Work and Holiday (462) visa reopens for 22 countries: what applicants need to know

First Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa applications are open again for most partner countries. As at 9 October 2026, the Home Affairs country caps page shows applications open for 22 of the 29 countries in the program, after most of them were paused in August.

The 2026-27 program year started in July. By mid-August, the country caps page showed most partner countries as paused - only San Marino and Türkiye were still open, while China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam were managed through a ballot. Over the past few weeks Home Affairs has reopened most of the paused countries. There was no media release: the change appeared only as a status update on the caps page, last updated on 2 October 2026.

01Where each country stands on 9 October 2026

Indonesia is moving to a ballot for first 462 visas. Home Affairs expects ballot registrations for Indonesian passport holders to open later in 2026 (Home Affairs).

02Open, paused, closed or ballot: what each status means

• Open - you can lodge a first Work and Holiday application now.
• Paused - applications are stopped for now, usually because the cap is nearly filled, to spread lodgements across the year or to support the Government's migration settings. Home Affairs may reopen a paused country later in the same program year. If you try to apply while your country is paused, you will get an error message.
• Closed - all places for the program year have been filled. A closed country does not reopen until the next program year starts on 2 July.
• Ballot - you first register in a pre-application ballot and can only apply if you are selected.

None of the 29 countries is shown as closed right now. That matters for the three paused countries: their applicants can still hope for a reopening before the program year ends.

03Processing now takes around three months

Home Affairs says it is normalising processing for most Working Holiday Maker visas and expects the average processing time to be around three months (Home Affairs). The Government's summary of migration changes also commits to stabilising Working Holiday Maker processing at three months.

04Planning a second or third year? A ballot is coming

On 17 September 2026 the Minister for Home Affairs announced that second and third Working Holiday Maker visas will move to a ballot (speech). You will still have to complete regional work to qualify - 88 days for a second year and six months for a third - but qualifying will only get you into the ballot:

• Second year: limited to 45,000 places. About 57,000 people qualified last year.
• Third year: limited to 5,000 places, down from 31,000 last year.

Home Affairs says the changes will be rolled out progressively over the next 12 months, and no start date for the ballot has been published yet. If your plans depend on a second or third year, think about a plan B early.

05Want to study after your Work and Holiday year?

Since 2 October 2026, Working Holiday (417) and Work and Holiday (462) visa holders can no longer apply for a Student visa from inside Australia - the application has to be lodged from outside Australia. Our guide to the 2 October Student visa changes explains who is affected and the exemptions. If study is part of your plan, choose your course and timing before your Work and Holiday visa ends.

06Before you apply: a quick checklist

1. 1Is your country open today?Check the official caps page on the day you apply - a status can change without notice.
2. 2Do you meet the basic requirements?Aged 18 to 30 (inclusive), a passport from an eligible country and no accompanying dependent children. Most countries also set education and English requirements.
3. 3Is yours a ballot country?China, India and Vietnam need a ballot registration first; Indonesia is moving to a ballot later in 2026.
4. 4Can you wait around three months?Plan your arrival around the expected processing time and wait for the grant before you book flights.
5. 5Thinking about studying later?Holders of 417 and 462 visas must now apply for a Student visa from outside Australia.

For the full list of education, English and other requirements, see our Work and Holiday (462) requirements guide and the official Subclass 462 page.

07The key takeaway

If your country shows Open, this is a good time to apply - places can fill quickly and a country can be paused again. If it shows paused, prepare your documents and check the official page regularly, because paused countries can reopen within the same program year.

If you hope to stay longer, plan ahead: second and third years are moving to a ballot, and switching to a Student visa now means applying from outside Australia.

Information current as at 9 October 2026. This article provides general information about Australian education and Student visa settings and does not constitute migration or legal advice. Edvise Education Agency, Sydney.