Which of your specified work days count towards 88 or 179?
Quick answer
A second Working Holiday Maker visa needs 88 calendar days of specified work, weekends included1, and a third needs 1791. A day counts only if the job is in an approved industry, in a postcode Home Affairs lists for that industry, and paid. Part-time work counts in proportion, so it takes longer1.
On this page
What counts as specified work?
Three things must all be true. The industry is on the list for your visa, the postcode is in one of the areas where that industry counts, and the work is paid in line with Australian awards12. The lists differ between the two visas: mining counts on the subclass 417 but not on the 462, and fishing and tree work count only in Northern Australia on the 46212.
Home Affairs is also, for now, accepting support work such as office or cleaning jobs for a specified industry in an eligible postcode1. The calculator below shows every rule it applies, and the full postcode tables, so you can check its answer yourself.
How many of your specified work days count?
Add each job with its dates, postcode and industry. The calculator checks the industry and postcode against the Home Affairs lists for your visa12 and counts days the way Home Affairs explains them: your work must add up to what a full-time worker does in 88 or 179 calendar days1.
Which work counts, and where
| Industry | Working Holiday (subclass 417) | Work and Holiday (subclass 462) |
|---|---|---|
| Tourism and hospitality Hotels, hostels, caravan parks, cafes, restaurants, pubs, tour guides and other services to tourists1. | Northern Australia or Remote and Very Remote Australia, for work from 22 June 20211. | Northern Australia or Remote and Very Remote Australia, for work from 22 June 2021; older work follows the earlier Northern Australia rule2. |
| Plant and animal cultivation Picking and packing crops, pruning for commercial crops, and farm work with animals; not winemaking, brewing, milling or retail1. | Regional Australia1. | Northern Australia and the listed regional Australia postcodes2. |
| Fishing and pearling Catching fish and other aquatic species, or taking or culturing pearls1. | Regional Australia1. | Northern Australia only2. |
| Tree farming and felling Planting, tending and felling plantation or forest trees, and moving them to the mill1. | Regional Australia1. | Northern Australia only2. |
| Mining Coal, oil and gas, metal ore, quarrying, exploration and mining support, including cleaning1. | Regional Australia1. | Does not count: mining is not on the subclass 462 list2. |
| Construction Building, civil engineering, site preparation and building services, including support and cleaning1. | Regional Australia1. | Northern Australia and the listed regional Australia postcodes2. |
| Bushfire recovery work Rebuilding, clearing, caring for wildlife and support work in declared bushfire areas, paid or as a volunteer1. | Declared bushfire areas, for work after 31 July 20191. | Declared bushfire areas, for work after 31 July 20191. |
| Flood, cyclone or other disaster recovery Clean-up, rebuilding and support work in declared disaster areas, paid or as a volunteer1. | Declared natural disaster areas, for work after 31 December 20211. | Declared natural disaster areas, for work after 31 December 20211. |
| Critical COVID-19 health work1 Treatment, nursing, contact tracing, testing, research and cleaning of health facilities1. | Anywhere in Australia, for work after 31 January 20201. | Anywhere in Australia, for work after 31 January 20201. |
| Another industry (for example retail) Work outside the industries above is not specified work12. | Does not count1. | Does not count2. |
UK passport holders: you do not need specified work for a second or third subclass 417 visa if you lodge on or after 1 July 2024 with a UK passport1.
Eligible postcodes, from the Home Affairs tables
Ranges include both ends: 4417 to 4420 means 4417, 4418, 4419 and 44201. Open a table to see the postcodes of each state in that area1.
Table 1: Remote and Very Remote Australia
| State or territory | Postcode |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 2356, 2386, 2387, 2396, 2405, 2406, 2672, 2675, 2825, 2826, 2829, 2832 to 2836, 2838 to 2840, 2873, 2878, 2879, 2898, 289912 |
| Northern Territory | All postcodes12 |
| Queensland | 4025, 4183, 4417 to 4420, 4422, 4423, 4426 to 4428, 4454, 4461, 4462, 4465, 4467, 4468, 4470, 4474, 4475, 4477 to 4482, 4486 to 4494, 4496, 4497, 4680, 4694, 4695, 4697, 4699 to 4707, 4709 to 4714, 4717, 4720 to 4728, 4730 to 4733, 4735 to 4746, 4750, 4751, 4753, 4754, 4756, 4757, 4798 to 4812, 4814 to 4825, 4828 to 4830, 4849, 4850, 4852, 4854 to 4856, 4858 to 4861, 4865, 4868 to 4888, 4890 to 4892, 489512 |
| Victoria | 3424, 3506, 3509, 3512, 3889 to 389212 |
| South Australia | 5220 to 5223, 5302 to 5304, 5440, 5576, 5577, 5582, 5583, 5602 to 5607, 5611, 5630 to 5633, 5640 to 5642, 5650 to 5655, 5660, 5661, 5670, 5671, 5680, 5690, 5713, 5715, 5717, 5719, 5720, 5722 to 5725, 5730 to 573412 |
| Tasmania | 7139, 7255 to 7257, 7466 to 747012 |
| Western Australia | 6161, 6335 to 6338, 6341, 6343, 6346, 6348, 6350 to 6353, 6355 to 6359, 6361, 6363, 6365, 6367 to 6369, 6373, 6375, 6385, 6386, 6418 to 6429, 6431, 6434, 6436 to 6438, 6440, 6443, 6445 to 6448, 6450, 6452, 6466 to 6468, 6470, 6472, 6473, 6475 to 6477, 6479, 6480, 6484, 6487 to 6490, 6515, 6517 to 6519, 6536, 6605, 6606, 6608, 6609, 6612 to 6614, 6616, 6620, 6623, 6625, 6627, 6628, 6630 to 6632, 6635, 6638 to 6640, 6731, 6733, 6798, 679912 |
Table 2: Remote and Very Remote Australia
Table 3: Northern Australia
| State or territory | Postcode |
|---|---|
| Queensland | 4472, 4478, 4481, 4482, 4680, 4694, 4695, 4697, 4699 to 4707, 4709 to 4714, 4717, 4720 to 4728, 4730 to 4733, 4735 to 4746, 4750, 4751, 4753, 4754, 4756, 4757, 4798 to 4812, 4814 to 4825, 4828 to 4830, 4849, 4850, 4852, 4854 to 4856, 4858 to 4861, 4865, 4868 to 4888, 4890 to 4892, 489512 |
| Western Australia | 0872, 6537, 6642, 6646, 6701, 6705, 6707, 6710 to 6714, 6716, 6718, 6720 to 6722, 6725, 6726, 6728, 6740, 6743, 6751, 6753, 6754, 6758, 6760, 6762, 6765, 677012 |
| Northern Territory | All postcodes12 |
Table 4: Regional Australia
| State or territory | Postcode |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 2311 to 2312, 2328 to 2411, 2420 to 2490, 2536 to 2551, 2575 to 2594, 2618 to 2739, 2787 to 289812 |
| Victoria | 3139, 3211 to 3334, 3340 to 3424, 3430 to 3649, 3658 to 3749, 3753, 3756, 3758, 3762, 3764, 3778 to 3781, 3783, 3797, 3799, 3810 to 3909, 3921 to 3925, 3945 to 3974, 3979, 3981 to 399612 |
| Queensland | 4124 to 4125, 4133, 4211, 4270 to 4272, 4275, 4280, 4285, 4287, 4307 to 4499, 4510, 4512, 4515 to 4519, 4522 to 489912 |
| South Australia | All postcodes12 |
| Tasmania | All postcodes12 |
| Western Australia | 6041 to 6044, 6055 to 6056, 6069, 6076, 6083 to 6084, 6111, 6121 to 6126, 6200 to 679912 |
| Northern Territory | All postcodes12 |
| Norfolk Island | All postcodes12 |
Table 5: Bushfire declared areas
| State or territory | Postcode |
|---|---|
| Australian Capital Territory | All postcodes12 |
| New South Wales | 2069 to 2076, 2083, 2172, 2173, 2178, 2224 to 2234, 2250, 2251, 2256 to 2265, 2267, 2278, 2280 to 2287, 2289, 2290, 2305, 2306, 2311, 2312, 2315 to 2331, 2333 to 2341, 2344 to 2347, 2350, 2352 to 2356, 2358 to 2361, 2365, 2369 to 2372, 2386 to 2388, 2390, 2397 to 2406, 2408 to 2411, 2415, 2420 to 2431, 2439 to 2441, 2443 to 2450, 2452 to 2456, 2460, 2462 to 2466, 2469 to 2490, 2500, 2502, 2505, 2506, 2508, 2515 to 2519, 2525, 2526, 2530, 2536 to 2541, 2545, 2546, 2548 to 2551, 2555, 2560, 2568 to 2588, 2590, 2594, 2611, 2618 to 2633, 2640, 2642, 2644, 2646, 2649 to 2653, 2655, 2656, 2658 to 2661, 2678, 2702, 2710, 2716, 2720, 2722, 2725 to 2727, 2729, 2730, 2733, 2745, 2747 to 2750, 2752 to 2754, 2756 to 2760, 2765, 2773 to 2780, 2782 to 2787, 2790 to 2795, 2797 to 2800, 2803 to 2808, 2818, 2820, 2822, 2824 to 2826, 2828 to 2835, 2838 to 2840, 2844 to 2850, 2852, 2864 to 2868, 2870, 2873, 2877, 4377, 4380, 4383, 438512 |
| Northern Territory | 0822, 0847, 0852, 0854, 0860, 0862, 0870, 0872 to 087512 |
| Queensland | 4114, 4118, 4119, 4124, 4125, 4127 to 4133, 4157 to 4161, 4163 to 4165, 4178, 4183, 4184, 4205, 4207 to 4218, 4220, 4221, 4223 to 4228, 4270, 4272, 4275, 4280, 4285, 4287, 4300, 4301, 4303 to 4307, 4309 to 4314, 4340 to 4344, 4346, 4347, 4350, 4352 to 4365, 4370 to 4378, 4380 to 4385, 4387, 4388, 4390, 4400 to 4407, 4417, 4426 to 4428, 4454, 4455, 4461, 4462, 4465, 4467, 4474, 4480, 4486 to 4488, 4492 to 4494, 4496 to 4498, 4515, 4517 to 4519, 4550, 4551, 4553 to 4575, 4580, 4581, 4600, 4601, 4614, 4615, 4621, 4625 to 4627, 4630, 4670, 4671, 4673, 4674, 4676 to 4678, 4680, 4694, 4695, 4697, 4700 to 4706, 4709 to 4712, 4717, 4720, 4722, 4723, 4741, 4810 to 4812, 4814 to 4816, 4818, 4819, 4849, 4850, 4852, 4854 to 4856, 4858 to 4861, 4865, 4868 to 4873, 4877 to 4888, 4890 to 4892, 489512 |
| South Australia | 5052, 5072, 5073, 5076, 5110, 5112 to 5118, 5120, 5121, 5131 to 5134, 5136 to 5142, 5144, 5151 to 5157, 5201, 5204, 5220 to 5223, 5231 to 5238, 5240 to 5245, 5250 to 5255, 5259 to 5261, 5264 to 5267, 5271, 5273, 5275, 5301 to 5304, 5320, 5321, 5330, 5351, 5353, 5354, 5356, 5357, 5374, 5552, 5558, 5570 to 5573, 5575 to 5577, 5580 to 5583, 5605 to 5607, 5630 to 563212 |
| Tasmania | 7017, 7026, 7027, 7030, 7116, 7119, 7120, 7140, 7190, 7212 to 7216, 7264, 7270, 7275, 730412 |
| Victoria | 3023, 3024, 3029, 3037, 3104, 3114 to 3116, 3125, 3127 to 3140, 3145, 3147 to 3156, 3158, 3160 to 3163, 3165 to 3175, 3177 to 3180, 3183, 3185, 3187, 3189, 3190, 3192, 3194 to 3202, 3204, 3211 to 3227, 3233, 3234, 3236 to 3239, 3241 to 3243, 3249 to 3251, 3254, 3260, 3264 to 3266, 3268, 3270 to 3287, 3289, 3292 to 3294, 3300 to 3305, 3309 to 3312, 3314, 3315, 3321 to 3323, 3328 to 3338, 3340 to 3342, 3345, 3350 to 3352, 3355 to 3358, 3373 to 3375, 3377 to 3381, 3467 to 3469, 3317 to 3319, 3360 to 3364, 3370, 3371, 3384, 3385, 3387, 3388, 3393, 3395, 3400, 3401, 3407, 3409, 3412 to 3415, 3418 to 3420, 3423, 3424, 3427, 3430 to 3435, 3437, 3438, 3440 to 3442, 3444, 3446 to 3448, 3450, 3451, 3453, 3458, 3460 to 3465, 3472, 3475, 3477, 3478, 3480, 3482, 3483, 3485, 3488, 3490, 3515, 3516, 3518, 3521 to 3523, 3525, 3527, 3529, 3530 to 3533, 3544, 3550, 3551, 3555 to 3559, 3570, 3600, 3607, 3608, 3610, 3612, 3614, 3616 to 3618, 3629 to 3631, 3633, 3634, 3646, 3647, 3658, 3659, 3660, 3662 to 3666, 3669, 3670, 3672, 3673, 3675, 3677, 3682, 3683, 3685, 3687, 3688, 3690, 3691, 3695, 3697 to 3701, 3704, 3705, 3707 to 3709, 3711 to 3715, 3717 to 3720, 3722, 3723, 3725, 3726, 3732, 3733, 3735, 3737 to 3741, 3744, 3746, 3747, 3749, 3753, 3756 to 3758, 3762 to 3767, 3770, 3777 to 3779, 3781 to 3783, 3785 to 3789, 3791 to 3793, 3795 to 3797, 3802 to 3810, 3812 to 3816, 3818, 3820 to 3825, 3831 to 3833, 3835, 3840, 3842, 3844, 3847, 3850 to 3852, 3854, 3856 to 3860, 3862, 3864, 3865, 3869 to 3871, 3873 to 3875, 3878, 3880, 3882, 3885 to 3893, 3895 to 3896, 3898, 3900, 3902 to 3904, 3909 to 3913, 3915, 3916, 3918 to 3920, 3922, 3923, 3925 to 3931, 3933, 3934, 3936 to 3946, 3950, 3951, 3953, 3954, 3956 to 3960, 3962, 3964 to 3967, 3971, 3975 to 3981, 3984, 3987, 3988, 3990 to 3992, 3995, 399612 |
| Western Australia | 6030 to 6038, 6055, 6063 to 6069, 6077 to 6079, 6083, 6090, 6302, 6304, 6306, 6528, 6628, 6630 to 6632, 6635, 6640, 6642, 6646, 6705, 6721, 6722, 6725, 6726, 6753, 6758, 6760, 676212 |
Table 6: Natural disaster declared areas
| State or territory | Postcode |
|---|---|
| New South Wales | 2011, 2018 to 2022, 2031, 2032, 2035, 2036, 2038 to 2042, 2044, 2045, 2048 to 2050, 2063, 2067, 2069 to 2077, 2079 to 2087, 2092 to 2097, 2099 to 2108, 2112 to 2122, 2125 to 2128, 2130 to 2133, 2141 to 2148, 2150 to 2168, 2170 to 2179, 2190 to 2200, 2203 to 2214, 2216 to 2234, 2250, 2251, 2256 to 2263, 2287, 2289, 2291 to 2300, 2302 to 2305, 2307, 2308, 2311, 2312, 2315 to 2331, 2333 to 2347, 2350, 2352 to 2361, 2365, 2369 to 2372, 2379 to 2382, 2386 to 2388, 2390, 2395 to 2406, 2408 to 2411, 2415, 2420 to 2431, 2439 to 2441, 2443 to 2450, 2452 to 2456, 2460, 2462 to 2466, 2469 to 2490, 2500, 2502, 2505, 2506, 2508, 2515 to 2519, 2525 to 2530, 2533 to 2541, 2545, 2546, 2548 to 2551, 2555 to 2560, 2563 to 2588, 2590, 2594, 2611, 2618 to 2633, 2640 to 2653, 2655, 2656, 2658 to 2661, 2663, 2665, 2666, 2668, 2669, 2671, 2672, 2675, 2678, 2680, 2681, 2700 to 2703, 2705 to 2707, 2710 to 2717, 2720 to 2722, 2725 to 2727, 2729 to 2739, 2745, 2747 to 2750, 2752 to 2754, 2756 to 2763, 2765 to 2770, 2773 to 2780, 2782 to 2787, 2790 to 2795, 2797 to 2800, 2803 to 2810, 2817, 2818, 2820 to 2836, 2838 to 2840, 2842 to 2850, 2852, 2864 to 2871, 2873 to 2880, 2898, 3644, 3707, 4375, 4377, 4380, 4383, 438512 |
| Northern Territory | 0822, 0847, 0852, 0854, 0860, 0862, 0870, 0872 to 0875, 088612 |
| Queensland | 4000, 4005 to 4014, 4017 to 4022, 4025, 4030 to 4032, 4034 to 4037, 4051, 4053 to 4055, 4059 to 4061, 4064 to 4070, 4073 to 4078, 4101 to 4125, 4127 to 4133, 4151 to 4161, 4163 to 4165, 4169 to 4174, 4178, 4179, 4183, 4184, 4205, 4207 to 4218, 4220, 4221, 4223 to 4228, 4270, 4272, 4275, 4280, 4285, 4287, 4300, 4301, 4303 to 4307, 4309 to 4314, 4340 to 4344, 4346, 4347, 4350, 4352 to 4365, 4370 to 4378, 4380 to 4385, 4387, 4388, 4390, 4400 to 4408, 4410 to 4413, 4415 to 4428, 4454, 4455, 4461, 4462, 4465, 4467, 4468, 4470, 4472, 4474, 4477, 4479 to 4481, 4486 to 4494, 4496 to 4498, 4500 to 4512, 4514 to 4521, 4550 to 4575, 4580, 4581, 4600, 4601, 4605, 4606, 4608, 4610 to 4615, 4620, 4621, 4625 to 4627, 4630, 4650, 4655, 4659, 4660, 4662, 4670, 4671, 4673, 4674, 4676 to 4678, 4680, 4694, 4695, 4697, 4699 to 4702, 4709, 4712, 4714 to 4720, 4722 to 4724, 4727, 4730, 4733, 4735, 4736, 4741, 4800, 4804 to 4812, 4814 to 4816, 4818, 4819, 4822 to 4825, 4828 to 4830, 4849, 4850, 4852, 4854 to 4856, 4858 to 4861, 4865, 4868 to 4888, 4890 to 4892, 489512 |
| South Australia | 0872, 5157, 5172, 5201, 5210 to 5214, 5236 to 5238, 5253 to 5256, 5259 to 5261, 5264 to 5267, 5301, 5302, 5304, 5306 to 5311, 5321, 5322, 5330 to 5333, 5340 to 5346, 5354, 535712 |
| Tasmania | All postcodes12 |
| Victoria | 2640, 2641, 3000, 3002 to 3004, 3006, 3008, 3011, 3013, 3019, 3024, 3029, 3031, 3032, 3034, 3039 to 3041, 3051 to 3054, 3065 to 3067, 3089 to 3091, 3096, 3097, 3099, 3101 to 3104, 3116, 3121 to 3133, 3135 to 3141, 3145 to 3156, 3158 to 3163, 3165 to 3175, 3177 to 3180, 3183, 3185, 3187, 3189, 3190, 3192, 3194 to 3202, 3204, 3207, 3211 to 3227, 3243, 3249 to 3251, 3254, 3260, 3264 to 3272, 3277, 3280 to 3283, 3285, 3289, 3292 to 3294, 3300 to 3305, 3309 to 3312, 3314, 3315, 3317, 3321 to 3325, 3328 to 3334, 3335 to 3338, 3340 to 3342, 3345, 3350 to 3352, 3355 to 3358, 3360 to 3364, 3370, 3371, 3373 to 3375, 3377 to 3381, 3384, 3385, 3387, 3388, 3393, 3395, 3400, 3401, 3407, 3409, 3431 to 3435, 3437, 3438, 3440 to 3442, 3444, 3446 to 3448, 3450, 3451, 3453, 3458, 3460 to 3465, 3467 to 3469, 3472, 3475, 3477, 3478, 3480, 3482, 3483, 3485, 3488, 3489, 3491, 3494, 3496, 3498, 3500, 3501, 3505 to 3507, 3509, 3512, 3515 to 3518, 3520 to 3523, 3525, 3527, 3529 to 3531, 3533, 3537, 3540, 3542, 3544, 3546, 3549 to 3551, 3555 to 3559, 3561 to 3568, 3570 to 3573, 3575, 3576, 3579 to 3581, 3583 to 3586, 3588 to 3591, 3594 to 3597, 3599, 3607, 3608, 3610, 3612, 3614, 3616 to 3618, 3620 to 3624, 3629 to 3631, 3633 to 3641, 3644, 3646, 3647, 3649, 3658 to 3660, 3662 to 3666, 3669, 3670, 3672, 3673, 3675, 3677, 3678, 3682, 3683, 3685, 3687, 3688, 3690, 3691, 3695, 3697 to 3701, 3704, 3705, 3707 to 3709, 3711 to 3715, 3717 to 3720, 3722, 3723, 3725 to 3728, 3730, 3732, 3733, 3735, 3737 to 3741, 3744, 3746, 3747, 3749, 3754, 3756 to 3767, 3770, 3775, 3777 to 3779, 3799, 3781 to 3783, 3785 to 3789, 3791 to 3793, 3795 to 3797, 3802 to 3810, 3812 to 3816, 3818, 3820 to 3825, 3831 to 3833, 3835, 3840, 3842, 3844, 3847, 3850 to 3852, 3854, 3856 to 3860, 3862, 3864, 3865, 3869 to 3871, 3873 to 3875, 3878, 3880, 3882, 3885 to 3893, 3895, 3896, 3898, 3900, 3902 to 3904, 3909 to 3913, 3915, 3916, 3918 to 3920, 3922, 3923, 3925 to 3931, 3933, 3934, 3936 to 3946, 3950 to 3951, 3953 to 3954, 3956 to 3960, 3962, 3964 to 3967, 3971, 3975 to 3981, 3984, 3987, 3988, 3990 to 3992, 3995, 399612 |
| Western Australia | 0872, 6030 to 6038, 6055, 6063 to 6069, 6077 to 6079, 6083, 6090, 6227 to 6230, 6232, 6233, 6236, 6254, 6275, 6280 to 6282, 6284 to 6286, 6288, 6290, 6302, 6304, 6306, 6336, 6337, 6346, 6385, 6429 to 6434, 6436 to 6438, 6440, 6442, 6443, 6450, 6528, 6532, 6535, 6536, 6623, 6628, 6630 to 6632, 6635, 6639, 6640, 6642, 6646, 6701, 6705, 6710, 6712 to 6714, 6718, 6720 to 6722, 6725, 6726, 6728, 6740, 6743, 6753, 6758, 6760, 6762, 6765, 677012 |
{counted} days count so far. You need {target}.
On these numbers you reach the minimum. Keep payslips and your contract for every job: only Home Affairs decides whether your work counts.
{left} more days to go. That is about {weeks} more weeks of full-time specified work, weekends included1.
Not there yet: the period is too short. Your counted jobs cover {span} calendar days, and you cannot meet the requirement in a total period shorter than 3 or 6 calendar months1.
Jobs {a} and {b} overlap. A calendar day never counts as more than one day1, so remove the shared days from one of them.
Job {n} counts {days} days: {calendar} calendar days, {from} to {to}.
Postcode {postcode} in {state} is in {areas} for this work.
This work counts anywhere in Australia1.
Job {n} does not count: postcode {postcode} in {state} is not in the Home Affairs lists where this work counts on your visa ({areas}).
Job {n} does not count: this is not specified work on your visa12.
Job {n} does not count as entered: it starts before {date}, the first day this work can count. Enter only the part from {date}.
Job {n} does not count: it starts before your current visa began, and as a rule the work must be done while you hold your previous visa1.
Job {n} does not count: volunteer work counts only for bushfire or natural disaster recovery12.
Job {n}: the last day is before the first day.
Job {n}: that is more full days than calendar days, and one calendar day counts as one day at most1.
Job {n}: add {what} to count it.
Office or cleaning work that supports a specified industry in an eligible postcode may be accepted for now1: if that is your job, pick that industry instead.
With a UK passport you may not need these days at all: no specified work is needed for a second or third subclass 417 visa lodged on or after 1 July 20241.
The calculator runs only in your browser: it sends and stores nothing. It applies the Home Affairs pages as stored on the date in the sources list. It gives an estimate, not a decision.
How does Home Affairs count the days?
The test is not hours. You must do the number of normal work days that a full-time worker in your role would do in 88 or 179 calendar days1. One day is the normal length of a day or shift in your industry and role1, so there is no single hours figure for everyone.
A calendar day never counts as more than one day: if the normal day is 5 hours, a 10-hour day is still 1 day1.
Home Affairs gives worked examples. The calculator was tested against each of them.
| Situation | How it counts | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Karla works full time for 120 calendar days, then half the usual hours for 122 calendar days | 120 plus 61 days, more than 179 | 1 |
| Kim works 2 days a week for 3 months | Not enough: she must keep going for longer | 1 |
| Petra misses 5 unpaid days to weather in an 88-day contract, then works 5 more days | Meets the 3-month minimum | 1 |
| Luigi, a nurse, works 3 shifts of 12 hours a week for 3 months | Meets it, because those shifts are normal in his industry | 1 |
| A paid roster of 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off | All 4 weeks (28 days) count | 1 |
| A paid public holiday or paid sick day | Counts; an unpaid one does not | 1 |
| An unpaid day lost to bad weather | Does not count | 1 |
| A day of volunteer bushfire or disaster recovery work | Counts as one day | 1 |
In the calculator, "full time" counts every calendar day of the job and takes off the unpaid days you missed. "Part time or casual" counts the share of a full-time week you worked. "I counted my full days" turns your days into calendar days with the rest days of a full-time week, the way Petra's 5 extra days made up her 5 missed ones1.
Which visa must you hold while you do the work?
As a rule, the work for a second visa must be done while you hold your first visa, and the work for a third visa while you hold your second, on or after 1 July 20191. Type the first day of your current visa into the calculator and it will flag any job that started before it.
There is one exception. If you applied for your second visa while the first was still in effect and a bridging visa started while it was processed, work on that bridging visa can count towards a third visa. Work done on any other visa, such as a student visa, does not count1.
You can spread the days over the stay of your current visa and over as many employers as you like1.
Why might another calculator give you a different number?
Some calculators assume a fixed number of full-time hours a week for a whole industry. Home Affairs does not: a day is the normal day for your role1, and long days do not count double1. Others count days but never check the postcode, which is where many people go wrong. This one checks both, against the five areas Home Affairs lists1, and tells you the reason for every job.
It cannot see your payslips, your contract or what your employer calls a normal day. If your role's full-time week is not 5 days, change that box for the job1.
What should you do before you rely on the result?
- Check the industry and the exact postcode of each job before you start it, and do not leave the work to the end of your stay1.
- Keep payslips and your contract for every job, especially for rosters and piece rates1.
- Add up only paid days, plus paid public holidays and sick days1.
- Remember that Home Affairs makes no exception if weather or anything else stops you finishing1.
- Read the Home Affairs pages in the sources list for your own visa before you apply. Only Home Affairs decides.
Thinking about staying longer than a working holiday? Our guide to the NAATI CCL test and certified translations explains the language test that can add visa points, and the free CCL guide covers the test itself. If your specified work is in a cafe, pub or farm kitchen, food safety plans by state explains the rules your employer works under.
Frequently asked questions
Do weekends count towards the 88 days?
Yes, if you work full time: the 88 calendar days include weekends or equivalent rest days1. If you work fewer days than a full-time worker, you need a longer period1.
Do long days count as more than one day?
No. Work on one calendar day never counts as more than one day, even across two shifts or two employers1.
Does hospitality work count?
Only in Northern Australia or Remote and Very Remote Australia, for work from 22 June 2021, on both visas12. A cafe job in a regional town outside those areas does not count.
Do I need specified work with a UK passport?
Not for a subclass 417 visa lodged on or after 1 July 2024 with a UK passport1.
Does volunteer work count?
Only for bushfire or natural disaster recovery work12. Then any day you worked counts as one day1.
Sources
Each number in the text links to the document the fact comes from. We keep a dated copy of every source with its SHA-256 fingerprint, so we can show what it said on the day we checked it.
- Source 1: Specified work for Working Holiday visa (subclass 417). Department of Home Affairs (Australia), checked 2 November 2026.
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/work-holiday-417/specified-work - Source 2: Specified work for Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462). Department of Home Affairs (Australia), checked 2 November 2026.
https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/visas/getting-a-visa/visa-listing/work-holiday-462/specified-462-work
Aptia Skills is a private training company. It is not connected with the Department of Home Affairs or any government. This calculator and guide are general information, not migration advice: only Home Affairs decides whether your work counts and whether you get a visa.