How the extension works
Completing 88 days, roughly three months, of specified subclass work on your first visa makes you eligible to apply for a second. Completing a further 179 days, roughly six months, of specified work on your second visa makes you eligible for a third. There is no fourth: three working holiday visas of either subclass is the lifetime limit.
Specified work must be regional, and fall inside defined industries.
What counts as specified work
Specified work is not any job anywhere. It has to be in a designated regional area, in a defined set of industries, most commonly:
- Plant and animal cultivation, including fruit and vegetable picking and harvesting
- Fishing and pearling
- Tree farming and felling
- Mining
- Construction, in some circumstances
- Bushfire and flood recovery work, under specific conditions
The regional boundaries and eligible industries have changed over time and differ from what applied to earlier working holiday makers, so confirm your specific work and location qualifies before relying on it, not after the fact.
Proving the days
Home Affairs will not simply take your word for it, and can contact your employer directly to verify claims. Keep every one of these as you go, not just at the end:
- Payslips, or Australian bank statements showing the payments
- A signed piece rate agreement, if paid per piece, showing the rate and how it is measured
- Group certificates and payment summaries
- Tax returns covering the relevant period
- An employer reference confirming dates and duties
If you did volunteer bushfire or flood recovery work, a signed letter from your volunteer coordinator covering your details, duties, location including postcode, and number of days stands in for payslips.
| Second visa | Third visa | |
|---|---|---|
| Specified work required | 88 days (approx. 3 months) | 179 days (approx. 6 months) |
| Application charge | AUD1,000.00 | AUD1,000.00 |
| Must hold or have held | A first working holiday visa | A second working holiday visa |
| Location when applying | Inside or outside Australia | Inside or outside Australia |
If you're in Australia on a bridging visa. A second or third visa needs you to hold a substantive visa in effect, or have had your last substantive visa expire less than 28 days before you apply. Bridging visa timing is exactly where cases get complicated, worth a quick check before you assume you're covered.
The six-month employer rule still applies
Working towards a second or third visa does not remove the general six-month same-employer limit. Most farm and regional jobs rotate with the season anyway, which usually lines up naturally, but it is worth confirming with any employer offering a longer placement.