Malaysians among applicants affected as Australia slows Work and Holiday visa processing

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — Australia has temporarily halted applications from Malaysians seeking their first Work and Holiday visa under subclass 462, according to ABC News. Malaysia is among 24 countries, mostly under visa stream, whose applications have been paused. Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated that the visas are "being processed more slowly than previously," without providing further specifics.

The subclass 462 visa permits eligible Malaysians aged 18 to 30 to stay in Australia for 12 months for short-term work and study, with an annual cap of 1,100 places allocated exclusively for first visas. Subsequent Work and Holiday visas are not subject to country quotas. Australia's Department of Home Affairs explained that a country's applications may be paused to evenly spread lodgements throughout the year, when a country nears its annual grant cap, or to align with the government's broader migration policies.

The department did not specify the exact reason for Malaysia's pause. Home Affairs advised prospective applicants to monitor their website for updates, as paused caps will reopen later in the same program year. Some applicants who submitted visa applications early in July were still waiting for decisions in mid-August due to the slower processing times.

Experts quoted by ABC suggested that the slowdown might be connected to Australia’s broader efforts to manage net overseas migration.