Want to stay a second year in Australia on a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)? Here is everything you need: who can apply, the 88 days of specified work, what counts, how to count your days, the documents to keep and how to apply.
On 17 September 2026 the government announced that second and third year visas will move to a ballot. It is not in force yet (no start date, no registration details), so the current rules on this page still apply. The 88 days stay required. Read what we know about the ballot →
Who can apply for a second 417 visa?
- You hold, or have held, a first Working Holiday visa (417) and entered Australia on it.
- You have done 3 months (88 days) of specified work in an eligible area while on your first visa.
- You are 18 to 30 years old (18 to 35 for some countries, see below) when you apply.
- You hold an eligible passport and are not accompanied by dependent children.
- If you apply in Australia, you hold a valid visa, or your last visa expired less than 28 days ago.
- You have enough money: usually about AUD 5,000 plus your fare to leave (no evidence needed if you apply in Australia).
Since 1 July 2024, UK citizens can get a second or third 417 visa without doing any specified work, as long as they apply with their UK passport.
Countries and age limits
You must apply before midnight (Australian Eastern time) the day before your 31st or 36th birthday, even from overseas.
| Up to 35 years old | Up to 30 years old |
|---|---|
| Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, South Korea, United Kingdom | Belgium, Estonia, Hong Kong, Japan, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan |
Your passport isn’t on the list? You may be eligible for the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462) instead.
What counts as specified work?
The work must be in an approved industry, in an eligible postcode, and paid according to Australian law and awards. Unpaid work doesn’t count, except disaster recovery volunteering.
🍓 Plant and animal cultivation
Picking and packing fruit and vegetables, pruning vines and fruit trees, working with livestock, dairy, shearing, abattoirs, plant nurseries.
Regional Australia🏗️ Construction
Building, civil works, site preparation, landscaping a construction site, painting new buildings, fencing, scaffolding.
Regional Australia🎣 Fishing and pearling
Catching fish and other aquatic species, pearl and pearl shell culture.
Regional Australia🌲 Tree farming and felling
Planting, tending and felling trees in plantations or forests, transporting felled trees.
Regional Australia⛏️ Mining
Coal, metal ore, oil and gas, quarrying, exploration and mining support services.
Regional Australia🍽️ Tourism and hospitality
Hotels, hostels, campgrounds, cafés, restaurants, bars, tour guides, dive instructors, tour bus drivers.
Northern, Remote and Very Remote Australia only🔥 Disaster recovery
Paid or volunteer recovery work after bushfires (after 31 July 2019) or floods, cyclones and severe weather (after 31 December 2021).
Declared disaster areas🚫 What doesn’t count
Garden maintenance, winemaking, brewing, milling, retail or processed food, and any work done in a non-eligible postcode (e.g. most of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth).
Not eligibleHow to count your 88 days
“3 months” means 88 calendar days, weekends included, during your period of employment. But you must work the same number of days or shifts as a full-time employee in that job would over 3 months.
- Full time, 5 days a week: 88 calendar days in a row is enough, weekends count.
- Part time: you need a proportionally longer period. 2 days a week for 3 months is not enough.
- Several jobs and employers: fine, you can add up separate periods, full time or part time.
- Piece rate: it counts if you have a signed piecework agreement and work full-time days.
- You can’t finish in less than 3 calendar months, and one long day doesn’t count as two.
The 88 Days Calculator app is completely free: it switches between 88-day mode (second visa) and 179-day mode (third visa).
Proof to keep
Your proof must cover all the periods you worked. Home Affairs may contact your employers.
- Payslips and Australian bank statements for the whole period
- Your piece rate agreement, if you were paid by the bin or kilo
- Payment summaries, tax returns and employer references
- Any signed agreement about deductions from your pay (accommodation, transport…)
- For volunteer recovery work: a signed letter from the coordinator with dates, place and postcode
How and when to apply
- Finish your 88 daysYou can apply while still on your first visa or later, as long as you are under the age limit.
- Gather your documentsPassport, birth certificate, proof of specified work, and proof of funds if you apply from overseas.
- Apply online in ImmiAccountPay the AUD 1,000 fee. Your application isn’t processed until it is paid.
- Wait for the decisionAround 3 months on average. Apply in Australia → you must be in Australia when it is granted. Apply overseas → you must be outside Australia.
If your first visa expires while you wait, you normally get a bridging visa and can stay. Your second year then runs up to 12 months from the end of your first visa. If you apply from overseas, you must enter Australia within 12 months of the grant.
Third year and other rules
- Third visa: 6 months (179 days) of specified work done on your second visa (after 1 July 2019), same industries and areas.
- Same employer: usually up to 6 months with one employer, unless you get permission or an exception applies.
- Study: up to 4 months (17 weeks).
- Travel: you can leave and come back as often as you like, but time abroad doesn’t extend your visa.
- Tax and super: you pay tax and your employer pays superannuation, which you can claim back when you leave.
Find your farm work
Most farms never advertise: they hire people who call or knock on their door. The WikiFarms Australia app puts around 4,000 farms, working hostels and agencies on a map, with the contacts you need.
Source: Home Affairs, Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and Specified subclass 417 work pages, checked October 2026. Rules and fees can change: always confirm on immi.homeaffairs.gov.au before you apply. WikiFarms is not a migration agent.