A Quick Guide to the Second Year Working Holiday Visa in Australia

Did you come Down Under for an adventure but it’s starting to feel a bit like home? Fair enough, the sunshine and surf can do that to you…We get it. If you are dreaming of another year in the sun and not quite ready to say goodbye, you could be eligible for a Second Year Working Holiday Visa. Here’s a clear, step-by-step breakdown on everything from required jobs and regional work to the application process.

What is a Second Year Working Holiday Visa?

The Working Holiday Visa (Subclass 417) and (Subclass 462) allows travellers aged from 18-30 (some countries up to 35) live and work in Oz for up to a year as part of cultural exchange. The Second Year Visa is basically an extension of the first year visa but comes with an eligibility requirement to complete at least 3 months/88 days  of ‘specified’ work. If you are from the UK, as of July 2024 you no longer need to meet this requirement for a Second Year Visa but otherwise you’ll just need to make sure you meet the qualifications before your first visa ends. 

Who can get a Second Year Working Holiday Visa?

Just like the first Working Holiday Visa you’ll need to be under 35, have a valid passport, no dependent children and you must have completed the 3 months/88 days of ‘specified’ work during your first year. 

UK passport holders are now exempt from having to complete this work to be able to apply for a second or even third year visa. 

As of July 2025, these countries allow to apply for a Subclass 417 Visa:

• Canada
• Republic of Cyprus
• Denmark
• Estonia
• Finland
• France
• Germany
• Hong Kong
• Republic of Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• Republic of Korea
• Malta
• Netherlands
• Norway
• Sweden
• Taiwan
• United Kingdom

And these countries are eligible to apply for the Subclass 462 Visa: 

• Argentina
• Austria
• Brazil
• Chile
• China
• Czech Republic
• Ecuador
• Greece
• Hungary
• India
• Indonesia
• Israel
• Luxembourg
• Malaysia
• Mongolia
• Papua New Guinea
• Peru
• Poland
• Portugal
• San Marino
• Singapore
• Slovak Republic
• Slovenia
• Spain
• Switzerland
• Thailand
• Türkiye
• Uruguay
• United States
• Vietnam

What exactly is ‘specified’ work in Australia?

During your first year in Australia, you will need to complete three calendar months (88 days) of ‘specified’ work in a regional area, this will make you eligible to apply for a second year. 

There are different criteria for the type of work you are allowed to do with the 417 Subclass and 462 Subclass that will help you qualify. Here's the breakdown: 

These are the eligible industries in ‘Specified’ Work for Subclass 417:

• Plant and Animal Cultivation
• Fishing and Pearling
• Tree Farming
• Mining
• Construction
• Tourism and Hospitality (within remote postcodes: 4406, 4416, 4498, and 7215)
• Bushfire Recovery Work
• Natural Disaster Recovery Work

Here's some examples of this work:

• picking fruits on an orchard
• feeding and herding cattle on a farm
• horse breeding and stud farming
• landscaping the grounds of a construction/house site
• painting the interior/exterior of new buildings
• conservation and environmental reforestation work
• zoo work involving plant or animal cultivation
• erecting fences on a construction site
• Reforestation and environmental work

Examples of non-eligible work:

• Ship/boat building- Specialised social science Services (eg. anthropological and archaeological assessments for mining companies)- Town planning or Architecture- Childcare- Hospitality roles not directly related to tourism- Manufacturing materials used on a construction Site- Catering on a mine site- Cleaning the interior of mine complexes or buildings

Farm Work is the most popular for travellers but for more detailed information on eligible specified work, click here and then scroll down to click 'Visa applicants' and then to 'Specified work.'

Whereas for Subclass 462 Visa, the list is pretty much the same but with some updated requirements that you’ll only be able to work in Northern or Regional Australia for these industries:

• Fishing and Pearling (Must be in Northern Australia)
• Tree Farming and Felling (Must be in Northern Australia)
• Construction (Must be in Northern Australia or other specified regional areas) 
• Tourism and Hospitality (Must be in Northern Australia or a Remote area)

For the most updated and accurate information on the requirements, you can check it out here. 

Where can you complete your ‘regional’ work?

You won't want to get to the end of your 88 days and realise you haven’t spent your time in the right place! The Australian government wants people to head out to rural areas which need additional workforce. According to the scheme you must work in a region and postcode that qualifies for the program. 

For Subclass 417 Visas:

Generally, most areas of Australia are considered regional, except for:

• New South Wales: Sydney metropolitan area, Newcastle, Central Coast, and Wollongong
• - Queensland: Greater Brisbane area and the Gold Coast- Victoria: Melbourne metropolitan area- Western Australia: Perth and surrounding areas

Cities like Adelaide, Darwin, and all of Tasmania are considered regional for the purposes of specified work. It's essential to verify the specific postcode of your work location to ensure it qualifies.

And for Subclass 462 Visas: 

It's absolutely crucial to confirm that your work location falls within the eligible postcodes for specified work under this visa, work must be undertaken in the designated areas which include: 

• Northern Australia: All of the Northern Territory, and parts of Queensland and Western Australia above the Tropic of Capricorn
• Other specified Regional areas: you’ll be able to check the postcodes here. 

How do you calculate your 88 days (3 months)?

To get your Second Working Holiday Visa, you’ll need 88 calendar days of specified work. A usual full-time Aussie workweek is usually 35-40 hours, with a standard day being 7-8 hours.If you’re full-time, here's some good news: your weekends count, so working 5 days = 7 days on the visa clock. But if you’re part-time or casual, you can only count the days you actually worked. Shorter shifts? You’ll need to do more of them to hit the full-time equivalent. Just make sure to keep your payslips and records, you’ll need to prove your time. You can even use this tool to keep track of your hours. 

Do you need to work with the same employer for the whole 3 months?

Short answer is: no! You can choose to do your time in one big block with the same employer or you can make an adventure out of your work. You just need 88 days clocked in of your ‘specified’ work. You could work for a month picking fruit and spend another month herding cattle. It’s really a pick your adventure and what works best for you. 

How much money do you need to be earning for your regional work to count?

To be signed off properly, you’ll need to be making the legal minimum wage in Australia which is $24.98/ph or if you are a casual worker the rate is $31.19/ph. All Australian employers are required to provide payslips so it will help keep your hours in check!

There is an exception to this rule with farm work with a piece rate agreement - meaning you’ll get paid by each piece of fruit you pick but you’ll have to outline this with your employer with a signed agreement before you begin your work. 

How to apply for a second year visa?

1. Application Process:

You can apply for a Second Year Working Holiday Visa on the official government website here. You can apply from inside or outside Australia, but you’ll need to stay from where you apply until the visa is granted. 

You’ll need to supply some evidence of your ‘specified’ work, including:

• Payslips
• Tax returns
• Travel tickets or accommodation receipts
• One photo per week (showing you at work)
• Employer references 

You’ll also need to get your employer to fill out these verifications forms:

• Subclass 417
• Subclass 462

An additional requirement for Subclass 462 is getting a letter of support from your home government. There are some hoops! But just make sure you have all the required docs for a smooth process. 

2. Fees:

For both visas, it costs about $510 to apply which can be paid directly through the Government website with online application, if you opt to apply by mail the application will take several weeks longer to process and add $80. 

3. Processing Time: 

Some applications can get approved within a couple days but some can take up to 2 months, make sure you submit all your information and required docs to avoid extra delays. Once you submit your application, you will be granted a bridging visa; if you apply for your second year and your first visa is about to expire, you will be able to remain in Australia and to work while waiting for your second year visa while on a bridging visa. Upon submission, you will receive a Transaction Reference Number (TRN). You can use this number to check the status of your application through your ImmiAccount.