Everything you need to know about applying for the second Work and Holiday Visa
Learn the essentials for the second Work and Holiday Visa, what’s needed to apply and how you can do it.
WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE SECOND WORK and HOLIDAY VISA:
- stay in Australia for 12 months
- work short-term; usually you can only work with one employer for 6 months
- travel to and from Australia as many times as you want
- complete 6 months of specified work to be eligible for the third Work and Holiday Visa
TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE SECOND WORK and HOLIDAY VISA YOU MUST:
- have previously entered Australia on a subclass 462 visa (your first Work and Holiday Visa)
- if in Australia, hold a substantive visa or your last substantive visa expired less than 28 days ago
- hold a passport from an eligible country or jurisdiction
- be 18 to 30 years old (or 35 years old for some countries)
- have completed 88 days/3 months of specified subclass 462 work
- not be accompanied by dependent children
WHAT IS THE 88 DAYS SPECIFIED WORK?
Specified work, also known as ‘farm work’ or ‘regional work’, is undertaken in a specified industry and area of Australia. To be eligible to apply for your second Work and Holiday Visa you must have completed 88 days of specified work in an eligible and approved job/industry.
WHAT ARE THE APPROVED INDUSTRIES FOR THE 88 DAYS SPECIFIED WORK?
The following industries and areas are approved for specified work:
- tourism and hospitality in northern or remote and very remote Australia
- plant and animal cultivation in regional Australia
- fishing and pearling in regional Australia
- tree farming and felling in regional Australia
- mining in regional Australia
- construction in regional Australia
- bushfire recovery work in declared bushfire affected areas only
- flood recovery work in declared flood recovery areas only
- critical COVID-19 work in the healthcare and medical sectors anywhere in Australia
You can see the full list of eligible roles and industries here.
HOW TO COUNT THE 88 DAYS OF WORK
You do not need to do your 3 of specified work all in one go, or all with one employer. You are free to spread the work over the stay period of your current Work and Holiday visa. You can also undertake specified work for longer than the required minimum period.
- You must complete the same number of normal work days or shifts as a full-time employee in that role and industry would usually work in the 3 month (88 calendar days) or 6 month (179 calendar days) period
- The number of days include weekends or equivalent rest days during your period of employment
- You cannot count work carried out on any one calendar day as more than one day of specified work (for example if your usual shift is 5 hours and you work 10 hours on one day, this is still counted as one day and not two days)
- You cannot include any unpaid days where you did not work due to severe or seasonal weather towards your total period of specified work
- Public Holidays or leave days which are not paid do not count towards your days of specified work
- Make sure that your employer has your Tax File Number (TFN)
- You cannot complete the specified work requirement in a total period shorter than 3 calendar months
AM I ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THE SECOND YEAR WORK AND HOLIDAY VISA?
You haven’t completed your 88 days (3-month) farm/regional work
In that case, you cannot apply for a second Work and Holiday Visa – you’ll have to pivot towards a Student Visa. This visa is tied to a language, vocational, or university course, has no age restriction, and lasts for the duration of your study program, plus an extra month at the end of your course.
At the moment and until the 30th of June 2023, the hours restrictions have been relaxed and you’re allowed to work full-time at all times. From July 2023, you’re allowed to work up to 48 hours per fortnight during term and full-time in the holidays.
You have completed your 88 days (3-month) farm/regional work
- You can apply for a second Work and Holiday Visa and return to Australia for your second year. You’ll be allowed to work full-time and travel all around the country.
- You can apply for a Student Visa, in case you decide to return to Australia and invest in a vocational education path.
NOT ELIGIBLE TO APPLY? DON’T WORRY WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED!
With so many visa options it can be overwhelming to choose the right one, but the Student Visa is the ideal choice to help you stay in Australia and keep living the dream life! Here’s our top 5 reasons why:
- You can study and work on the Student Visa throughout the duration of your course. This means you can support yourself financially and gain valuable work experience alongside your studies
- You can study English language courses, university courses and vocational courses. We are partnered with hundreds of colleges and universities across Australia so you can pick what’s right for you.
- There are both short-term and long-term visa options. Some students will study for six months, while others may study for three years or more on their Australian Student Visa.
- You may apply for a two-year Post-Study Work Visa once you graduate. If you study for two years at a higher education level, you will automatically be entitled* to a two-year Post-Study Work Visa. From July 2023, post-study work rights have been extended for up to 6 years for international higher education graduates with eligible qualifications in industries with skill shortages, depending on their degree level.
- There is no age limit – you can apply for a Student Visa at any age. However, special conditions apply if you are under 18 years old.
