Specified Work — Working Holiday Visa 417
Specified Work for Working Holiday Visa
To be eligible for a second or third Working Holiday Visa (subclass 417), holders must complete specified work in regional Australia. The type of work, the location, and the duration all determine whether the requirement is met. Getting this wrong means the second or third visa will be refused.
What specified work means
Specified work is a defined category of employment that the Department has determined is essential to regional industries in Australia. It is not any work done in a regional area. The work must fall within a designated industry and must be performed in a location classified as regional for the purposes of the working holiday maker program.
For a second subclass 417, three calendar months of specified work during the first visa is required. For a third subclass 417, six calendar months of specified work during the second visa is required. Calendar months are not the same as four weeks. A calendar month runs from a date in one month to the same date in the following month.
The Department requires evidence in the form of payslips, group certificates, tax records, and a letter from the employer confirming the nature of the work, the location, and the period of employment. Gaps in payslip records or inconsistencies with tax records are common reasons for refusal of second and third visa applications.
Eligible specified work types
Plant and animal cultivation
Fruit and vegetable picking, pruning, harvesting, packing, and other agricultural work involving the cultivation of plants or care of animals in regional Australia.
Fishing and pearling
Commercial fishing, aquaculture, and pearling operations in designated regional areas.
Tree farming and felling
Forestry work including the cultivation, maintenance, and harvesting of trees for commercial purposes in regional areas.
Mining
Work in mining operations in regional Australia, including extraction, processing, and support roles directly connected to mining activities.
Construction
Construction work in regional Australia, including building, civil engineering, and trades work on eligible construction projects.
Bushfire and disaster recovery work — updated 5 April 2025
Paid or unpaid work undertaken in areas impacted by bushfires, floods, cyclones, or other natural disasters. The list of eligible postcodes was expanded on 5 April 2025 and applies to applications lodged on or after that date.
3 months
Required for second visa
6 months
Required for third visa
Regional
Work must be in eligible location
5 April 2025
Last eligible postcode update
Why instruct Visa Plan?
Evidence review before lodgement
The most common reason for second and third visa refusals is insufficient or inconsistent specified work evidence. We review payslips, employer letters, and tax records before any application is submitted.
Location verification
Not all regional locations qualify. We confirm whether the work location meets the regional classification required for the period of work being claimed.
Calendar month calculation
Calendar months are calculated differently from weeks or days. We confirm the exact period of specified work and whether it satisfies the three-month or six-month requirement before lodgement.
Specified work information is sourced from the Department of Home Affairs and is current as at 29 May 2026. Eligible work types, regional postcodes, and eligibility criteria are subject to change. This page provides general information only and does not constitute legal advice.