Subclass 417 Working Holiday is uncapped for its partner countries. Subclass 462 Work and Holiday is capped for first visas from listed partner countries. The current pause sits on that first 462 stream.
Home Affairs can pause lodgements when a country is close to its annual grant cap, to spread applications across the program year, or to support broader migration settings. A paused cap may reopen later in the same year. A closed cap will not reopen until 2 July, when the next program year starts.
Still able to proceed
- San Marino and Türkiye remained open on a first-in basis
- China, India and Vietnam use a ballot. Indonesia is moving to a ballot later in 2026
What is not paused
- Second and third 462 visas are not subject to these country caps
- Subclass 417 is a separate, uncapped stream for its own partner countries
What this means for applicants
If your passport country is paused, you cannot lodge a first subclass 462 visa until Home Affairs changes that country’s status back to open. People who already applied still have a valid application, but processing can take longer. The Department has also said working holiday applications are moving more slowly than they were previously.
Working holiday-makers are an important seasonal workforce in regional horticulture and tourism. A pause on new first visas can reduce the number of people who can travel and work in those communities later in the year. That does not change skilled employer-sponsored pathways such as subclass 482 or 186.
Country statuses can change with little notice, and the website can take up to 48 hours to update. Check the live list on the Home Affairs Working Holiday Maker country caps page before you plan travel or pay for tickets. This update is general information only and is not immigration advice.
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Need help with a working holiday or skilled visa plan?
Speak with Ozreach about whether a paused 462 application affects your timing, and whether another visa pathway may suit you better. This update is general information only and is not immigration advice.
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