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88 days explained: how the specified work requirement works

Updated 12 August 2026

To apply for a second Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) visa, you generally need 3 months — 88 calendar days — of specified work, done while holding your first visa. A third visa needs 6 months (179 days) of specified work done on your second visa.

What the 88 days actually means

The requirement is 3 months of full-time-equivalent work in an approved industry and area. Home Affairs counts 3 months as 88 calendar days, including weekends and rostered days off if you were in ongoing full-time work.

If you work part-time or casually, you can still get there — you count the individual days you actually worked, matching what a full-time worker in that role would do. Working for more than one eligible employer is fine, and the days do not need to be consecutive.

The work must be specified work

Not all work counts. The work must fall within an official specified work category (for example, plant and animal cultivation, construction, or tourism and hospitality) and be carried out in an eligible area, which depends on your visa subclass and the category.

The work must normally be paid in accordance with Australian workplace laws. Volunteer work only counts for bushfire recovery and flood, cyclone or severe weather recovery categories.

UK passport holders may not need it

UK passport holders applying for a second or third Working Holiday (417) visa on or after 1 July 2024 do not need to meet the specified work requirement at all.

Second vs third visa at a glance

Second visaThird visa
Specified work needed3 months (88 calendar days)6 months (179 calendar days)
Work must be done while holdingyour first WHM visayour second WHM visa
Same categories and areas?YesYes
UK passport exemption (417)Applies from 1 July 2024Applies from 1 July 2024

The 6-month employer rule still applies

Separately from the 88 days, Working Holiday makers generally can't work for the same employer for more than 6 months without permission (this is a visa condition, not part of the specified work rules). Doing your 88 days doesn't use up your 6 months with that employer — but plan the two limits together, and check the current Home Affairs guidance on the work condition, including its exceptions, before extending a job.

When and where you can apply

You can apply for the second or third visa from inside or outside Australia, but you must have finished the required specified work before you apply, and Home Affairs guidance covers where you must be when the visa is granted. Apply through your ImmiAccount and keep your evidence ready — processing can include requests for proof.

Official sources

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Last updated 12 August 2026. General information only — not immigration advice.