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88 days of specified work: how it actually works (417 & 462)

If you want a second year on your Working Holiday visa, you'll usually need to complete a period of "specified work" in a regional area. It's one of the most talked-about parts of the whole experience — and one of the most misunderstood. Here's how it actually works, without the myths.

7 min readThe Luma team
A backpacker doing regional farm work in Australia

Figures change. Always check the source.

Tax rates, visa fees, and day counts move year to year. When we quote them, we link the official source — treat that as the final authority.

What "specified work" means

Specified work is certain types of work, done in eligible regional postcodes, that can count toward a second or third year on the Working Holiday (subclass 417) or Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa. It usually includes work in industries like plant and animal cultivation (fruit picking, harvesting, pruning, packing), fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, mining, and construction — plus some disaster-recovery work in designated areas.

The idea behind it is straightforward: regional Australia needs seasonal labour, and travellers want to stay longer. Specified work is the exchange.

How much do you need?

The amount is different depending on which year you're working toward:

  • Toward a second year: the requirement is described as 3 months, commonly counted as 88 days.
  • Toward a third year: the requirement is 6 months, commonly counted as around 179 days, completed during your second year.

The days toward your third year are separate — you can't carry over unused days from your first year.

The exact rules, day counts, and how full-time versus casual work is counted can change, and Home Affairs is always the authority on whether your specific days qualify. Treat the numbers here as a general guide and confirm the current rules at the official source before you rely on them.

An important exception

Not everyone needs specified work. Some passport holders — including UK citizens under recent changes — do not need to complete specified work to extend their Working Holiday visa. If this applies to you, the whole 88-day requirement simply doesn't apply.

Because these carve-outs depend on your nationality and can change, don't take a friend's word for it. Check your own situation against the official rules, or use a tool that already knows your visa and passport.

How the days are counted

This is where most people get confused. Days are counted based on how you're employed:

  • If you're employed full-time, your days can generally be counted in calendar days for the period your contract covers, including paid rest days.
  • If you're a casual worker — which is how most travellers are employed on farms — generally only the days you actually work count.

You don't have to do it all in one go, or all with one employer. You can combine days across different jobs, as long as each one meets the postcode, industry, and pay requirements. And the work must be paid properly, under Australian workplace law — "cash jobs" without proper records won't count.

Postcodes and paperwork

Two things make or break whether your days count:

  • Location. The work must be in a postcode classified as regional for visa purposes. Farm work in a major city doesn't count. Always check the specific postcode against the official list before you start — "probably regional" isn't good enough when your visa depends on it.
  • Records. Keep everything: payslips, your employer's ABN on those payslips, bank statements, and contracts. Home Affairs can ask for proof, sometimes years later. No paperwork, no days.

Avoiding the common traps

The specified-work world has a scam problem, so protect yourself:

  • Never pay someone to "find you a farm job" or to hold a position.
  • Don't pay for accommodation or transport before you know you actually have work.
  • Get your pay rate, hours, and start and end dates in writing before you begin.
  • Be cautious of jobs posted in Facebook groups with no verifiable employer — check the ABN.

If something feels wrong at work — underpayment, unsafe conditions, or pressure — you have rights under Australian law, and the Fair Work Ombudsman is there to help.

The bottom line

Specified work can unlock a second or even third year in Australia, and it's often how people end up seeing parts of the country they'd never have found otherwise. But your days only count if the location, industry, employment type, pay, and paperwork all line up — and the rules change. Track your days carefully, keep every payslip, and always confirm the current requirements at the official source.

Official sources