How to prove your specified work
Updated 12 August 2026
You claim your specified work when you apply, and Home Affairs can ask for evidence. The strongest evidence is generated automatically when you're paid correctly — so being paid lawfully protects your visa as well as your wallet.
Keep from day one
- Payslips for every pay period (the primary evidence)
- Your employer's name, ABN, address and phone number
- Employment dates and the number of days worked
- PAYG payment summaries or income statements at tax time
- Bank statements showing wages coming in
- Piecework agreements, if you're paid piece rates
Paid correctly, or it may not count
Specified work must be remunerated in accordance with Australian workplace laws, unless it is eligible volunteer disaster recovery work. Cash-in-hand work with no records is both hard to prove and a red flag.
If you're unsure about your pay, the Fair Work Ombudsman publishes minimum rates and has a free enquiry service for visa holders — asking for help does not put your visa at risk.
Piece rates need one extra document
If you're paid per bin, bucket, kilo or row, you should have a written piecework agreement before you start — it's required under the Horticulture Award and it's also your evidence that the arrangement was lawful. Keep it with your payslips. Days worked under a lawful piecework agreement count like any other worked days.
The employer details to capture on day one
| Capture | Why |
|---|---|
| Legal/trading name and ABN | Home Affairs can verify the business exists and employed you |
| Address of the work site and its postcode | The postcode decides area eligibility — the site, not the head office |
| Phone and email of the employer/supervisor | They may be contacted to confirm your work |
| Your start date, roster pattern and end date | Matches your day count to their records |
Days, not promises
Only days you actually worked count (for casual work). Keep your own simple log of dates, sites and employers as you go — our 88-day calculator can help you track progress towards 88 or 179 days. Print this page's checklist and keep it with your documents.
Official sources
Specified work for Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
Department of Home Affairs · last checked 12 August 2026
View official government source ↗Specified work for Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462)
Department of Home Affairs · last checked 12 August 2026
View official government source ↗Second Working Holiday visa (subclass 417)
Department of Home Affairs · last checked 12 August 2026
View official government source ↗