Second & Third Year Working Holiday Visa: 88 Days Specified Work Complete Guide (2026)

This comprehensive guide explains exactly what counts as specified work, how to calculate your days properly, which postcodes are eligible, and how to protect yourself from scams and refusal.

Quick Reference: What You Need

Extension	Work Required	Where	Industries
2nd Year Visa	88 days (3 months)	Regional Australia	Specified work
3rd Year Visa	179 days (6 months)	Regional Australia	Specified work

IMPORTANT

These requirements must be met during your current visa grant period. Work done before your visa was granted doesn't count.

UK Passport Holders: You're Exempt (From July 2024)

Under the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement, UK passport holders no longer need to complete specified work for their 2nd or 3rd year visa.

Passport	88 Days Required?
🇬🇧 United Kingdom	❌ No - exempt since 1 July 2024
🇮🇪 Ireland	✅ Yes
🇨🇦 Canada	✅ Yes
🇫🇷 France	✅ Yes
🇩🇪 Germany	✅ Yes
🇹🇼 Taiwan	✅ Yes
All other 417/462 countries	✅ Yes

Dual nationals: If you entered Australia on your Irish passport, you must complete 88 days to extend that visa. However, you could apply for your next visa using your UK passport to access the exemption.

417 vs 462: Know Your Visa

Feature	Subclass 417	Subclass 462
Countries	UK, Ireland, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, etc.	USA, China, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.
Age limit	30 (or 35 for UK, Canada, France, Ireland, Italy, Denmark)	30
Tourism work eligible area	Remote/Very Remote Australia only	Northern Australia + Remote areas
Ballot system	No	Yes (China, India, Vietnam)

TIP

Taiwan passport holders are eligible for the Subclass 417 visa. If you're from mainland China, you need the Subclass 462 which requires a ballot application.

What Counts as "Specified Work"?

This is a legal definition, not a generic description. Working for a company in an eligible industry isn't enough - your actual tasks must be eligible.

❌ Working as an accountant for a farm = NOT specified work
✅ Picking fruit on that farm = specified work

1. Plant and Animal Cultivation (Most Common)

Eligible	Not Eligible
✅ Picking fruit, vegetables, nuts	❌ Selling produce at a farmers market
✅ Packing in on-farm sheds	❌ Packing in a distribution warehouse
✅ Pruning, weeding, cultivating	❌ Domestic gardening
✅ Shearing sheep	❌ Working in a retail butcher shop
✅ Dairy farming	❌ Cellar door wine tastings
✅ De-boning meat in an abattoir	❌ Making sausages in a factory
✅ Tree planting for reforestation

Key distinction: "Immediate processing" (on-farm) counts. "Secondary processing" (in factories) doesn't.

2. Fishing and Pearling

Eligible	Location
Deckhand duties	Regional Australia
Catching/taking fish	Regional Australia
Shell cleaning, sorting	Regional Australia
Pearl cultivation	Regional Australia

3. Tree Farming and Forestry

Eligible	Not Eligible
✅ Planting trees in commercial plantations	❌ General conservation (unrelated to farming)
✅ Felling trees	❌ Driving milled timber to hardware stores
✅ Transporting logs from forest to mill

4. Mining

Eligible	Not Eligible
✅ Coal, oil, gas extraction	❌ Administrative work at mine site
✅ Metal ore mining	❌ Cleaning/catering at mine (417 holders)
✅ Quarrying and exploration

5. Construction

Eligible	Not Eligible
✅ Building construction	❌ Cleaning established buildings
✅ Infrastructure (roads, bridges, dams)	❌ Office admin for construction company
✅ Painting new buildings
✅ Scaffolding, site preparation
✅ Landscaping construction sites

6. Bushfire and Natural Disaster Recovery

The only category where UNPAID/VOLUNTARY work counts.

Eligible Work	Declared After
Bushfire recovery	31 July 2019
Flood/cyclone recovery	31 December 2021

Evidence: Form 1263 signed by volunteer coordinator.

7. Tourism and Hospitality ⚠️ (Most Complex)

This is where most mistakes happen. The rules differ between 417 and 462, and depend on specific postcodes.

Role	Potentially Eligible
Chef, cook, kitchen hand	Yes (in eligible areas)
Waiter, barista, bartender	Yes (in eligible areas)
Housekeeping	Yes (in eligible areas)
Tour guide, dive instructor	Yes (in eligible areas)
Hotel receptionist	Yes (in eligible areas)

417 Holders: Tourism work is ONLY eligible in Remote or Very Remote Australia - not just "regional."

462 Holders: Tourism work is eligible in Northern Australia (north of the Tropic of Capricorn) AND Remote/Very Remote areas.

State	417 Tourism Eligible	462 Tourism Eligible
Northern Territory	✅ All postcodes	✅ All postcodes
QLD (North)	✅ Remote postcodes only	✅ North of Tropic of Capricorn
QLD (South - Byron Bay, Brisbane)	❌ Generally no	❌ Generally no
WA (North/Outback)	✅ Remote postcodes	✅ North of Tropic
Tasmania	✅ Specific postcodes only	✅ Specific postcodes
NSW/Victoria	✅ Specific remote postcodes only	✅ Specific remote postcodes

WARNING

Common mistake: Working in a Byron Bay cafe does NOT count - it's not classified as "Remote."

Where is "Regional Australia"?

"Regional" is a legislative definition, not a geographic one. It changes based on postcode lists in government instruments.

For Farm/Construction/Mining (Most Categories)

Everywhere EXCEPT these major metro areas:

❌ Sydney, Newcastle, Central Coast, Wollongong
❌ Greater Brisbane, Gold Coast
❌ Melbourne metropolitan area
❌ Perth and surrounding areas

Always eligible:

✅ All of South Australia
✅ All of Tasmania
✅ All of Northern Territory
✅ Rural areas of NSW, VIC, QLD, WA

For Tourism/Hospitality (Much Stricter)

Only Remote and Very Remote areas count for 417 holders. Check the ABS Remoteness Structure or the specific Legislative Instrument before starting work.

How to Calculate Your 88 Days

This is where applications get refused. The Department doesn't just count calendar days - they assess whether you worked the equivalent of a full-time employee.

Full-Time vs Casual: The Critical Difference

Employment Type	How Days Count
Full-time contract	Weekends and rest days count
Casual employment	ONLY days actually worked count

Example (Full-Time):

Start March 1, work Mon-Fri until May 31
Total calendar days: ~90 days
Days counted: 90 (rest days included)
✅ Meets 88-day requirement

Example (Casual - Most Backpackers):

Work 4 days per week for 22 weeks
Days counted: 4 × 22 = 88 days
Weekends don't count unless you work them

The "35 Hours = 7 Days" Myth

❌ Wrong: Working 35 hours in 4 days doesn't give you 7 days credit.

If you work four 9-hour days (36 hours total), you claim 4 days, not 7. You can't claim the days you didn't work unless you're on a full-time contract.

What Counts as "One Day"?

A day = the normal working hours for that industry.

Industry	Standard Day	Notes
Agriculture	7-8 hours	4-5 hours may count due to heat
Mining	12 hours	One 12-hour shift = 1 day, not 2
Hospitality	5-6 hours	Standard for split shifts

Mining Roster Example

Working a 2-weeks-on, 2-weeks-off roster:

Both the on and off weeks count
Why? It's a standard full-time roster pattern
28-day cycle = 28 days credited

Piecework Changes (April 2022)

Since April 2022, pieceworkers must earn at least minimum wage. Employers must now record hours worked, which the Department uses to verify your days.

Evidence Requirements

The burden of proof is entirely on you. The Department uses ATO data matching to verify your claims.

Required Documents

Document	Why It's Needed
Form 1263	Employer verification - ABN, dates, tasks
Payslips	Proof of payment, hours, employer details
Bank statements	"Digital trail" - wage deposits must match payslips
Tax records	Income Statement proving declared income

What Gets Your Application Refused

Red Flag	Consequence
Cash-in-hand work (no payslips)	Refused - unverifiable
ABN doesn't match business name	Refused - potential fraud
Work dates don't match ATO records	Refused - discrepancy
Fake or altered documents	Refused + 3-year visa ban (PIC 4020)

Verify Your Employer (Before You Start)

Working for a dodgy operator can invalidate your entire 88 days.

ABN Lookup (Critical)

Before starting any job, check the employer's ABN at abr.business.gov.au:

Check	What to Look For
ABN status	Must be "Active"
Business name	Must match your payslips exactly
Business type	Should relate to the work you're doing

ABN Validation (Fraud Check)

The ABN is an 11-digit algorithmic sequence. Scammers sometimes invent fake ABNs. You can validate one using the official lookup tool.

PIC 4020: The Integrity Clause (3-Year Ban)

If you submit fake documents or false information, your application will be refused under Public Interest Criterion 4020.

Offence	Penalty
Claiming work you didn't do	Refused + 3-year ban
Altered payslips	Refused + 3-year ban
Fake Form 1263	Refused + 3-year ban
Using fraudulent employer	Refused + 3-year ban

CAUTION

It's far better to delay your application and complete genuine work than to risk a 3-year ban on all Australian visas.

Scam Warnings

The desperation to find 88-day work makes backpackers prime targets for scams.

Red Flags

❌ Scam Indicator	Why It's Suspicious
Upfront fees	Legitimate employers NEVER charge for jobs
"Visa sponsorship"	417/462 visas don't require sponsorship
Cash-only payment	Can't be verified - application refused
No ABN provided	Likely not a real business
Seasonal inconsistency	Mangoes in winter? Scam.
Facebook/Gumtree ads only	Higher risk platforms

Safe Job Hunting

✅ Legitimate Sources	What They Offer
Harvest Trail (harvesttrail.gov.au)	Official government job listings
National Harvest Guide	Crop seasons by region
Workforce Australia	Verified vacancies
Labour Hire Registries	VIC, QLD, SA require licensed hirers

Practical Preparation

Farm work is physically demanding and often in extreme conditions.

What to Bring

Essential	Why
Wide-brimmed hat	Sun protection
SPF 50+ sunscreen	Extreme UV in Australia
2L+ water bottle	Stay hydrated
Long-sleeved cotton shirts	Sun and insect protection
Sturdy work boots	Required on most sites
Work gloves	Protects hands from blisters

Track Your Hours

Use the Fair Work Ombudsman's "Record My Hours" app to independently track your work. This protects you against:

Wage theft
Day-counting disputes
Employer errors on Form 1263

Application Tips

Lodge "Decision Ready"

Submit your application with ALL evidence attached upfront:

Completed Form 1263 for each employer
All payslips
Bank statements showing deposits
Tax records

This significantly reduces processing time.

Bridging Visa

If you apply onshore before your current visa expires, you'll receive a Bridging Visa A (BVA) allowing you to stay in Australia while your application is processed.

Common Mistakes That Cause Refusal

Mistake	Why It's a Problem
Working in wrong postcode	Not "regional" for your visa type
Hospitality in non-remote area (417)	Byron Bay doesn't count
Counting rest days as casual worker	Only worked days count
Cash work with no records	Unverifiable
Wrong employer ABN	Invalidates the work
Not keeping payslips	Can't prove the work
Submitting fake documents	3-year visa ban

What If You Can't Complete 88 Days?

If you're unable to finish your 88 days but want to stay in Australia, there are alternative pathways:

Student Visa (Subclass 500): Study a course and gain work rights
Employer Sponsored Visa: If you have a job offer from a sponsor
Partner Visa: If you're in a genuine relationship with an Australian citizen/PR
485 Graduate Visa: For those who complete eligible Australian qualifications

How First Migration Can Help

The 88-day requirement has strict rules that cause genuine applications to fail. At First Migration Service Centre, we help working holiday makers:

Verify your work qualifies before you apply
Check postcodes and industry eligibility
Review your evidence for completeness
Prepare decision-ready applications
Advise on alternative pathways if you're short on days

Questions about your 88 days? We invite you to submit a free assessment and get your eligibility checked before you apply.