If you’re eyeing a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462), timing matters almost as much as eligibility. Each program year, the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) sets a cap for every partner country: a limit on how many first Work and Holiday visas it will grant. The current program year runs from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, and right now, according to DHA’s own country cap status page, only two countries are actually open for new applications: San Marino and Türkiye, each with an annual cap of 100 places.
Every other country on the list currently shows as paused, not closed, and that distinction matters. Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Chile, Czech Republic, Ecuador, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, and Uruguay are all listed as “paused” rather than closed or exhausted. DHA uses a pause to space out processing across the year rather than accepting every application from a country all at once, and paused caps can reopen at any point, often without much advance notice. A pause isn’t a rejection and it doesn’t mean your country’s allocation has run out. It just means new applications aren’t being accepted from that country at this exact moment.
China, India, and Vietnam work differently again. Instead of a simple open or paused status, DHA runs a ballot for these three countries, so their current status is best described as “check ballot status” rather than open or paused.
For Ozlinx’s clients from Türkiye, this is genuinely good news right now: the 100-place cap is open, so there’s no reason to wait if you’re eligible and ready to apply. That can change as places fill, so applying sooner rather than later is the safer approach.
If your country of citizenship shows as paused rather than open, the practical move is to keep checking DHA’s country cap status page regularly rather than assuming you’ve missed your chance for the year. These statuses can and do change without a public announcement, and a second or third Work and Holiday visa application isn’t affected by any of this at all, since those aren’t subject to the country cap in the first place.
This article provides general information only and does not constitute immigration or legal advice. Migration law and visa policy can change frequently and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. For advice specific to your situation, please consult a Registered Migration Agent (MARN) or qualified lawyer before making any decisions.
Need guidance on your own situation? The Ozlinx Migration team is here to help.
📧 info@ozlinxmigration.com 📞 +61 2 9006 1009 | +61 451 554 137 💬 WhatsApp: +61 449 883 665
Sydney office: Level 20, Tower 2, Darling Park, 201 Sussex St, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia Bursa office: İhsaniye Mh. İnce Sk. Alpina Konutları No:23 B Blok D:16, 16130 Nilüfer/Bursa, Türkiye
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