What you need to know about the working holiday visa pause
The federal government "quietly" pauses the working holiday-maker visa applications from 24 countries. Here is what we know about the pause and countries affected.
On June 30, 2025, there were 206,187 working holiday-makers in Australia, as reported by the Department of Home Affairs. The federal government has temporarily paused visa applications for working holiday-makers from 24 countries. This decision was made without an official announcement, but experts suggest it may be related to broader discussions about net overseas migration (NOM).
The WHM visas are currently being processed more slowly than before, and lodgements may be paused to support government migration settings while ensuring program sustainability. The pause affects applications from most of the 29 countries in the capped working holiday-maker visa stream, including Indonesia, Spain, Argentina, and Singapore.
Applications are still being accepted from five countries, including San Marino and Türkiye, and China, India, and Vietnam. Immigration lawyer Chris Johnston described the government's actions as "dramatic," noting that the pause is different from a one-off or limited pause. The Department of Home Affairs has stated that reforms to the WHM program will better control demand and provide a fairer allocation of WHM visas.
However, working holiday-maker visa holders play an essential role in regional Australia, particularly in the horticulture industry, and contribute significantly to the Australian economy.
Written by urgent.news from ABC News AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
