The Department of Home Affairs announced on 12 October 2026 that citizens of 23 countries are currently able to submit applications for the Work‑and‑Holiday visa (subclass 462).

Each eligible country has a fixed allocation for first‑time visas, ranging from 100 places for nations such as Ecuador and Luxembourg to 3,400 places for Argentina, Chile and Spain.

The programme operates on an annual cycle, with the application window opening on 2 July each year; the current cycle began on 2 July 2026.

Applicants must meet the visa’s general eligibility requirements, and an open cap does not guarantee that a visa will be granted.

The country‑specific caps apply only to first‑time visas; second and third Work‑and‑Holiday visas are not subject to these limits.

Application status for each country can be listed as “open”, “paused” or “closed”; a paused status may reopen within the same programme year, while a closed status remains until the next cycle starts on 2 July.

Prospective applicants are advised to monitor the Department of Home Affairs website for real‑time updates before making travel or financial commitments.