Australia slows Working Holiday Visa processing

Travelers planning to head to Australia under the Working Holiday Maker program should now allow more time for their visa application to be processed.

Australian Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Tony Burke confirmed on August 16, 2026, that the government had slowed the processing of Working Holiday visa applications.

Asked during a press conference in Sydney whether certain Working Holiday visa categories had been paused, Burke said applications were still being processed, “but they are being processed more slowly than they were previously.”

The minister did not provide a new average processing time or indicate how long the slowdown is expected to last.

His comments confirm a situation already flagged by the Department of Home Affairs on its Working Holiday Maker program website. Australian authorities say they are currently receiving a high volume of applications for both the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462).

“As a result, applications will take longer than usual to be finalised,” the department warns, advising travelers not to make travel arrangements to Australia until they have received written confirmation that their visa has been granted.

Working Holiday visa applications remain open

Australia’s Working Holiday Maker program is divided into two visa categories: the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462).

Subclass 417 is available to passport holders from a number of countries and territories that have reciprocal Working Holiday arrangements with Australia.

Applications for the subclass 417 visa remain open.

However, applicants are affected by the current processing slowdown, as the Department of Home Affairs specifically lists subclass 417 among the visa categories now taking longer than usual to process.

Australian authorities have not yet published updated average processing times that would provide a clear picture of the extent of the slowdown.

The latest overall figures available, covering June 2026, still showed a median processing time of less than one day for the Working Holiday Maker program. However, that figure combines subclass 417 and subclass 462 applications and predates the slowdown now confirmed by the government.

The Department of Home Affairs recommends that applicants check its official visa processing time tool and submit their applications well ahead of their planned travel date.

Since July 1, 2026, the fee for a first Working Holiday visa application has also increased to AUD 840, up from AUD 670. A second or third application now costs AUD 1,000.

First visa applications are temporarily “paused” for 24 nationalities

The situation is different for some travelers applying for a Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462).

Unlike subclass 417, first subclass 462 visas are subject to annual country caps for a number of nationalities. The official country cap table published by the Department of Home Affairs currently shows a “paused” status for 24 countries:

• Argentina;
• Austria;
• Brazil;
• Chile;
• Czech Republic;
• Ecuador;
• Greece;
• Hungary;
• Indonesia;
• Israel;
• Luxembourg;
• Malaysia;
• Mongolia;
• Papua New Guinea;
• Peru;
• Poland;
• Portugal;
• Singapore;
• Slovakia;
• Slovenia;
• Spain;
• Switzerland;
• Thailand;
• Uruguay.

During a pause, nationals of the affected countries cannot lodge a new application for a first subclass 462 visa.

This does not mean the program has been permanently closed. Home Affairs explains that a country cap with a “paused” status is expected to reopen later during the same program year, allowing new applications to be submitted.

The department says applications may be temporarily paused to spread demand throughout the year, monitor progress toward annual country caps, or support the government’s migration settings while maintaining the sustainable operation of the program.

People holding or applying for a second or third subclass 462 visa are not affected by these country caps, which apply only to first visas.

Australia is reviewing its migration policy

The processing slowdown comes as the Australian government continues to consider changes to its broader migration policy.

Asked on August 16 about the status of that work, Tony Burke said various measures were still being considered through the government process and that no final policy had yet been settled.

The minister therefore did not announce any blanket suspension of the Working Holiday Maker program, nor did he say how long applications would continue to be processed at a slower pace.

Travelers should also keep in mind that Australia is gradually modernizing its arrival procedures. The Australia Travel Declaration is expected to progressively replace the paper Incoming Passenger Card across the country’s international airports and seaports over the coming months.