Australia’s Department of Home Affairs has quietly updated the country-caps web page for the Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa, showing that first-time applications are again being accepted from 22 of the 29 partner countries. The move reverses an August pause that had shut out most applicants while the government recalibrated its migration targets. Caps range from only 100 places for Luxembourg and San Marino to 3,400 for Argentina, Chile and Spain, so demand is expected to outstrip supply quickly. No media release accompanied the 9 October refresh, but migration agents confirm that the ImmiAccount lodgement portal is once again allowing filings from the reopened nations. Brazil, Mongolia and Papua New Guinea remain paused, while China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia continue to operate under a ballot system. Home Affairs says the average processing time for Working-Holiday Maker visas has now stabilised at roughly three months after last year’s post-pandemic backlog. The reopening comes just days after a separate rule change on 2 October that prevents holders of 417 and 462 visas from applying for a Student visa onshore. Young travellers who hope to pivot from a gap year into further study will therefore need to depart Australia and submit their Student visa application offshore. The government has also confirmed that second- and third-year extensions will move to a ballot, limiting places to 45,000 and 5,000 respectively. For employers in hospitality, tourism and regional agriculture—sectors that depend heavily on backpacker labour—the decision is a welcome reprieve. Businesses reported staff shortages when the pause was imposed and warned that the spring harvest would be under-resourced. Universities and language colleges, however, worry that the offshore Student-visa requirement will divert potential enrolments to Canada or the UK. Prospective applicants are advised to check the official caps page on the day they apply, gather documents early and avoid booking flights until the visa is granted. With caps able to close without notice, places for popular passports such as Spain, Thailand and Singapore could disappear within weeks.
Source: Edvise Education Agency
