Quick answer: To get a second working holiday visa you must complete three months (88 days) of paid specified work in an eligible regional area during your first visa. A third visa needs six months during your second. Specified work covers farming, fishing, tree work, mining, construction, disaster recovery and, in northern and remote areas, tourism and hospitality. Keep payslips and your employer’s ABN, and check the industry and postcode rules for your subclass on the Department of Home Affairs — they differ between 417 and 462 and they change.
What “specified work” means
Specified work is paid work in specific industries, in specific postcodes, done while you hold your working holiday visa. As of September 2026 the broad categories are:
- Plant and animal cultivation — fruit picking, packing, pruning, planting, dairy, livestock. The classic backpacker route.
- Fishing and pearling.
- Tree farming and felling.
- Mining.
- Construction — labouring, site work, landscaping on construction sites. A White Card is compulsory before you set foot on site.
- Bushfire, flood and other disaster recovery work in declared areas.
- Tourism and hospitality — only in northern Australia and certain remote or very remote areas, and with different rules for 417 and 462.
The postcode lists are long and specific. “Regional” does not simply mean “outside a city”: some outer areas of capitals qualify and some country towns do not. Search the postcode of the job on Home Affairs before you accept it.
Since 2015, unpaid work does not count. WWOOF, “work for a bed” or cash-in-hand arrangements without payslips will not get you a second visa and often leave you underpaid. If a farm cannot give you payslips, walk away.
417 vs 462: not the same rules
The industries and areas overlap but are not identical:
- 417 (Italy, Taiwan, Hong Kong, UK, Germany and others): specified work in regional Australia across the categories above.
- 462 (Spain, Chile, Argentina, Peru, China and others): eligible areas and industries are more targeted, with tourism and hospitality focused on northern Australia and some regional areas.
Read the page for your own subclass. If you are on a 462, do not rely on a 417 friend’s experience.
UK passport holders: as of 2026, under the UK–Australia free trade agreement, you can apply for second and third working holiday visas without doing specified work. Confirm the current position on Home Affairs.
Counting the 88 days
Three months means 88 calendar days. How they are counted depends on your pattern:
- Full-time (the standard week for that industry): every calendar day in the period counts, including your days off.
- Part-time or casual: only the days you actually worked count, unless you worked the equivalent of full-time hours over the period.
- You can add up work for several employers and in several industries.
- You do not need to do it in one block.
Do not calculate to the day. Aim for 95 or 100 days of coverage so that a rained-off week, a broken-down tractor or an early end to the harvest does not sink your application.
Finding the work
- Harvest calendars. Regions have seasons: mangoes in the Northern Territory around the southern spring, citrus and grapes in the Riverland and Mildura, bananas year-round in far north Queensland, apples and cherries in Tasmania and Victoria over summer. Search the harvest trail guide published by the Australian Government for the current calendar.
- Working hostels. Many regional towns have hostels that place guests with local farms. Ask around the community for names with good reputations and be cautious with any that ask for large deposits.
- Direct contact. Packing sheds and larger farms hire through their own websites or Facebook pages.
- Job boards. Backpacker-focused boards list seasonal roles by region.
- Construction. Regional building sites and labour hire companies take backpackers with a White Card, especially after storms and floods.
Fair pay matters. Check the relevant award rate on the Fair Work Ombudsman website. Piece rates in horticulture must guarantee at least the hourly minimum as of 2026.
Evidence you will need
Home Affairs can ask for proof of every day. Collect it as you go:
- Payslips for every pay period, showing hours and the employer’s ABN
- Employer name, address and contact details
- Income statement via myGov at the end of the financial year
- Bank statements showing the wages arriving
- A completed employment verification form (Form 1263) signed by each employer, if requested
- Photos and a simple diary of dates and locations
Keep everything in a cloud folder. Employers close, managers move on, and you may need to prove a job from 11 months earlier. If you get a tax refund at the end of the year, the same documents feed the tax return — see Taxback.com.
White Card — Construction Induction
CBD College — RTO 91399 · Unit CPCWHS1001
- Cities
- Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide
- Duration
- 1 day
- Price
- see current price
- Discount
- 10% off for KoalaGuide readers
CBD College is owned by the same people as KoalaGuide and pays us a commission when you book, so we are not neutral here. We also list other providers where they are a better fit. How we make money
Deals we used
- Backpacker Job Board
- Taxback.com
What to do next
- Confirm the specified-work industries and postcodes for your subclass on Home Affairs.
- Pick a region using the harvest calendar and the seasons guide.
- Get a White Card if you want construction as an option.
- Set up a cloud folder for payslips before day one.
- Check your insurance covers farm and manual work.
Frequently asked questions
Is it really 88 days?
The requirement is three months of specified work, which Home Affairs counts as 88 calendar days. Full-time work counts every day including days off in a normal week; part-time and casual work is counted differently, so check the Home Affairs guidance for how your pattern adds up.
Does the work have to be on a farm?
No. Farm work is the most common, but construction, fishing, tree farming, mining and, in some regions, tourism and hospitality can count. Eligible industries differ between the 417 and 462 and depend on the postcode, so check your subclass on Home Affairs.
Does volunteering or WWOOFing count?
No. Since 2015 specified work must be paid at the legal rate under Australian law. Unpaid or 'work for accommodation' arrangements do not count and may be exploitative.
Can I do the 88 days in my last three months?
Yes, but it is risky. If the harvest ends early or a week of rain stops work, you may not reach 88 days before your visa expires. Start early and leave a buffer.
What do I need for the third visa?
Six months of specified work completed while on your second working holiday visa. The rules are similar to the second visa. Check Home Affairs, and note that UK passport holders no longer need specified work as of 2026.
