Australia's Second Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) lets young travellers aged 18 to 30 stay for another year down under. To get those extra 12 months to work, study, and explore, you'll need to finish specific regional work during your first working holiday visa.

The application process demands you meet strict eligibility criteria and prove you completed qualifying work in regional areas. Many people find the requirements a bit trickier than the first time around, especially figuring out which jobs count and how to document everything.

Getting your head around the pathways, paperwork, and possible extensions can be the difference between a successful application and a letdown. This guide covers everything from eligibility to the types of work that count, so you can give yourself the best shot at another year in Australia.

Essential Eligibility and Requirements

The second Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) has some non-negotiable rules. You need to fit the age bracket, finish specified work in regional Australia, and gather up a fair bit of paperwork. The visa costs AUD 650 and, if you get it, gives you another 12 months to play with.

Age and Country Criteria

You have to be between 18 and 30 when you apply. If you're from Canada, France, or Ireland, lucky you—you can apply up to age 35.

You'll also need a passport from a country with a Working Holiday agreement with Australia. This includes the UK, Germany, Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, and a bunch of others.

Key age requirements:

• Standard eligibility: 18-30 years
• Extended eligibility: 18-35 years (Canada, France, Ireland only)
• Age is checked at the time you submit your application

Bringing dependent children with you isn't allowed on this visa.

First Visa Completion

You need to have held a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) before. That first visa should've been used to enter Australia and finish your required work.

You can't apply for a second Working Holiday visa if you're already on another Australian visa. If you get granted a different visa while on your Working Holiday, your original one stops—so keep track of your status.

This can mess up your chances for future Working Holiday visas, so pay attention to your visa situation. If you've already left Australia, you can still apply for your second Working Holiday visa from overseas.

Specified Work in Regional Australia

To be eligible, you need to complete at least 88 days (about three months) of specified work on your first visa. This has to be in certain regional areas.

Eligible industries include:

• Agriculture and forestry
• Fishing and pearling
• Mining
• Construction
• Bush fire recovery work
• Flood recovery work

The work needs to be full-time or equivalent part-time hours. Volunteer gigs don't count toward your 88 days, unfortunately.

Regional Australia means certain postcodes outside the big cities—Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, and Canberra are out. It's the work location that matters, not where you live.

Documentary Evidence Needed

You have to provide solid proof of your specified work. This means employment records with dates, hours, employer info, and the postcode of where you worked.

Required documents include:

• Payslips for the whole work period
• Employment contracts or letters
• Tax documents (group certificates, payment summaries)
• Bank statements showing your pay coming in

Everything should show that your work fits the industry and regional requirements. Employers need to be registered Australian businesses in eligible areas.

Your passport has to stay valid for your entire planned stay. Depending on where you're from, you might need to show extra ID.

How to Apply for a Second Working Holiday Visa

You'll need to apply through the Department of Home Affairs' online system and pay the fee. The steps are: set up an ImmiAccount, upload your documents, and then wait it out.

Step-by-Step Application Process

The application for a second Working Holiday visa is only done online via the Department of Home Affairs site. No paper forms for this one.

Before you start, round up all your required documents: passport copy, evidence of your 88 days, and character docs if they ask.

Required Documents:

• Current passport (colour scan)
• Previous Working Holiday visa grant letter
• Proof of specified work
• Health insurance details
• Character documents (if needed)

Fill out the online form carefully. Double-check everything—typos can slow things down.

You can apply from inside or outside Australia. It's a good idea to apply around four months before your current visa runs out.

Understanding ImmiAccount

Every second Working Holiday visa application goes through ImmiAccount, the Department of Home Affairs' secure portal. This is where you handle your application and messages.

If you don't have an ImmiAccount yet, you'll need to make one. If you already have one from your first application, you can use that again.

With ImmiAccount, you can:

• Submit your application
• Upload documents
• Track progress
• Get notified about decisions

ImmiAccount Tips:

• Keep your login details safe
• Upload clear, colour scans—blurry docs can be a problem
• Check for messages regularly
• Reply quickly if they need more info

If your scans aren't clear, your application could get delayed or even refused. It's worth taking the time to get it right.

Visa Fees and Processing Times

The current fee is $650 AUD as of July 2025. You'll pay online by credit or debit card when you apply.

Processing times can be all over the place—sometimes a few weeks, sometimes a couple of months. It depends on how busy they are and your personal situation.

Fee Information:

• Application fee: $650 AUD
• Pay by credit or debit card
• No refund if your application is refused

If they ask for extra stuff like health checks or police certificates, you'll need to cover those costs. Not everyone will be asked, so it's a bit of a wait-and-see.

Applications with all the right info usually get processed faster. Missing docs can really slow things down.

Types of Specified Work for Visa Eligibility

Specified work for the second year covers agricultural jobs, bushfire recovery, construction, and fishing work. These must be done in regional Australia to count toward your 88 days.

Agricultural and Farm Roles

Agriculture is easily the most common choice for specified work. Think crop picking, fruit harvesting, and livestock jobs all over regional Australia.

Seasonal Harvesting

• Stone fruit (peaches, plums, apricots)
• Citrus (oranges, lemons, limes)
• Berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
• Veggies (tomatoes, capsicums, lettuce)

Livestock Operations
Farm work like cattle mustering, sheep shearing, and dairy farm jobs all count. A lot of these gigs come with on-site accommodation, which can be handy.

General Farm Duties
Pruning, weeding, irrigation, and packing shed work are all eligible. Most farms get pretty busy during harvest, so hours can be flexible.

Location Requirements
You have to do your agricultural work in designated regional areas. Popular spots include Queensland's Sunshine Coast hinterland, Victoria's Goulburn Valley, and the Pilbara in WA.

Bushfire Recovery and Volunteering

Bushfire recovery became an eligible option after those rough fire seasons in Australia. These jobs help communities rebuild in affected regions.

Recovery Activities

• Clearing debris and land
• Rebuilding fences
• Repairing infrastructure
• Environmental rehab projects

You need to work with approved organisations involved in official recovery. State emergency services and local councils usually handle these programs.

Volunteer Requirements
Some bushfire recovery roles are paid, but certain volunteer positions can count too. You'll need to document your hours and what you actually did.

The work has to be directly linked to bushfire recovery, not just general volunteering. Most of these roles are in rural and regional areas hit hard by fires.

Construction and Mining Positions

Construction and mining jobs in regional Australia can be a real game-changer for folks chasing specified work requirements. Wages here? Usually better than what you'd find picking fruit or packing boxes on a farm.

Construction Work

• Road building and maintenance
• Bridge construction projects
• Building construction in regional areas
• Infrastructure development

Mining Operations

Mining covers coal, iron ore, gold, and a bunch of other minerals. You'll find everything from entry-level labor gigs to running heavy equipment.

Safety Requirements

Most of these jobs require safety certifications. For construction, you need a white card; mining usually means completing induction training before you even set foot on site.

Regional Focus

These roles pop up mostly in places like Western Australia's mining belts, Queensland's coal areas, and the Northern Territory's resource projects. If you're working way out there, accommodation and meals are often thrown in.

Fishing, Pearling and Tree Felling

Australia's coastal and forest regions offer some pretty unique work if you don't mind getting your hands dirty. These jobs often call for a fair bit of stamina and some hands-on skills.

Fishing Industry

Commercial fishing means tuna, prawns, crabs—you name it. Workers might spend ages out at sea on boats, which isn't for everyone but can be rewarding if you like the ocean.

Pearl Farming

Pearl farms are mostly in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Jobs here involve caring for oysters and helping with harvests.

Forestry Work

Tree felling, logging, and forest maintenance all count as specified work. You'll need safety training, and expect to be out in the bush, sometimes far from the nearest town.

Seasonal Considerations

Fishing and pearling jobs come and go with the seasons and the weather. Forestry work can be limited during fire season in some regions, so timing matters.

Extending Your Stay and Related Visas

If you're on a working holiday visa, you might be able to stick around longer by following the third year working holiday visa pathway. Each visa lets you come and go, but there are limits on how long you can stay overall.

Third Working Holiday Visa Pathway

In your second year? You can apply for another 12 months if you finish six months of specified work in regional Australia. The third year working holiday visa has the same age rules as before.

Your work needs to be in the right regional postcodes. Jobs in agriculture, tourism, hospitality, construction, and mining all count.

You'll need to show payslips, tax records, and employer statements as proof. You can't work for the same boss more than six months unless you get special permission.

Major cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide don't count as regional. If you're out in really remote areas, there might be a bit more flexibility with what work qualifies.

Maximum Duration and Multiple Entries

Each working holiday visa allows a maximum 12-month stay, starting from the day you first enter Australia.

During those 12 months, you can leave and come back as often as you want. That flexibility is a huge plus, honestly.

There's a six-month limit on working for the same employer while you're on this visa. If you want to stay longer with one employer, you'll need special permission from the Department of Home Affairs.

Just to be clear, every time you leave and return, your visa's expiration date doesn't get pushed back. The clock keeps ticking, no matter how often you travel.

If you're eligible and complete the required regional work, you could stack up to three working holiday visas. That means you could stay for up to 36 months in total—pretty wild, right?