Get your 88 days.
Get your second year.
The Working Holiday Visa (417/462) can be extended by a second — or third — year by completing 88 days of specified work in regional Australia. Here's where to find that work.
The visa rules in plain English.
No legalese. But read the official source too — rules change.
Official rules (Home Affairs) →- 01
Hold a current 417 or 462 visa
You must complete the 88 days while your first-year WHV is still valid.
- 02
Work in an eligible regional postcode
Not all of Australia counts. The list of eligible postcodes is published by Home Affairs and updates every few years.
- 03
Do qualifying 'specified work'
Plant cultivation (fruit, veg, vineyard), mining, construction, and tree farming. Tourism / hospitality only counts in remote / northern Australia.
- 04
Get paid and get paperwork
You must be paid award rates (no cash-in-hand). Keep payslips, group certificates and your employer's ABN — you'll need them for the visa application.
- 05
Count the days, not the weeks
88 calendar days of full-time work. Part-time can count proportionally but it's slower. Doesn't have to be at one job or one farm.
- 06
Apply online for the 2nd-year WHV
Once you have 88 days logged, apply via ImmiAccount before your 1st-year visa expires.
Qualifying work categories
Not every regional job counts — only "specified work" types do.
- 🍓
Fruit picking & harvest
Most common. Plant cultivation counts.
- 🌱
Plant cultivation & farms
Vegetable, vineyard, orchard, hops, herbs.
- 🏗️
Construction
Builders, labourers, plumbers — regional postcodes only.
- ⛏️
Mining
Open-cut, underground, processing.
- 🌳
Tree farming & forestry
Planting, harvesting, milling.
- 🍽️
Tourism & hospitality
Counts ONLY in remote/northern Australia (post-bushfire & special regions).
Where the work actually is
The hubs Aussie backpackers head to first. Seasons are rough guides — call hostels in town a week ahead to check the current state of harvest.
Queensland
6 top hubsThe most popular state for 88-day work. Year-round opportunities thanks to tropical climate.
Bundaberg
Aug – Dec
Mango, lychee, citrus, sweet potato
Bowen
May – Nov
Tomato, capsicum, mango
Tully
Year-round
Banana plantations
Innisfail
Year-round
Banana, paw paw, sugar cane
Stanthorpe
Dec – May
Apple, pear, stone fruit, wine grape
Mareeba (Atherton Tablelands)
May – Dec
Coffee, mango, avocado
New South Wales (regional)
4 top hubsSmaller scale but solid pay and well-organised hostels for backpackers.
Griffith
Mar – Jul
Citrus, wine grape
Young
Nov – Jan
Cherry harvest
Coffs Harbour
Varies
Banana, blueberry
Leeton
Nov – Apr
Stone fruit, citrus
Victoria (regional)
4 top hubsHeart of the cool-climate harvest — lots of vineyard and orchard work in the Murray Valley.
Shepparton
Jan – May
Apple, pear, peach, plum
Mildura
Jan – Apr
Wine grape, citrus, almond
Robinvale
Jan – Apr
Wine grape, citrus
Swan Hill
Nov – Apr
Stone fruit, vegetables
Western Australia
5 top hubsHuge state, long drives, but consistent year-round work in the north. Mining pays the highest hourly rate.
Carnarvon
Year-round
Banana, mango, vegetable
Kununurra
Jun – Dec
Mango, melon, chickpea
Margaret River
Feb – Apr
Wine grape
Broome
Year-round
Hospitality (remote)
Pilbara
Year-round
Mining (FIFO common)
South Australia
3 top hubsWine country. Riverland is one of the most beginner-friendly harvest regions.
Renmark / Riverland
Feb – Jun
Citrus, wine grape, stone fruit
Adelaide Hills
Nov – May
Apple, pear, cherry
Barossa / Clare Valley
Feb – Apr
Wine grape
Northern Territory
3 top hubsHot, remote, well-paid. NT is mostly classified as remote — so tourism and hospitality work qualifies here.
Katherine
Apr – Oct
Mango, melon, regional construction
Darwin
Year-round
Hospitality, tourism (remote zone)
Alice Springs region
Year-round
Tourism, hospitality (remote zone)
Tasmania
3 top hubsCool climate, gorgeous scenery, all of Tasmania qualifies as regional.
Huon Valley
Dec – Apr
Apple, cherry, berry
Launceston region
Nov – May
Cherry, berry, vineyard
Forth Valley
Year-round
Vegetable, herbs, hops
Send your CV. We'll match you to work.
We work directly with farms and regional employers. Send us your details — we'll match you to the right gig and make the intro.
What to send
- 1
A copy of your CV
Any format (PDF, Word, photo of a printout — we're not fussy). Keep it short: previous work, languages spoken, any farm or trade experience.
- 2
A quick photo of yourself
Most regional employers want to put a face to the name — a casual selfie is fine. No headshots required.
- 3
When you're available and where you can get to
Dates you can start, how long you're available, and whether you have a car or need somewhere near transport.
We get back to every application within 48 hours — usually faster in harvest season.
Things people get wrong
I worked in Sydney hospo — does it count? ▾
Almost certainly not. Sydney isn't a regional postcode. Hospitality only counts in remote/northern Australia (mostly NT, the Kimberley, far-north QLD). Plant cultivation in regional Sydney outskirts CAN count if the postcode is on the list.
Can I do my 88 days with one employer? ▾
Yes — and it's often easier for paperwork. But you can also split across multiple farms/jobs as long as they all qualify and you log the calendar days.
Is cash-in-hand farm work OK? ▾
No. Home Affairs requires award-rate pay and proper records. Cash work won't count toward your 88 days and can get you blacklisted from a 2nd-year visa.
I'm doing the 3rd-year extension — same rules? ▾
Different: you need 6 months (179 days) of specified work for the 3rd year. Same eligible postcodes and work types, just more of it.
What if I'm injured and can't work? ▾
Concession periods exist. Talk to a migration agent — and seriously consider travel insurance with farm-work coverage (most consumer policies exclude it).
⚠️ Not legal advice.
Visa rules change. Always cross-check with the Department of Home Affairs or a registered migration agent before booking flights or quitting a job.
Heading regional?
Sort the rest of your trip — campervan to get there, hostels in town, a bus pass for the off-days.