Second and Third Working Holiday Visa

MARN 1576536

What you need for a second visa

To apply for a second Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) visa, you need to have done at least three months (88 days) of specified work in an eligible regional area while on your first visa, unless your passport is exempt. You must also still be within the age limit when you apply, and be outside or inside Australia as the visa allows.

What you need for a third visa

For a third visa, you need at least six months of specified work done while on your second visa, after 1 July 2019. Work done on your first visa does not count towards the third.

What counts as specified work

• Work in eligible industries, such as plant and animal cultivation, fishing and pearling, tree farming and felling, mining and construction, in eligible regional postcodes.
• For 417 holders, certain work in northern or remote Australia, tourism and hospitality in some areas, and bushfire or natural disaster recovery work can also count.
• The work must be paid at Australian rates, with pay slips. Unpaid or volunteer work does not count.
• Postcode and industry eligibility differ between the 417 and 462, and between industries. Check before you start a job.

The UK exemption

Since 1 July 2024, UK passport holders on a 417 do not need to do specified work to apply for a second or third visa, under the Australia–UK free trade agreement. UK citizens can also apply up to age 35. See the 417 guide for UK citizens.

Age limits and applying

The usual age limit is 30, and 35 for some passports, including the UK, Canada, France and Ireland. You must be under the limit when you apply, not when the visa is granted. You can generally apply for a second or third visa from inside or outside Australia.

Changes to how second and third visas are allocated, including a ballot, have been announced but were not in force at the time of writing. Check the current rules before planning around them.

Mistakes that cause refusals

• Counting days that are not specified work, or work in an ineligible postcode.
• Cash-in-hand work with no pay slips or tax records.
• Working for an employer who later cannot confirm the work.
• Applying after the age limit.

If you want to stay longer than the working holiday allows, the next step is usually employer sponsorship. See the 482 Skills in Demand visa.

General information only, current at October 2026; not advice on your own case. Outcomes depend on the Department’s assessment of each application; no registered migration agent can guarantee a result (Code of Conduct, Migration Agents Regulations). Keshab Chapagain, MARN 1576536.