The government has announced that second and third year working holiday visas will move to a ballot. Here is what has been announced, what hasn’t been decided yet, and what you can do right now.
What was announced on 17 September 2026
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke announced that second and third year visas for the Working Holiday (417) and Work and Holiday (462) programs will move to a ballot. The reported caps are 45,000 places for the second year (about 57,000 people qualified last year) and 5,000 for the third year (about 31,000 qualified last year). UK passport holders are reported to be outside the ballot because of the Australia–UK free trade agreement.
The specified work requirement stays: 88 days of eligible regional work for the second year, and 6 months (179 days) for the third. With the ballot, completing it would let you enter the draw instead of guaranteeing the visa.
What is still unknown
- When it starts: it needs a new regulation that hasn’t been made yet, so there is no start date.
- How to register and how the draw works: nothing official has been published.
- Until then, the current rules apply: if you qualify, you can apply for your second or third visa as usual.
A ballot already exists, but only for a first 462 visa for passport holders from China, India and Vietnam. The new one announced in September is about second and third visas, and it hasn’t started.
Always check the official information on the Home Affairs website. Summaries of the announcement: Time Out, Work Visa Lawyers.
What to do now
- Keep every proof of workPayslips, bank statements, contracts and employer details. Proof is what counts, ballot or not.
- Check your work is eligibleThe type of work and the postcode both matter. Check a postcode.
- Start earlyThe sooner you finish your days, the more options you’ll have when the details come out.
- Beware of scamsNobody can sell you a place in a ballot or “guarantee” a visa.
Where to find farm work from October to December
As a general guide: mangoes around Darwin and Katherine in October and November, then Bowen and Mareeba from November; cherries in Young, the Adelaide Hills, Victoria and Tasmania from November to January; berries from November; grain harvest in the south. Seasons move every year with the weather, so always confirm with employers. In Victoria, see the government’s harvest jobs page.
The best way to find a farm is still to contact them directly. The WikiFarms Australia app puts more than 3,000 farms, working hostels and agencies on a map, with their contacts. To track your days, the 88 Days Calculator app is completely free: App Store · Google Play.
We will update this article as soon as the official details of the ballot are published. WikiFarms is not a migration agent.