The 88-day rule, explained properly

If you hold a Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) visa, 88 days of specified work in regional Australia can unlock a second year — and a further six months can unlock a third. Here's how it actually works.

What counts as specified work

For most visa holders the headline categories are plant and animal cultivation (picking, pruning, packing, milking, feeding livestock), fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, and — for 462 holders in northern and some regional areas — tourism, hospitality and certain other industries. The work must be paid, lawful, and in an eligible postcode.

What the 88 days actually means

• 88 days is calendar-equivalent to roughly three months of full-time work — but part-time and piece-rate days count too, on a pro-rata logic for full days worked.
• The days don't need to be consecutive, with one employer, or in one region. Three different harvests across the year can add up.
• Unpaid trial days, volunteering and cash-in-hand work do not count — and cash-in-hand also means no super, no workers comp and no payslip evidence.

The paperwork that decides it

When you apply for your second-year visa, Home Affairs may ask for evidence: payslips, employment verification, bank statements showing wages. This is where workers get burned by informal employers — no payslips, no proof, no second year. Every qualifying placement through HireRegional generates payslips automatically, and we issue a signed employer letter for the period without being asked.

Common traps

• Wrong postcode: the property must be in an eligible regional area — check before you commit, not after.
• Wrong industry: bar work in a regional town generally doesn't count for 417 holders; farm work does.
• Counting too generously: a half-day usually isn't a full day. Track your days honestly and keep your own copies of everything.