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 been working in construction in Cairns since week commencing 24th May and currently have 10 payslips showing a 7 day time period on each although the hours I have been paid vary in total each week.
How do I calculate my 88 days please
Hi Alex, as long as you work the average in the industry (https://library.fairwork.gov.au/award/?krn=MA000020#_Toc141275223) you ll be able to count 7days/week. Cheers
Hi!
If I have worked in Cairns (or any remote area) for a company which its headquarters are in Melbourne, does it still count for the 88 days? How do they know the postcode as in my payslips it doesn’t say it?
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Marina, just ask your employer to confirm you are working in an eligible area. Cheers
Hello, does working as a painter in the postcode 6390 count towards 88days (417 visa)
Hi Roisin, yes postcode is eligible. Cheers
It seems like my question is a bit tricky because my boss asked me how he can sign me up for the 88 days. His hotel is in a remote town, WA 6361, and he is willing to offer me more than 35 hours of work per week. However, he needs to know which department he should apply to, what preparations are needed, or where he should seek advice on how to prepare the relevant documents to apply for eligibility to sign people up for the 88 days.
Hi, he just needs to declare you as a WHV maker – for tax purposes. Once you hace done your days, you ll be able to apply with your payslips, proving you have worked in an eligible job/area. Cheers
Hi, I’m working in a dairy farm (casual fortnightly), I have some questions, I’m working more than 35 hr per week, it’s counts as 7 days or 5? And last question on my firs paylist I worked 38 hours that time counts 7 days?
Thanks a los
Hi Alan, yes to both. Cheers
Hello, thank you very much for this helpful information.
I am working for a company that fixes flood/fire damaged properties in the Bundaberg/surrounding areas.
I have checked and this counts as regional work.
However, some weeks are busier than others depending on how big the jobs are.
1st week = 8 hours
2nd week = 29.5 hours
3rd week = 16.5 hours
4th week = 22 hours
5th week = 8 hours
6th week = 43 hours
7th week = 22.5 hours
8th week = 11.5 hours
9th week = 25.5 hours
If the industry standard day is 7 hours and week 9 is 25.5 hours, does this just count as 3 days worked and the extra 4.5 hours are useless?
Or can they be carried over?
Or do they count as a day?
Thanks again for your help, very much appreciate it.
Hi Sean, for volunteer it does count for a day. Otherwise you ll have to refer to the industry standards – you ll be able to count a full week over 30hrs worked per week. Cheers
Hey,
I’ve been reading all the comments and I’m a little confused about all this talk about hours regarding casual/part-time hospitality work for my 88 days. Am I generally understanding this right?
18-24 hours in a week = 3 days
25-29 hours in a week = 4 days
30-34 hours in a week = 5 days
35+ hours in a week = 7 days (or is that only if you’re actually contracted full time? If you’re casual what does that mean?)
Thank you so much for your help!
Hi Ollie, you need to work the standard hours in the industry to be able to count a full week (so the number of hours will slightly vary from a job to another). But yes usually for hospitality you need to work at least 35hours to be able to count 7 days. Cheers
Hi there!
I’ve just started a casual job working at a Pizza/Kebab Restaurant in Cairns for 5-6 days a week. My hours vary, but I work anywhere from 25 – 30+ hours a week and I’m a little confused how to count this towards my 88 days.
If I work 35 hours or over, can I count that week as 7 days? And if I work 25-29 hours, would that qualify as 4 or 5 days? Thanks for the help!
Hi Mick, yes if you work around 35 hours you can count your weekends too (7days). Below you ll need to count 5 days. Cheers
Hey I’m working on a farm but it’s cash in hand. Is there a way to prove my 88 days work without payslips or is that not possible thank you
Hi there, nope you’ll need payslips. Cheers
Hello:)
I work in hospitality in an accomodation for miners in northern queensland ( postcode is eligible for the 88 days for hospitality). I work 14 days, 7 days off, 10 hours per day.
So first I wanted to know, if the job is eligible and how I can calculate the days.
Thank you so much in forward for your answer 🙂
Hi Helga, if your job is considered as hospitality work then you ll be fine. If so you can count the days worked and off. But you should confirm with your employer that the job is eligible (what your contract is saying). Cheers
Hi is the chicken factory elegible to renovate the visa? and if if work 4 days in a week for a total of 37 hours is it counted like a full week?
I don’t find the chicken farm/factory standard
Hi There, it will be considered as Maintaining animals for the purpose of selling them or their bodily produce, including natural increase, so will be eligible. Check the postcode though. If you work 37H/week you can count 7 days. Cheers
Relating to comment above. The job is working on a waste Management Facility site. This includes drainage works, Bulk Earthworks, Detailed Eartworks and completing a new Leachate Pond in Newcastle West, NSW, 2287.
Does this work meet the criteria for completing my 88days Regional?
Hi Niamh, could as the definition of clean-up, construction or any other work in association with restitution or restoration of services, land, waterways, property or infrastructure or providing support services or assistance to people living, working or volunteering in the affected areas. You should definitely write to the immi to double check. Cheers
Hi, I got a job with a Civil Construction Company as site Administrator. The job is located in Newcastle West, NSW, 2287. This postcode is covered under flood recovery. How do I double check this work covers my regional work.
See your other comment 🙂
Hello!
If I complete my 88 days within the first year and continue the job for another 3 months, can those extra months be counted towards my 3rd year visa? Or do you need to complete the whole 6 months within the 2nd year visa to be eligible for a 3rd? I can’t seem to find the answer anywhere!
Thank you!
Hi Holly, no your 6 months work to get a third year must be done while on your second year visa. Cheers
Hello, I’ve been working in FIFO as a general hand in remote WA on a 8:6 swing 12 hour days. I am working through an agency (Hays) and assigned to work for the village management (Sodexo) as a causal with no formal contract with the village management company. My. pay slips and contract from the agency state hospitality.
My questions are:
Is my role eligible for the specified work requirement as hospitality in remote areas?
Does my R&R days count towards my total 88 days?
Hi Adam yes should count. Cheers
Hello again!
Another question. If you apply for the second holiday visa and it is refused on the basis of not enough days / hrs, can you continue to work on the farm and reapply again or do you just get one opportunity?
Thank you.
Hey, just one try. Cheers
Hello!
If your payslip is for two weeks but you only got 7.5 hrs work due to weather conditions, which is counted for the second 417 visa?
Do you have to have an average of 38 hrs per week over the 88 days?
Hi, if you only have 7.5hrs over a 2 weeks period, you can only count the hours worked. Usually you ll need to work at least 30hrs / week for it to be counted as a 7 days week. Cheers
Hello !
I applied for a working holiday visa (417) in august 2022. I started it when I arrived in Australia on the 15th of October 2022. Since that day I’ve been volunteering in a farm 21 hours per week (3 days of 7 hours). This farm is registered as a working holiday visa provider and is located in a flood recovery area. Considering that I’ve been volunteering on this farm for 6 months, 21 hours a week. Would it work if I apply to extend my working holiday visa to the second year or not?
Hi Nicolas, is the farm is eligible and you ve been working 6 months it should definitely makes the 88 days. When you apply for your 2nd year, make sure to attach a letter from the farm stating you have been working in flood recovery. Cheers
Hello,
I will be doing my 88 days in hospitality working in a kid’s club. Because it is low season I will be working about 6.5 hours per day, 5 days a week, which will add up to a total of 32 hours per week.
Will this be able to count as a full week, i.e. 7 days for my visa ?
Thanks,
Laura
Hi Laura,
Unfortunately it look s like you will not be able to count a full week. Usually when you work between 28 and 35 hours you will be able to count 5 days towards the renewal. Cheers
Hi,
My partner and I have been offered jobs on a mining site in Perth, however it is FIFO (3 weeks on, 1 week off) which makes me anxious regarding our 88 day visa requirements.
I have heard that 3 weeks on, 1 week off in mining industry may count as 4 weeks (28 days) – is this correct?
Also, my role is a mix of admin and driving machinery. I believe admin doesn’t count – is this correct?
Thanks in advance
Hi Shauna, yes this is correct, it will count as 4 weeks. Admin in mining usually doesn’t count 🙁
Hello there!
On the official website it says that secondary food processing is not eligible for a second year visa.
Does that mean butchery in Tassie is? Because it is first hand processing and Tassie is declared as a remote area.
Thank you for your help
Hi Charleen, yes butchery should be eligible however i would advise you to check with the immi to be 100% sure. Cheers
Hi!
Me and my boyfriend are working in an egg farm and we do about 35 hours (5 days) per week. They told us that although we don’t do 35 hours it can be counted like 7 days because there are no more work after 2 pm, it can be real? Thank you!
Hi Meg, yes you can count 7 days for your renewal. Cheers
Hi, if I done my 88 days farm work whoofing back in 2014 but I no longer have the documents due to it being so long ago can I apply now for a second year visa ?
Hi Mi, unfortunately you ll need to rpovide ‘proof’ of your work. Could you get in touch with the hosts at the time for them to provide you with some docs (letter, photos etc…)
Hi there, I am wondering if you are able to count annual leave hours towards your days as they were included in one of my payslips? Thanks very much.
Hi there, yes you ll be able to count those days. Cheers
Hi, if I am working two jobs simultaneously that are both eligible for my 88 days, and for example in one week I work 3 days at one job and 2 at another, would that count as 7 days or only as 5? Thanks!
Depending on the number of hours you work – should be 7 – but always check with the immi. cheers