To extend your stay in Australia with a second-year visa (subclass 417 or 462), you generally need to complete 88 days of specified work in an eligible regional area — jobs in agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, construction, tourism and hospitality. Getting the count right is essential to meet the visa requirements and plan your time. Here’s everything you need to know — plus a free calculator to work out your days.
🇬🇧 UK passport holders, good news: Since 1 July 2024, you no longer need to complete the 88 days (or the 179 days for a third visa) to apply for your second or third Working Holiday Visa. See the UK section below.
Table of Contents
Free 88-day calculator
Use our free calculator to estimate how many days of specified work you’ve completed and how many you have left:
Add a pay period
Recorded payslips
How Immigration counts your days
Based on the official example Maria: 6 h/day × 5 days = full-time
Australian legal full-time standard
| Situation | Days credited |
| Farm · 40 h/week (full-time) | 7 days |
| Farm · 20 h/week (half-time) | ~4.7 days |
| Construction · 40 h/week | 7 days |
| Construction · 30 h/week | 5.5 days |
| Piecework · 5 days worked | 7 days |
How to Qualify for a Second-Year Working Holiday Visa in Australia
Just like your first Working Holiday Visa, you must meet specific conditions to qualify for a second-year visa:
- Age requirement: You must be between 18 and 35 years old for most eligible countries. (The age limit was raised to 35 for the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, Denmark and Canada, and since 1 July 2026, also for Germany, Cyprus, Finland and South Korea. For some other nationalities the limit is still 30 — check your country on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.)
- Valid passport: Your passport must be valid at the time of application.
- Completed regional work: You must have worked at least 3 months (88 days) of eligible specified work in a designated regional area – unless you hold a UK passport (see below).
Visa fee: The second Working Holiday Visa costs 1,000 AUD (the same as the third visa; the first visa costs 840 AUD, as of July 2026). Fees are reviewed every July — check the current amount on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au.
More information here: Apply for second year visa
Changes for UK Passport Holders
Under the Australia–UK Free Trade Agreement, the rules for British travellers have changed significantly:
🇬🇧 Since July 2023: UK passport holders can apply for a Working Holiday Visa between the ages of 18 and 35.
🇬🇧 Since 1 July 2024: UK passport holders can be granted up to three Working Holiday Visas without having to complete the 88 days of specified work (and without the 179 days normally required for a third visa). You can work or travel anywhere in Australia — no regional/farm work needed.
⚠️ Important: This exemption applies only to UK passport holders. All other nationalities (Ireland, France, Germany, Canada, etc.) still need to complete the specified work. Dual nationals: if you entered Australia on your Irish (or other) passport, you must complete the days to extend that visa — but you could apply for your next visa on your UK passport to use the exemption.
Read also : Free Trade Agreement Australia – UK
What Counts as ‘Specified Work’ for the 88 Days?
Specified work includes jobs in agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, construction, and tourism/hospitality. The eligible industries differ depending on your visa type (417 or 462).
Industries and areas approved for Subclass 417 visa holders
- tourism and hospitality in Northern, Remote and Very Remote Australia, from 22 June 2021
- plant and animal cultivation in regional Australia
- fishing and pearling in regional Australia
- tree farming and felling in regional Australia
- mining in regional Australia
- construction in regional Australia
- bushfire recovery work in declared bushfire-affected areas, carried out after 31 July 2019
- recovery work in flood, cyclone or other severe weather-affected areas, carried out after 31 December 2021
- critical COVID-19 work in the healthcare and medical sectors, anywhere in Australia, after 31 January 2020
Industries and areas approved for Subclass 462 visa holders
- tourism and hospitality in Northern, Remote and Very Remote Australia, from 22 June 2021
- plant and animal cultivation in Northern Australia and other specified areas of regional Australia
- fishing and pearling in Northern Australia only
- tree farming and felling in Northern Australia only
- construction in Northern Australia and other specified areas of regional Australia
- bushfire recovery work in declared bushfire-affected areas, carried out after 31 July 2019
- recovery work in flood, cyclone or other severe weather-affected areas, carried out after 31 December 2021
- critical COVID-19 work in the healthcare and medical sectors, anywhere in Australia, after 31 January 2020
🧑🌾 Eligible jobs to renew WHV in Australia
Find out all eligible jobs for a second working holiday visa.
How to Accurately Calculate Your 88 Days or 3 Months of Specified Work
Understanding the minimum requirement
The 3-month period refers to the three shortest calendar months of the year — meaning you must complete at least 88 calendar days, including any rest days or weekends that fall during your employment.
You have flexibility in how you complete these days:
- One continuous period with the same employer, OR
- Multiple shorter periods with different employers in various industries.
For example, you could work one month on a farm in the Northern Territory and two months in mining in Tasmania. The work can be spread across your visa period.
Ways to Meet the Work Requirement
You can reach the 88 days / 3-month requirement through different work arrangements:
📌 Full-time, part-time, or piecework spread out over multiple short contracts, adding up to 5 days a week over 3 months.
📌 Continuous full-time work of 5 days a week for a total of 3 months (including agreements based on a piecework rate).
📌 Less than 5 days per week over a longer period, provided it reaches the equivalent of 88 days.
This flexibility allows you to tailor your work schedule to your travel plans while ensuring you meet visa requirements.
How to count a ‘day’ of specified work
A ‘day’ of specified work doesn’t necessarily mean a full 8-hour shift. A workday is any calendar day on which you perform specified work for the normal number of hours considered standard in your industry — usually 35 to 40 hours a week, or 7 to 8 hours a day.
Note: for volunteer bushfire or flood recovery work, any day on which you worked counts as one day.
Full-Time vs. Part-Time Work Calculations
✅ Full-Time Workers
- If you work 5 days a week, each day counts as 1 day toward your 88 days.
- You can count your week-ends are days worked – so it will be a total of 7 days / week.
✅ Part-Time Workers
- Your total working hours need to be equivalent to full-time hours in your industry.
- Keep track of your hours worked and divide by the industry standard (usually 35–40 hours per week) to determine your eligible workdays.
Public holidays and sick days can be counted as a day of specified work if you are paid for that day. If you are not not paid then those days cannot be included in your total period of specified work.
❌ Overtime does not count as extra days. If a normal workday is 5 hours, working 10 hours in one day still counts as only 1 day.
Casual Work & Piece Rates
If you’re working casual jobs or paid on piece rates (e.g. fruit picking), calculating your days is trickier:
🔹 Keep detailed records of hours worked each day. 🔹 Make sure your total hours add up to full-time-equivalent days. 🔹 Fair pay matters: some second-year applications have been rejected due to underpayment. Since 2022, piece-rate workers are entitled to a guaranteed minimum hourly rate.
What about the salary?
Minimum wages in Australia are set by awards (collective agreements) and vary by age and contract type (full-time, part-time or casual). Casual workers receive a higher rate — the standard casual loading is +25%.
💰 The national minimum wage is 26.44 AUD per hour (before tax), or about 1,004.90 AUD per week (38 hours), since 1 July 2026.
Your exact minimum depends on your industry: fruit and vegetable work falls under the Horticulture Award, construction under the Building and Construction General On-site Award, and so on. Check your rate — including the current piece-rate guarantee — on the Fair Work website.
Weather Conditions & Work Interruptions
⚠ Bad weather, accidents, or unexpected closures can impact your workdays.
- If you are paid for a missed workday (e.g., sick leave), it counts towards your 88 days.
- If you do not receive payment, the day does not count.
Keeping accurate timesheets, payslips, and employer documentation is crucial to ensure your workdays are properly counted for your visa renewal.
Documentation
Pay slips: keep them all — they must show your employer’s ABN and your work details.
Work diary: record daily tasks, hours and breaks.
Employer sign-off: have your employer confirm your completed days periodically.
Calculate your 88 days — examples
Examples extracted from the immigration website
Examples where the requirement IS met
Work during the week — 3 months on a farm, 5 days a week (industry standard = 5 days): weekends count, so 7 days a week.
Shift work — 3 months on an irregular roster (e.g. 1 week on, 1 week off): counts as 3 months.
Illness — 3 months full-time with paid sick leave: counts as 3 months.
Different employers — 60 days as a harvest helper + 28 days as a construction worker = 88 days.
Examples where the requirement is NOT met
Work during the week — 3 months on a farm, only 4 days a week (industry standard = 5): weekends don’t count, so only 4 days/week.
Working on another visa — you can only apply for the second-year visa if the work was done on a Working Holiday Visa. Farm work done on a student visa doesn’t count.
Seasonal circumstances — if you’ve accumulated only 80 days and can’t finish the last 8 before your visa expires (e.g. due to bad weather), you can’t apply.
Applying for the Visa
Once you have completed your days:
- Proof of Work: Gather all documentation, including pay slips, work diaries, and any signed forms from your employer.
- Application: Apply online through the Australian Government’s Department of Home Affairs website, providing all necessary documents.
Apply for a Third year working holiday visa
A third year is possible. You need to complete 6 months (179 days) of specified work in regional areas while on your second WHV (417 or 462). The eligible jobs and regions are the same as for the second visa, and the work must have been done after July 2019.
🇬🇧 UK passport holders are exempt from this requirement too (since 1 July 2024).
Fee: the third WHV also costs 1,000 AUD.
In Conclusion
Check that both the job and the geographic area are eligible. Confirm your status when you sign your Tax File Number Declaration at the start of each job, as this affects your day count. If you’re employed casually, count only the days actually worked to be safe. If you spread your 88 days across several jobs, keep a running total so you don’t get any nasty surprises.
Each case is unique, and the final decision always rests with an immigration officer so keep all your documents (payslips, photos, bank statements, etc.).
FAQs
Specified work includes jobs in agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, and construction. The Australian Government provides a detailed list of eligible roles and areas where this work can be undertaken.
The 88 days can include weekends if you have worked the standard five days in the week. Part-time work can count, but the days are calculated based on a standard full-time workday. Irregular or casual work may require a more detailed calculation.
Yes, you can work for multiple employers to accumulate your 88 days. The key is to ensure that all work is eligible and properly documented.
You will need payslips, bank statements showing pay, and employment references or contracts. Keeping a detailed work diary is also recommended.
The main difference lies in the types of work and locations that are eligible. Subclass 417 and 462 have different specified work requirements, which are detailed on our website and the official website.
Article updated on 08/09/2026
Hi
I have two questions first about counting days on the working and holiday visa. Second about pandemic visa 408.
1. I worked on the farm 3 months. For 9 weeks I worked between 45-55 hours a week. the rest of the payslips were between 22.5 -30 hours. I calculated hours and the average will be 40 hours. I have causal contract and immigration require full time contract work hours . The fair work website say that you can average hours. So for example 1 week you can make 46 hours another 30 Immigration so the average is 38 per week what include full time contract hours . Immigration say also that you can count the day if you worked minimum 5.5 hours a day. I interpreted it that if you worked 5.5 hours a day then you multiply it for 5 it is equal 27.5 hours a week to have count 7 days if in another weeks of work you had more like 38h and then the average of the weeks is minimum 38 hours.
So in that case I can’t count 22.5 hours a week even I worked for this employer 3 month and the average hours is 40 hours? I hope you can help me answer for this questions cause was sure you know more real cases when visa was rejected and when not.
2. I see that covid pandemic visa is still available for people who arrived to Australia after 21 of February and have working rights. The immigration say that you need to have proof of employment in economy sector.
“This temporary visa lets you stay in Australia to work if you are employed or have an offer of employment in any sector of the economy”
As I know economy sector include construction work right?
They do not say nothing about critical sector in this visa
Hi there,
If you have an average of 38hours then count 7 days. But i would advise you to check directly with the immi by calling them. Re the 408 visa you need to have work rights- if you do not have a visa then you don’t have those rights. This visa only applies to specific situations.
Also on your pay slips do it have to show how many days you worked
Hi Kean – yes or hours
Hi i have started working in Construction and u am on A BN is that ok
Hi Kean, quite unsure about that – would say no but check with the ATO.
Bonjour,
J’aimerai valider mes 88 jours dans la construction ( WHV 417 ).
Sur le site du gouvernement il est écrit que la construction est éligible mais cela dépend du travail et du code postal.
J’aimerai juste être sûr que cela marche avec toutes les sociétés ?
Imaginons que je travail dans la peinture pour immeuble et à Noosa ( normalement les 2 critères sont éligible ), je peux postuler dans toutes les sociétés ? Ou certaines sociétés ne sont pas éligible ?
Merci pour votre aide et bonne journée.
Bonjour Tom, oui en effet il faut que le code postal soit éligible. La construction permet bien de renouveler son PVT. Cheers
Hi, I work in hospitality in Cairns. I get 36 hours a week (5 days of work).
I do 4x 9-5 and 1x 9-1 shifts weekly
Do I count this as 5 days or 7?
Hi Ash should count as 7 days. Cheers
Hi!
I work on a full time, 5 day a week contract at 36 hours a week.
However, because we are expected to work 8 hours a day they allow us to take 1 day off every 4 weeks.
Will the week where I take the leisure day off still count as 7 days or only as 4?
Thanks
Hi there, The week where you take a leisure day off will still count as 7 days. The fact that you are taking a leisure day off does not change the number of days in a week. A week is still made up of 7 days regardless of whether or not you take a day off.
Hi!
so I have a job offer in a regional area for specified work. I would be on a 14 days on and 14 days off roster. The payrate is fornightly, meaning, I will get paid for the first fortnight, but not for the second one. Will it count as 28 days, assuming I am working enough hours? Or do I have to make them pay me monthly?
Hi Benjamin,
Yes it should could as 28 days depending on the hours worked. Cheers
Hello again, so just want to make sure. I will be doing 152 hours in the two weeks on and zero in the two weeks off. So for every 4 weeks I will be working 152 hours, which comes down to 38 hours per week on average. Thats what they need to count it as four weeks right? There is no specific industry standard for the time on and off, some do 14/7, some 15/13, some 21/21.
Before the job offer was for 150 hours, which would only be 37,5 hours per week. I changed that to 152 hours, was that the right call?
Cheers,
Ben
Hi my name is Chiara
I work in a remote area in far north Queensland in hospitality.
My employer couldn’t give me 38h per week so I found a second job as well in hospitality and I do my 45h weekly.
My first employer give me the payslip fortnightly and my second employer give me the payslip weekly.
When I will apply for the 2nd WHV I know can I use both payslip but will be a problem to be paid in two different ways?
Would be better to ask a one of my employer to change the tipe of payment??
Thank in advance
Chiara
Hi Chiara,
Shouldnt be an issue – however you wont be able to claim more than 7 days/week (even if you are working 45hrs). Cheers
Hello,
I am turning 31 in late august, but i got working holiday visa and it exprie on 12th august, but i have to go to Australia in end of May, but i just want to say if it safe for my to apply second year after i done 88 days, and it may be aged 31.
thanks
Hi Chris, yes safer to do your days if you can – otherwise once the FTA is passed you ll be able to apply for another WHV even if you haven’t done the 88 days. Cheers
Hello, I have a question about the industry standards and hours of work per day.
I’m currently working at a cafe in Darwin and our shifts seem to average 6 hours a day, not 7 or 8 in accordance to your article. Would my work then not be counted toward the 88 days in this case?
Thank you in advance for your input.
Hi Rika,
Yes should work 🙂
Hello,
Hoping you can help!!
If I start my job on the 16th January and worked 40 hours over five days a week would my 3 months/88 days be complete on the 14th April or 18th May?
Thank you for your help! ☺️
Hi, even if you work more than 38hrs you can only count 7 days – so count 88 days from the 16/01. Cheers
Hi again,
Thank you to replying to my comment! There are about 2 weeks where I worked Monday to Friday instead of Monday to Thursday. For those 2 weeks, can I count them as 7 days?
Thanks again 🙂
Hello !
Great website, thanks for all the infos !!
I’ve just got a question that you may be able to answer
We are working in a berry farm, we are piecerates but our employer is calculating our payslips with the minimum wage (horticulture award casual : 26.73$) + bonus (2$ per punnets) when we reach the objective (10 punnets/hour). So for example if we work 7 hours and we’ve done 90 punnets then we get paid 26.73×7(hours)+20(punnets)×2$(bonus) = 227,11 $ (so like 32,44$/hour).
But if we are doing only 60 punnets one day, then we just get paid the minimum wages. How to count that for the 88 days ?
Is this kind of payment really considerate as piecerate? Should we count each day worked as one day that count towards the 88days (even if we only work 5 hours) ? And if we only work 5 days, can we count the week ends and count 7 days on a piecerates contract? Or only the day worked counts for the 88 days ?
And/or do we need to get at least 38h per week to count 7 days ?
Thanks a lot, I hope my question is clear
Manon
Hi Manon,
Thanks for your message. Since last April, there s a minimum wage for pieceworkers in Australia : https://www.fairwork.gov.au/newsroom/news/new-minimum-wage-guarantee-pieceworkers. For the days to count, count each day worked as per the industry standards. If you do work approx 38hrs then you can count 7 days. You can always check with fairwork for your salary. It is the best way to make sure you are getting the right salary. Cheers
Hello, if I work 88 days with a average of 38hrs over the weeks not working 38hrs per week some more some less does this count?
Hi Shonane, should work but depends on the industry and the average hours worked in it. Cheers
Hi, I’m working in a banana farm. I work 6-8 hours a day but only 4 days a week. My weekly payslips only mention the amount of hours, not amount of days worked. I’ve worked 8 weeks in total but only 34 actual working days.
May I know how I can calculate my 88 days? I’m on a 462 visa if that helps.
Thanks!
Hi May, to apply for a second year you ll need 88 days in total.
Hello, I work in a ginger farm in Eumundi in the sunshine coast, I would like to know 1 day is equivalent to how many hours?
I would like to know how much time I have left to complete my 88 days of visa to organize the rest of my trip. Thanks in advance
Hi Ziggy
Check in the industry but should be 8 hrs (https://www.fairwork.gov.au/employment-conditions/awards)
Hi, my name is Andrea.
I have a question, I tried to find the right answer on web without success and maybe you can help me
I worked in a remote area in hospitality, but my employer couldn’t give me 38 hours per week, so I found a second job even in hospitality and I did over 60 hours per week.
When I will apply for the 2nd whv can I use the payslips of both the workplaces? Do they count the som of that hours per week? Thanks in advance
Hi Andrea,
Yes use both when applying. Cheers
Hello, my name is Jordi.
I have a question. Imagine i have done my 88 work days. How i make them count for the second visa? Do i have to save the contracts or go to any web site and notify the work i have done? Or the australian government already keeps track of what i have done?
Hi Jordi,
You will have to apply for a second year and in your application, you will have to provide the ABNs of the companies/ farms you have worked for plus your payslips. Cheers
Hi, I was in Australia in 2018 for 5 months and did 60 days ‘farm work’ but had to return home to the UK due to family issues. I am now looking to go to Australia again with my partner (who hasn’t had a Visa before) ideally on working holiday visas. Is there no change that a second working holiday visa would be issued in this circumstance? Thanks!
Hi Rob,
If you have done your farm work back in 2018 that wont be an issue. For now the FTA is not in force so UK passport holders are still required to do regional work to renew. Cheers
hey, ive worked 56 days accounting for 473.75 hours over 93 days building fences in a rural area. I have the 417 working holiday visa and am trying to get my second one approved. Do i have enough to qualify?? Thanks for your help.
Hi Hunter,
It will need to account for 88 days for your renewal. Cheers
Hi,
We’re working at a strawberry farm employed on a casual basis. We work 5/6 days a week but the hours vary depending on the crops. 2 days a week the company have half days. We’re really confused as to how to count our days, whether it’s by day or by reaching a certain amount of hours per week.
Any help would be appreciated!
Hi Emily,
It should be per hours worked per week. As long as you meet the requirements in the industry. But you should definitely count the days where you work half day – so from your note it seems you can count 7 days per week. Cheers
Hi, thank you for all the information, its helpful. But I still have some questions to ask.
I am now working for 3 restaurants in eligible area.
Employer A – 4 hours per day and 3 days per week; casual
Employer B – 5-12 hours per day and 3-4 days per week; casual
Employer C – 4-6 hours per day and 2 days per week ; casual
For employer A, payslip stated 12 hours per week, can I count 0.5 day for each working day towards that 88 days? So should be 1.5 days per week
If I worked for employer A (4 hours) and B (5 hours) same day can I count as 1 day?
Is it ok if I provide payslip for 3 employers for the same period? Will it be all counted?
Or I could just add up the total hours from all the jobs and divided by 8 (40 hours/5) to get the working days?
Thank you! Really appreciated
Hi Stella,
Sorry but we are not authorised to tell you this will work or this should count X hours. To clarify your queries, please contact the ATO directly for official answers. Cheers
Sorry may i know why the ATO
They ll be able to inform you for tax queries https://www.ato.gov.au/Individuals/coming-to-australia-or-going-overseas/Coming-to-Australia/Working-holiday-makers/
Hi Stella, did you get an answer for this? I’m in the same situation with many jobs and many off days.
I’d appreciate your answer.
Best, P
I have a question.
I work in a utility position at Tomprice and Paraburdu
Is the second working holiday possible?
Hi Jihun,
Please check the post codes of your locations. Cheers
Hello, I just started to work as a utility worker(like kitchen hand and housekeeper) in the mining site in WA, having a 2/1 roster. The thing is I am casual worker, so even if I work 3 months, i’m not sure about that it will be counted.
So when I’m casual worker in the mining site, will my 1 week off be counted for second visa?(My agency said I can get my payslip weekly.)
Thank you.
And also I might not be able to get exact 2/1 roster, for example my day off can be 8 days, not exact 7 days. Even though it happens like this, can I get 21 days counting?
Yes if it is common practice in the industry (which it is). Cheers
Hi Kim, Yes it should be whether you are casual or not.
Hi ~
I was just wondering. I’m working at hotel in Cairns. I do hospitality job now.
I work 6 hours a day, and 5 days a week. But still less than 35-40 hours a week.
Could my work be counted as 7 days a week? or I have to find second job for 88days ?
Thanks !
Hi Pado, Check the industry requirements (usually 38hrs/week) but yes should be fine. Cheers
Hi, if I work with 1 employer for 1 month and move to another farm for 2 months can I still count weekends for both if I’m working full time hours 5 days a week?
Thanks
Hi Steph
Yes no problem. Cheers