Work and Holiday visa · 462
The 462 visa pause — what it means if you are already in Australia
Last checked: 22 October 2026
There has been a lot of news about a “working holiday visa pause”. Most of it does not apply to people who are already here. Here is what the Department of Home Affairs actually says.
If you are already in Australia
The pause does not affect you.
Home Affairs states it plainly: there are no caps for second or third Work and Holiday visas. The caps apply only to a person's FIRST Work and Holiday visa.
Your 88 days still count, and your second-year application is not part of the 462 pause. A separate ballot for second and third years has been announced — see below.
The ballot announced on 17 September 2026
On 17 September the Home Affairs Minister announced that second and third year Working Holiday visas will move to a ballot.
What was announced:
- Second year: 45,000 places. You would still complete your 88 days of regional work first, then enter a ballot.
- Third year: 5,000 places, with the existing six month regional work requirement.
What has NOT changed yet:
- This is an announcement, not law. It requires legislative change and no start date has been published.
- Home Affairs pages still state the current rules, and no cap applies to applications being made now.
If you are working towards your 88 days at the moment, the current rules are the ones that apply to you. Check the Home Affairs website before you apply.
Working Holiday Maker program latest news — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
Two different visas
Most of the confusion comes from mixing up two visas with similar names.
Subclass 417, Working Holiday. For passport holders from countries including the UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, South Korea and Canada. There is no cap on first 417 visas and they are not paused. Processing slowed from July; on 17 September the Minister said it would return to its normal pace. Home Affairs now says it is bringing processing back to normal for most Working Holiday Maker visas, with an average of around three months. Second and third 417 visas are covered by the announced ballot above.
Subclass 462, Work and Holiday. For 29 partner countries. Each country has a yearly limit on FIRST visas. This is the visa the news is about.
What “paused” means
A paused country is not a closed country.
Home Affairs pauses a cap to spread applications through the year, or to watch a country that is close to its limit. It says a paused cap can reopen later in the same program year. A closed cap cannot reopen until the new program year starts on 2 July.
Country status changes during the year — check the current status below before you apply.
Where to check
Home Affairs publishes the status of every country. It can change, and the website can take up to 48 hours to show a change. Always check there before you apply.
Status of country caps — immi.homeaffairs.gov.au
Doing your 88 days
If you are already here and looking for work that counts, our 88 Days Checker tells you whether a postcode counts for your visa.