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How do I get my second-year Working Holiday visa? (88 days checklist)

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Short answer

Do 88 calendar days of paid specified work, such as farm work, in an eligible regional postcode while on your first visa. Keep every payslip and bank statement. Then apply online through ImmiAccount before your current visa expires. You must still be under the age limit when you apply. UK passport holders no longer need the 88 days.

The checklist

  1. 1Check your passport: UK citizens on the 417 need no specified work since 1 July 2024. Everyone else does.
  2. 2Confirm the work type is specified work (plant and animal cultivation, fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, mining, construction, or declared disaster recovery; 462 holders can also count tourism and hospitality in northern and remote Australia).
  3. 3Check the postcode of the actual worksite on the Home Affairs list before you start.
  4. 4Make sure you are paid at least the award rate, into your own bank account, with a payslip for every pay period. Unpaid or cash-only work does not count in practice.
  5. 5Record each day: employer name, ABN, worksite address and postcode, dates and hours. A free tracker keeps this tidy.
  6. 6Count calendar days properly: a full-time week of that job counts as 7 days, including the weekend. Part-time and piecework count only the days you worked.
  7. 7Keep your evidence pack: payslips, bank statements showing the wages, and optionally Form 1263 signed by each employer.
  8. 8Apply for the second visa in ImmiAccount before your current visa expires and before your age limit (usually 30, or 35 for some passports). Pay the charge shown on the Home Affairs site on the day.
  9. 9Want a third year? You need 179 days (6 months) of specified work done during the second visa. Year-one days cannot be reused.

Not sure about a town? See which harvest towns count. The long version, including the third year, is in the extension playbook.

Common follow-up questions

Do the 88 days have to be consecutive or with one employer?

No. The 88 days can be spread across several employers and do not need to be consecutive, as long as all of it is eligible specified work, in an eligible postcode, done while you held your first Working Holiday visa.

Does WWOOFing or work for accommodation count?

No. Since 2015 specified work must be paid at Australian award rates. Volunteering only counts for declared bushfire or flood recovery work.

Can I apply for my second year from outside Australia?

Yes, the second Working Holiday visa can be applied for in or outside Australia, as long as you meet the age limit on the day you apply.

What evidence does Home Affairs want?

Payslips, bank statements showing the wages landing in your account, and details of each employer including their ABN. Form 1263 signed by the employer is optional but helps.

Sources

General information, not migration or legal advice. Rules and pay rates change, so confirm anything your visa depends on with the official source.

More quick answers

Does my town count for the 88 days?Is this farm job legit? Farm work scams and red flags in AustraliaHow much do farm jobs pay in Australia?What are the best working hostels for the 88 days?The 88 days, properly explained

Count your days as you go

Matey's free 88-day tracker logs each day with the farm and postcode, and keeps your payslips in one place for the visa application.

Open the 88-day tracker
Second-year Working Holiday visa checklist: the 88 days, step by step | Matey