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Eligible jobs for a second and third year visa in Australia

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Eligible jobs for a second and third year visa in Australia

If you wish to renew your Working Holiday Visa for a second year in Australia, you must work for a minimum of three months – or 88 days – in a specific job position during your first year. To renew your visa for a third year, you will need to do 179 days (6 months) in a specific job position in an eligible region. Other conditions are also required for the renewal. In this article, we provide you with a list of the jobs eligible for a second year and third year visa.

Important: Following the Australia – UK FTD, UK passport holders will be exempted to work in specified jobs and areas to renew their WHV when the agreement enters into force. Details to come.

In Summary, to renew your WHV, you can :

  1. Work in agriculture, construction, mining in regional Australia
  2. Work in tourism and hospitality in northern or remote and very remote Australia
  3. Do bushfire and flood recovery work in declared affected areas only
  4. Work in the healthcare and medical sectors (COVID-19 critical work) anywhere in Australia.

Eligible jobs in regional Australia

In order to be sure you’ll qualify, here is the list of all the jobs eligible to renew. This list is valid for a second and third year. It was extracted from the Australian government website (www.homeaffairs.gov.au). To be eligible, these jobs must be done in regional areas (i.e. where the postcode is eligible).

Plant and animal cultivation

  • Agricultural work (Plant and animal cultivation)
  • The harvesting and / or packing of fruit and vegetable crops
  • Pruning and trimming vines and trees (commercial horticultural activities)
  • General maintenance crop work
  • Cultivating or propagating plants, fungi or their products or parts
  • Immediate processing of plant products
  • Maintaining animals for the purpose of selling them or their bodily produce, including natural increase
  • Immediate processing of animal products (shearing, butchery, packaging and tanning)
  • Manufacturing dairy from raw material.
eligible jobs farm work

Examples of eligible and ineligible jobs

Examples of eligible specified work in plant and animal cultivation:

  • picking fruits on an orchard
  • feeding and herding cattle on a farm
  • horse breeding and stud farming
  • conservation and environmental reforestation work

Examples of ineligible specified work in plant and animal cultivation:

  • work as a nanny on a farm
  • secondary processing or provision of plant and animal products, such as:
    • wine-making, brewing and distillation
    • manufacturing of smallgoods
    • retail of dairy or butchery products
    • giving wine tastings at a vineyard

Fishing and pearling

  • Conducting operations relating directly to taking or catching fish and other aquatic species;
  • Conducting operations relating directly to taking or culturing pearls or pearl shell.
Fishing and pearling work

Tree farming and felling

  • Planting or tending trees in a plantation or forest that are intended to be felled;
  • Felling trees in a plantation or forest;
  • Transporting trees or parts of trees that were felled in a plantation or forest to the place where they are first to be milled or processed or from which they are to be transported to the place where they are to be milled or processed.
Tree farming and felling

Mining (Subclass 417 only)

  • Coal mining;
  • Oil and gas extraction;
  • Metal ore mining;
  • Construction material mining;
  • Non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying;
  • Exploration;
  • Mining support services.

The list of mining jobs according to the ANZSIC is available here.

Examples of ineligible jobs

  • performing specialised social science services for mining companies (example: archaeological assessments)
  • cooking/catering on a mine site
  • cleaning the interior of mine complexes or buildings
mining australia

Construction work

  • Residential building construction
  • non-residential building construction
  • heavy and civil engineering construction
  • land development and site preparation services
  • building structure services
  • building installation services
  • building completion services
  • other construction services

Examples of eligible and ineligible jobs

Examples of eligible specified work in construction:

  • landscaping the grounds of a construction/house site
  • painting the interior/exterior of new buildings
  • erecting fences on a construction site
  • scaffolding

Examples of ineligible specified work in construction:

  • ship/boat building
  • manufacturing materials used on a construction site (such as concrete or steel)

The work carried out in the mining and construction industry must be defined by the ‘Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification (ANZSIC)’. For the list of specified work in construction according to the ANZSIC, click here.

construction australia

Tourism and hospitality in northern or remote and very remote Australia only

Tourism and hospitality work carried out in northern, remote and very remote Australia will be eligible for the purpose of a second or third Working Holiday (subclass 417 & 462).

Occupations eligible must directly provide a service to tourists, this include:

  • Tourist guides and operators
  • Tourist transport services
  • Hospitality workers in hotels or other accommodation facilities, restaurants, cafes, bars and casinos
  • Outdoor adventure or activity instructors
  • Gallery or museum managers, guides
  • Conference and event organisers

Examples of eligible specified work in tourism or hospitality

  • a chef in a restaurant
  • a dive instructor
  • a tour bus driver

Examples of ineligible specified  work in tourism or hospitality

  • cleaning work in a restaurant
  • driving a school bus
  • sales assistant in a souvenir shop

Bushfire recovery work in declared bushfire affected areas

Following the tragic fires that hit Australia in the summer of 2019-2020, the government made changes to existing laws to allow backpackers to help get the country back on track while renewing their WHV. New regions, as well as new jobs, were added for renewal.

We are talking about “assisting bush recovery efforts” or “disaster recovery work“. More concretely, this includes:

  • Construction, farming, or any other work in association with recovery or restitution of land, property, farm animals or wildlife.
  • Providing support services or assistance to people living, working or volunteering in the affected areas.

Volunteer work helping to rebuild properties and businesses ravaged by fire will also be considered for the renewal of PVT visas.

Examples of eligible & ineligible jobs in bushfire recovery

Examples of eligible specified work in bushfire recovery (paid or volunteer):

  • re-building fences destroyed in a bushfire affected community
  • caring for wildlife in a bushfire affected community
  • support work for volunteer organisations assisting victims of bushfires
  • demolition of buildings, trench digging, land clearing and earth moving
  • residential and non-residential construction or renovation/repair, including of roads, footpaths, bridges, parking lots, fencing, railways, dams, irrigation systems, sewage and storm water drainage systems

Examples of ineligible specified subclass 462 work in bushfire recovery:

  • hospitality, cleaning or administrative work in a business that was not damaged by bushfire
  • construction or renovation work in an area that is not a declared bushfire affected area
  • work carried out on or before 31 July 2019

Important

These jobs (paid or unpaid) can only be carried out in disaster affected areas otherwise this will not count for your renewal.

More information here: Work in disaster-affected areas

Flood recovery work in declared flood recovery areas

Eligible activities

  • clean-up, construction or any other work in association with restitution or restoration of services, land, waterways, property or infrastructure
  • providing support services or assistance to people living, working or volunteering in the affected areas

Examples of eligible & ineligible jobs in flood recovery

Examples of eligible paid or volunteer specified work in flood recovery:

  • general cleaning up (wiping down items, moving and cleaning furniture and appliances, mopping floors and transportation of rubbish)
  • demolition of buildings, trench digging, land clearing and earth moving
  • residential and non-residential construction or renovation/repair, including of roads, footpaths, bridges, parking lots, fencing, railways, etc.
  • work for charitable organisations assisting flood affected communities, including administrative, technical, and coordination support
  • administrative support, including customer service and working in call centres providing flood recovery support
  • coordination support, including services for insurance companies and local, state and federal government organisations and community and evacuation centres
  • transport support, including delivering food, medications or other essential items to flood victims
  • caring for, transporting and managing affected animals and related equipment

Examples of ineligible specified work in flood recovery:

  • hospitality, re-building, cleaning or administrative work in a business that was not damaged by floods
  • employment in a business not involved in flood recovery work
  • clean-up, construction or any other work in an area that is not a declared flood affected area
  • work carried out on or before 31 December 2021.

Critical COVID-19 work in the healthcare and medical sectors (all Australia)

Specified work eligible

Work carried out must be critical to Australia’s response to COVID-19 including:

  • medical treatment, nursing, contact tracing, testing and research
  • support services including cleaning of medical, health care and quarantine facilities and equipment directly involved in the response to COVID-19

Examples of eligible & ineligible jobs

Examples of eligible specified work:

  • nursing care for COVID-19 cases in a hospital or quarantine facility
  • mental health support work for COVID-19 cases in a hospital or quarantine facility
  • research relating to COVID-19 vaccine or treatment
  • contact tracing for public health departments
  • cleaning at a COVID-19 testing centre or quarantine facility

Examples of ineligible work:

  • general administration or cleaning work with no connection to COVID-19
  • occupational therapy or physiotherapy for non-COVID-19 cases
  • financial and administrative services at a hospital, health or aged care facility
  • mental health support work not directly in response to COVID-19
  • work as a laboratory technician on vaccines other than for COVID-19
  • medical research other than for COVID-19
  • manufacturing or selling personal protective equipment or personal hygiene products

Conditions to renew your WHV in Australia

Several conditions apply to renew your Working Holiday Visa in Australia :

  • be under 31 or 35 years old depending on your nationality
  • have a valid passport
  • be able to show that you have health cover for the length of your stay
  • completed three months (88 days) of specified work in regional Australia for a second year and 6 months (179 days) for a third year.

As you have seen, there are many different industries you can work in to qualify for a second and third working holiday visa. You can work in agriculture in such industries as harvesting, cultivation, processing as well as forestry, fishing and pearling, mining and construction industry. Remember that you have to work in a regional area fro these jobs.

Finally remember that all specified subclass 417, 462 work must be paid in accordance with the relevant Australian legislation and awards.

Read also : How to calculate your days to renew your visa

Official Source: Homeaffairs

Updated 18/05/2023

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125 COMMENTS

  2. Hi, does working on a solar farm count as specified work( in specified areas of regional Australia) forward to my second year? Thanks!

  3. n June 2018 I went to Australia on a WHV (417) and returned to the UK in May 2019. I was unable to do the 3 months farm work and so could not stay for my second year Visa (462).

    I have been in England since returning in May and I would like to go back to Australia to work and extent my stay by completing the 3 months farm work. Can I apply for another WHV?

    If this is not possible what other Visa’s can I apply for in order to live and work in Australia?

    I have relatives in Australia, can they sponsor me in any way ?

    Any help and advice would be much appreciated

  4. Hello,

    With extending for a second 6 month period with the same employer- if the employee does work in Tourism and in does work in Northern Australia but not in a Ansco role outlined on that list provided for tourism and hospitality would this exclude them from working for the same employer twice?

    Must their role be on the specified list for a 462 visa
    Thanks very much

  5. Thanks yes I have already been on this website but was hoping you might know if the job had to be specifically listed on the list for tourism or not?

  6. Hi, I’ve check the government websites and feel the description is vague. Does working as a site administrator on a mine site count as specified work?

    Thanks

  7. Hi this is Sukh I am working as a wood fire pizza chef . I have commercial cookery certificate 4 . Could I apply for my TR behalf of experience wood fire pizza chef or not? This experience will count for skill assessment or not plz answer my question? Thank you

  8. Hi, I will be coming to Australia on a WHV (417) in April 2022 and would like to start specified work right away in order to apply for a 2nd WHV before turning 31 in September.
    On the immi.homeaffairs website it says hospitality and tourism is only eligible in northern, remote and very remote Australia. Still, I see quite a few job offers in hospitality that are in NSW or QLD that state it would be eligible for a 2nd WHV.
    Am I reading this wrong? I would very much appreciate your help!
    Thank 🙂

  10. Hello,
    I always work in hospitality jobs. I found an opportunity on the Hayman Islands, the post code 4801 is in the list for remote and very remote place to work in tourism and hospitality.
    But I didn’t find anything about someone who worked for tourism and validated his specified work.
    My question is, does it really work ? Or do you have some feedbacks ?

  12. Hi everyone,
    Does working as a receptionist in a hotel count as specified work for the 417 visa.
    I’m not quite sure if it falls underneath the tourism sector.

    Thanks!

    • Hi Francesca,
      First check that the area / postcode is eligible.
      Eligible jobs in tourism include Work in a range of occupations that directly provide a service to tourists, including:

      tourist guides and operators
      outdoor adventure or activity instructors
      tourist transport services
      gallery or museum managers, curators or guides
      hospitality workers, such as in hotels or other accommodation facilities, restaurants, cafes, bars and casinos
      conference and event organisers

  13. hello, is mining included in the specific work for the second year of working holiday visa ? it says it is in this article but in the government home affairs website it is not mentioned…

  15. Hi all,

    I am the UK and travelled to Australia on a subclass 417 in March 2019. In that year I worked 6 months in remote/very remote tourism and hospitality. Would this make me eligible to now apply for a second year visa under 417? Thanks!

    • Hi Luke,
      “From 22 June 2021, tourism and hospitality work carried out in northern, remote and very remote Australia will be eligible for the purpose of a second or third Working Holiday (subclass 417 & 462) visa application lodged from March 2022.” But with the entry into force of the FTA, you ll be able to apply for another WHV without the need to work in specific jobs etc. So hopefully it will move forward quickly!

  16. Hi,
    Does land surveying or civil engineering in West Gosford NSW or Surfers Paradise QLD areas count as regional work as it’s shown as an affected area? Does the work have to be recovery work or does working in that area alone count towards the88 days? Thanks.

  17. Hi! You know if working in a solar farm (in NSW) is elegible to extend visa work and holiday subclass 462? Thank you!

  19. Hello I came over in January 2022 and looking to do hospitality in 4510 (which is an eligible postcode) but I’m confused with the dates of applications being lodged etc!!

    • Hi Adelle, Please see below :
      Work in a range of occupations that directly provide a service to tourists, including:

      tourist guides and operators
      outdoor adventure or activity instructors
      tourist transport services
      gallery or museum managers, curators or guides
      hospitality workers, such as in hotels or other accommodation facilities, restaurants, cafes, bars and casinos
      conference and event organisers
      Examples of eligible specified subclass 417 work in tourism or hospitality

      a chef in a restaurant
      a dive instructor
      a tour bus driver
      Examples of ineligible specified subclass 417 work in tourism or hospitality

      cleaning work in a restaurant
      driving a school bus
      working as a sales assistant in a souvenir shop

  22. Hi there! I have something to ask about my 88days in hospitality.
    How many hours exactly do I have to work per week, is it 35H or 38H?
    And can I do 2 jobs(20-25H each) and add hours totally?
    And if i can do 2 jobs, doesn’t matter that work 5-6H everyday and totally +35/38H?
    Thank you!!

  25. Hello 🙂
    I’m having troubles understanding the thing with the hospitality work. When you say that the visa is “lodged in match 2022” does it means that anyone with a visa from before march 2022, like me in January 2022, can’t work in hospitality in order to get a second visa ?

    Also I have found one job with the post code 6044, the manager sent me a picture from the government page that it was in the list but I don’t see it when I check by myself.

    Could you help me ?

    Thank you so much !! 🙂

  26. hello, I was just wondering if working in the fast food chains such as Mcdonald’s, Hungry jack’s, etc. in cairns count toward my 88 days? Since they are considering restaurants?
    My visa is under subclass 462

    Thank you

  27. Hey!

    Does support working in a facility for aged and disabled count for your 88 days?
    This includes maintaining covid protocols etc.
    Situated northern Queensland.

    Cheers.

  28. Hi there. I am a bit confused by the hours. Hope I can have your help on it. May I ask if I can add up all the total working hours in specified work to apply 2nd years visa? As I’m not getting 38 hours per week from my specified job. But if I accumulated the hours to 704 hours (88days*8hours) from one job, can it counts towards the second year WHV?

    Thank you so much!!

  29. Hi there! I am having some problem about the hours wondering if you can help me on it.

    May I know if I can add up the total working hours on my specified work to count the 88 days? As I cannot get guaranteed 38 hours per week from my employer. Is that ok if I accumulated 704 hours (88days*8hours) on my payslip to apply the second visa?

    Many thanks!

  30. Hi, I am working as a project engineer on a construction site post cod 3214 & 3216. These are consider eligible postcodes. However, Does a management role count towards the 88days.

  33. Hi, does hospitality anywhere in NT count towards a second year visa or is is specific post codes too?
    For example would working in a cafe in Darwin CBD count for it?
    Some people have said it’s whole of NT but then there’s still a list of postcodes for NT

  35. Hi I’m currently working as a cabinet maker in the south west of Australia would this count towards my 3 months work under building completion works ?

  36. Hello. I recently landed in the Gold Coast and am searching for some specified work. In home affairs it says tourism and hospitality is approved in northern OR remote and very remote Australia. Is the gold coast a part of northern Australia. Because I cannot find the postal code under the “remote and very remote”, but does it count as the northern part. My question is if working in hospitality and tourism is accepted as specified work?

  37. Hi
    I’m from Taiwan and on a 417 WHV, Working in a fast food restaurant as a cook in Northern QLD, does it count towards 6 months for applying third year WHV? Cheers

  40. If I do 3 years in Australia, with all mandatory completed work, is there any way to stay in Australia still working? what’s the possibility to get sponsored? or let’s say i did construction for my 3 and 6 months of needed work (with no prior experience) could I then get a temporary work visa in the field of construction? this is just an example.
    I really would love to stay and I don’t have a degree or 2 years of work experience in anything but administration which isn’t a job in high demand. and i don’t have the funds to study in Australia in order to be able to qualify for more points for PR. please help hahaha.

  41. Hi!
    I’m hoping you can help with 2 questions!
    No.1: does work as cellar hand in regional postcode that’s on immi website count for whv (417) job details grape picking/ harvesting but also bottling so there’s primary and secondary processing so I’m unsure.
    No.2: with volunteer/paid work for flood recovery areas would a wfh position providing assistance for victims / office suppose for organisations count? If it’s voluntary how do I count the days as would have no payslips? Thanks very much !

    • Hi there,
      No.1: The type of work that you are describing as a cellar hand, which includes both grape picking/harvesting and bottling, may qualify for a Working Holiday Visa (417) if it is listed as an eligible occupation on the Australian Government’s immigration website. However, it’s important to note that the specific job duties that you will be performing will be taken into consideration when determining if the work is eligible for the visa. It would be best to check with the Australian immigration authorities for more specific information and clarification.

      No.2: Work that provides assistance for victims or office support for organizations, whether it is paid or voluntary, may be considered as eligible work if it is related to primary industry, that is Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sectors. However, it would be best to check with the Australian immigration authorities for more specific information and clarification. For the voluntary work, you can provide a letter from the organization that you are working for that confirms the dates you worked and the nature of the work performed. This would help in calculating the days worked.

  43. Hello, curious as to whether Hamilton island jobs (comes under the postcode for tourism and hospitality) such as retail assistant and handyman come under the eligibility?

  45. Hey,
    Could you please advise if administrative work within postcode 6161 at a hotel / resort would count towards the 88 days?
    Thanks so much!

  46. Hi, I want to ask, is it possible to work at 2 places such as restaurants or cafe or hotels as kitchen hand, waiter, receptionist and etc in eligilbe postcode area to obtain the second year visa? Thanks

  47. Hi, I ask to something about eligible work, I was work at Minesite at NT, aluminum industry award, but my position on contract was camp cook & utility, and actually do more utility jobs, and I still confused about is this eligible, because as I know industry award and position wasnt match, can you guys help me?

  48. Does working in 6721 account to wards 88 days if volunteering as a tour guide for non for profit Kangaroo retreat or looking after wildlife in a volunteer basis?

    • Hi Johanna
      If you work as a volunteer, for your hours to be counted it needs to be in bush fire and flooded affected areas – and linked to the disaster recovery work. The caring for wildlife in a bushfire affected community will be eligible. Cheers

  49. Hi there,
    I am confused about some terminology under the “Examples of eligible specified work in construction”; there is an example that says “landscaping the grounds of a construction/house site”. Does this mean I could take a job with a landscaping company or local landscaping contractor that does residential landscaping work on home properties in Regional Australia? Or does it specifically have to be landscaping on a construction site or home being built/under construction?
    Thank you in advance!

      • Yes, so not an already-built/finished home that someone lives in that has hired landscapers to come do work on the property, unfortunately. Thank you for the clarification!

  50. Hi! I’m doing exploration geology in mount Isa but it’s with a very large corporate company and wanted to make sure this will count for 88 days, I’m not sure how they decide what work is specified as I’m using my bachelor degree for this job.

  51. Hi there,
    The Home Affairs website states “Tourism and hospitality work carried out from 22 June 2021 in the following areas of remote and very remote Australia will be considered eligible specified work for the purpose of a second or third Working Holiday (subclass 417) visa application lodged from 5 March 2022.”
    The wording “visa application lodged from 5 March 2022.” ; does this mean any 2nd or 3rd year visa applications sent after 5 March 2022 can count hospitality and tourism? Or does it mean I had to have lodged my 1st year visa after 5 March 2022?

  52. Hi. Is domestic housekeeping considered eligible work for counting the 88 days? I got offered a weekly housekeeping job by my mate whom i’m staying with. He is too busy with the business he is running to do it himself and needs a hand so i thought this would be a great chance to squeeze in an extra day per week for my WHV renewal. Fingers crossed.

  55. Hello ,
    I’m a Irish backpacker on my subclass 417 WHV currently living in Queensland Australia and I have gotten a farm work job at a macadamia farm in Gympie QLD with the post code of 4570 .I have accepted the job but just wondering does this post code sign off on my 88 days? just double checking as I want it to be within the requirements of the required postal code area .if you could let me know anyways for confirmation thanks again .

  56. Wanting to enquire if working as a motor mechanic labourer for 417 working visa in rural town is eligible, can’t clarify on website.

    • Hi Lewis,
      Motor mechanic laborer work may not be considered specified work for the purposes of a WHV renewal but it’s always best to check the Australian government’s Department of Home Affairs website or consult with a registered migration agent or even the immi through your immi account. Cheers

  57. Hi, would working as a labourer for a small locally owned car mechanics in regional Vic (3550/3551) allow me my second year visa?

  59. I work in a sign writers in rural queensland. I do a lot of general labour and help construct the signs, then erect them. The signs are for roads, estates, businesses etc. On my payslip it says construction. Will this qualify for my 88 days?

  60. Hi there, I was wondering does farm work in the postcode 4800 count ? I have checked out the official website but there is various lists of postcodes they accept so I am finding it quite confusing ? Thanks!

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