To qualify for a second year working holiday visa in Australia, you must complete 3 months of specified work in a designated area during your first visa. Home Affairs counts 3 months as at least 88 calendar days, worked the way a full-time employee in that role would work. Specified work includes agriculture, mining, construction, fishing, forestry, and other industries in eligible postcodes. The 88 days can be accumulated across multiple employers and doesn't need to be consecutive. Your second-year visa gives you another 12 months of full work and travel rights in Australia. Exception: UK passport holders applying on or after 1 July 2024 don't need any specified work.
Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Required specified work | 3 months (at least 88 calendar days of full-time-equivalent work) |
| Where | Designated regional areas of Australia |
| Eligible industries | Plant and animal cultivation, fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, mining and construction in regional Australia; tourism and hospitality in Northern or Remote and Very Remote Australia (from 22 June 2021); bushfire recovery (after 31 July 2019); flood, cyclone or severe weather recovery (after 31 December 2021); critical COVID-19 healthcare work (after 31 January 2020) |
| Consecutive days required? | No — can be accumulated |
| Visa cost | $1,000 (Subclass 417) or $1,000 (Subclass 462) |
| Age limit | Must apply before turning 31 (or 36 for some countries) |
| Apply from | Inside or outside Australia |
What Is Specified Work?
Specified work is employment in specific industries performed in designated regional areas of Australia. The government identifies these industries and regions because they face chronic labour shortages — particularly in agriculture during harvest seasons.
Eligible Industries
Plant and animal cultivation: Harvesting and packing fruit, vegetables, and crops. Pruning, thinning, and general crop maintenance. Shearing, mustering, and general animal husbandry. Dairy farming, feedlot work, and egg collection.
Fishing and pearling: Commercial fishing operations, oyster farming, prawn trawling, and pearling.
Tree farming and felling: Plantation work, timber harvesting, log processing, and silviculture.
Mining: Open-cut and underground mining operations, mineral exploration, and oil and gas extraction.
Construction: Residential and commercial building construction in eligible regional areas. This was added in recent years to address regional housing shortages.
Bushfire recovery work: Cleanup, rebuilding, and recovery operations in declared bushfire-affected areas, carried out after 31 July 2019. It can be paid or voluntary.
Tourism and hospitality: Tourism and hospitality in Northern or Remote and Very Remote Australia, from 22 June 2021, for example in hotels, backpacker hostels, caravan parks and takeaway food businesses, or services provided directly to tourists.
Natural disaster recovery work: Recovery work in flood, cyclone, or other severe weather-affected areas carried out after 31 December 2021. It can be paid or voluntary.
Critical COVID-19 work: Critical COVID-19 work in the healthcare and medical sectors anywhere in Australia, after 31 January 2020.
These are the categories for the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417). The Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) has a different list: for example, fishing and pearling and tree farming and felling count only in northern Australia, and mining is not on the 462 list.
Designated Regional Areas
Not all of Australia qualifies. The work must be performed in postcodes designated as regional by the Department of Home Affairs. Generally, this means:
- All of Northern Territory
- All of South Australia
- All of Tasmania
- Regional New South Wales (excluding Sydney, Newcastle, Central Coast, and Wollongong metro areas)
- Regional Queensland (excluding Brisbane and Gold Coast metro areas)
- Regional Victoria (excluding Melbourne metro area)
- Regional Western Australia (excluding Perth metro area)
The Department publishes a specific postcode list that defines eligible areas. Check your employer's postcode before starting work — performing 88 days of farm work in a non-eligible postcode doesn't count.
How to Count Your 88 Days
Calendar Days vs Work Days
Home Affairs says '3 months' means at least 88 calendar days, including weekends or equivalent rest days during your period of employment. You must complete the same number of normal work days or shifts as a full-time employee in that role and industry would work in that period.
Full-time work: If you work 5 days a week for a continuous 88-day period, the weekends inside that period count. If you worked Monday to Friday on a farm, you can count Saturday and Sunday as well.
Part-time work: If you work fewer days a week, you need a proportionately longer period to reach the full-time equivalent. You can't complete the requirement in less than 3 calendar months.
Long days don't count double: One calendar day counts as one day of specified work at most. Working 10 to 12 hours in a day does not count as more than one day. A day is the normal number of hours per day or shift for your industry and role.
What Counts
- Paid work days in eligible industries and postcodes
- Weekends or equivalent rest days during your period of employment
- Public holidays and sick days, if you were paid for them
What Doesn't Count
- Travel days to and from the work location
- Training days before commencing the work
- Unpaid trial shifts
- Days between separate employment periods
- Unpaid public holidays or sick days
- Unpaid days when you didn't work because of weather
Evidence Requirements
Proving your 88 days is critical. The Department requires documentary evidence, and inadequate proof is a common reason for second-year visa refusal.
Required Documents
Payslips: Keep every payslip. They should show your name, employer's name, ABN, work dates, hours, pay rate, and tax withheld.
Employment references: A letter from each employer confirming your employment dates, duties, and location.
Tax records: Your PAYG payment summary or income statement from the ATO confirms income earned.
Bank statements: Showing salary deposits from your employer corroborates your payslips.
Form 1263: You may need to complete the Employment Verification form, signed by your employer, confirming the details of your specified work.
Tips for Record-Keeping
- Take photos of yourself at work and the work location (with a date stamp)
- Save all payslips — digital copies in email or cloud storage
- Keep employment contracts or written agreements
- Record employer ABN and address — you'll need these on your visa application
- Get reference letters before you leave each job, while the employer remembers you
- Use the ATO myTax account to verify your employment income matches your records
Finding Specified Work
Farm Work (Most Common)
Fruit picking and packing is the most popular specified work. The Australian harvest season varies by region and crop:
| Crop | Region | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Strawberries | Queensland (Stanthorpe, Bundaberg) | May – October |
| Mangoes | Northern Territory, Queensland | October – February |
| Cherries | Victoria, Tasmania | November – January |
| Grapes | South Australia (Barossa, Riverland) | February – April |
| Apples | Victoria, Tasmania | February – April |
| Bananas | North Queensland | Year-round |
| Cotton | NSW (Moree, Narrabri) | March – May |
For detailed information, see our guide to best farm jobs for working holiday visa holders.
Other Industries
If farm work isn't your thing, construction in regional areas, mining operations, and fishing also qualify. Mining jobs typically pay significantly more but may require specific qualifications or safety certifications.
Common Mistakes
Wrong postcode: Working in a non-designated postcode is the biggest waste of time. Verify every employer's postcode before starting.
Cash-in-hand work: If your employer pays you cash without proper payslips and tax withholding, you have no evidence. The Department will not count undocumented work.
Insufficient documentation: Relying on a single piece of evidence (just payslips, just a reference letter) is risky. Provide multiple forms of evidence for each employment period.
Counting errors: Don't assume 88 calendar days is the same as 88 work days. Use the correct counting method and give yourself a buffer — aim for 95+ days to be safe.
Working for labour hire companies: Labour hire is fine, but ensure you know the actual work location (postcode) and that the work performed is in an eligible industry. The labour hire company's office address doesn't matter — it's where you physically work.
How to Apply for the Second-Year Visa
- Complete 88 days of specified work during your first WHV
- Gather all evidence (payslips, references, tax records)
- Apply through ImmiAccount — select "second Working Holiday Visa"
- Pay $1,000 application fee
- Provide evidence of specified work with dates, employers, and locations
- Wait for processing. Home Affairs says it is normalising Working Holiday Maker processing and expects the average to be around three months
You can apply from inside or outside Australia. If inside, a bridging visa keeps you lawful while the application is processed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I do my 88 days across multiple employers?
Yes. Most people work for 2-4 different employers to accumulate 88 days. There's no requirement to complete all days with a single employer.
Do I need to complete 88 days before applying?
Yes. You must have completed all 88 days before lodging the second-year application. You cannot apply while still accumulating days.
What if I did specified work but my employer won't provide a reference?
Use payslips, bank statements, and ATO records as alternative evidence. You can also try contacting the employer in writing and keeping a copy as evidence of your attempt.
Can I count work done during my second year toward a third year?
Yes. Specified work done while you hold your second visa is what counts toward the third-year visa. First-year work counts for the second year only.
Is the second-year visa automatic if I complete 88 days?
No. You must apply and pay the fee. The 88 days make you eligible, but you still need to meet all other requirements (age, health, character). The application is assessed individually.
What if I'm one day short?
Even one day short means refusal. The 88-day requirement is strict. This is why experienced backpackers recommend aiming for 90-95 days to build a safety margin.
