The Working Holiday Visa 417 lets eligible young travellers work and travel in Australia for up to 12 months, with options for a second and third visa if you complete the required specified work.
On this page you’ll find the 417 visa requirements, eligible countries, how to qualify for your second Working Holiday Visa (88 days) and third Working Holiday Visa (6 months), how to count your days, and the 6-month work limitation rules.
First Working Holiday Visa Requirements
Second Working Holiday Visa Requirements
Third Working Holiday Visa Requirements
To apply for a second or third Working Holiday Visa 417, you must complete a certain amount of specified work in eligible regional or remote areas of Australia, within designated industries. This work must be paid and comply with Australian workplace laws.
What Counts as Specified Work?
Specified work is recognized in the following approved industries and regions:
Agriculture: farming, harvesting, packing, plant and animal cultivation in regional Australia
Fishing & Pearling, Tree Farming & Felling, Mining, and Construction in regional areas
Tourism & Hospitality in Northern, Remote, or Very Remote Australia (from 22 June 2021, within specific postcodes)
Disaster Recovery Work, such as bushfire recovery (post-31 July 2019), flood or cyclone recovery (post-31 December 2021), and certain COVID-19 healthcare roles (anywhere in Australia after 31 January 2020)
Work that supports core operations of these industries (e.g., administrative support) may also qualify
Important Notes:
Work must be in the correct location and industry to qualify.
Voluntary work is only accepted if it’s disaster recovery in declared areas.
Starting 1 July 2024, UK passport holders no longer need to complete specified work for their second or third WHV, per the Australia–UK Free Trade Agreement.
You must be a citizen of and hold a valid passport from:
Belgium, Canada, Republic of Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong SAR (including British National Overseas), Republic of Ireland, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Taiwan (not official or diplomatic), United Kingdom.
No, there is no obligato to perform regional work while on a Working Holiday visa 417. However, if you wish to extend your visa to a second or third Working Holiday visa (and provided you meet the other eligibility criteria such as the age and the financial requirements) you will need to perform 3 or 6 months of regional work.
You must be 18–30 (or 18–35 for UK, Canada, Ireland, Italy, France, Denmark), hold a valid passport from an eligible country, have at least AUD 5,000 in savings plus funds for onward travel, and not be accompanied by dependent children. You must also meet health and character requirements.
The first Working Holiday Visa 417 is valid for 12 months from the date you first enter Australia. You can leave and re-enter as often as you like during this time. Days spent outside Australia do not extend the visa.
For the second and third Working Holiday Visa 417, you can apply from inside or outside Australia. If you apply while in Australia, you must also be in Australia when the visa is granted. If you apply outside Australia, you must also be offshore at the time of grant.
If you apply onshore (inside Australia), your new WHV grant will extend your stay by 12 months from the expiry of your current visa, regardless of processing time. Example: If your first WHV is valid until 1 Jan 2026 and you apply for your second WHV on 15 Dec 2025, granted in May 2026, your new visa will run until 1 Jan 2027.
If you apply offshore, your new WHV will start from the day you enter Australia to activate it, just like the first WHV. The visa will then be valid for 12 months from that date of entry.
Specified work refers to paid employment in approved industries and regions. Eligible work includes agriculture, plant and animal cultivation, fishing, pearling, tree farming, construction, mining, and tourism/hospitality in remote or very remote areas. Disaster recovery work and critical healthcare or aged/disability care roles also qualify.
For a second WHV 417, you must complete at least 3 months (88 days) of specified work. For a third WHV 417, you must complete at least 6 months of specified work.
One day of work counts as a standard full workday in your industry (usually 7 hours). Full-time contracts of 35 hours per week let you count the full 7 days, including weekends and paid leave. If you work less than full-time, convert hours into full days (e.g., 21 hours = 3 days). Long shifts (10–12 hours) still count as one day. Volunteer disaster recovery counts as one day per calendar day worked.
Yes. If you are on a full-time contract and being paid for full-time hours, you can count the entire period towards your 88 days or 6 months. Paid leave and rostered days off are included, as long as you are being paid full-time wages.
Normally, specified work must be paid. The only exception is volunteer work in natural disaster recovery (e.g., bushfire or flood recovery), which can count towards your 88 days or 6 months requirement.
Keep records such as payslips, tax statements, bank statements, and employer references showing dates, hours, and location of work. If self-employed, you must show ABN and client invoices.
Key conditions include:
Work for the same employer for no more than 6 months (unless exempt).
Study or train for up to 4 months.
No dependent children may accompany you.
Comply with Australian laws and all visa conditions.
Under visa condition 8547, you are limited to 6 months with the same employer. However, exemptions apply. You can work longer if you are in different locations, or in plant/animal cultivation, disaster recovery, critical sectors (health, aged/disability care, childcare, agriculture, food processing, tourism, hospitality), or certain industries in Northern Australia (fishing, pearling, tree farming, mining, construction). If your job is not exempt, you must request permission from Home Affairs before your 6 months end.
Yes. UK citizens benefit from extra flexibility under the Australia–UK Free Trade Agreement:
Age limit: UK passport holders can apply between 18 and 35 years old (inclusive).
Visa access: From 1 July 2024, UK citizens can apply for up to three Working Holiday visas without needing to complete specified work (no 88 days or 6-month requirement).
Duration: Each visa is valid for 12 months, and you can extend by applying for a second and third visa.
This means UK travellers have a more straightforward pathway to stay and work in Australia under the Working Holiday Visa 417 program compared to most other nationalities.
