If you're on a 417 or 462 visa and want to extend it, you need to complete 88 days of "specified work." Sounds simple — but there's fine print most people miss, and that's exactly why we built this guide.
What jobs actually count?
Not every job counts toward your 88 days. It has to fall under one of these industries, in an approved area.
Every job on this list — including construction — only counts if it's in an approved regional area. If you're not sure about your own situation, always confirm before assuming it counts.
Your week offstill counts.
On a FIFO roster, the rest days built into your paid cycle count too — it's not just the days you're physically on site.
How are the 88 days actually counted?
Here's the biggest myth: thinking you need 88 consecutive days on the job. That's not how it works — tap a row to expand it.
If you work 5 days a week over 3 consecutive calendar months, it counts as your 88 days — even with days off here and there or lost shifts due to bad weather.
A lot of people assume their week off doesn't count. Wrong — it does, because it's part of a regular paid roster.
[Placeholder — waiting on the exact payslip/hours-to-days mechanism to rewrite this accurately. Currently still showing the simplified "4 weeks = 28 days" version, flagged as possibly wrong.]
You can also combine multiple jobs, short-term contracts, or piecework (paid by output), as long as the total is equivalent to working 5 days a week over 3 months (88 days).
Tip: keep every payslip. They're your proof if Immigration ever asks.
Approved regional areas
The work has to be done in specific areas approved by the government — basically, outside the major cities.
Regional Queensland
Farming and regional zones outside Brisbane.
Northern Territory
The whole territory is treated as a regional area.
Western Australia
Pilbara, Kimberley, Goldfields and other mining regions.
Select zones
Only specific zones — not the whole state counts.
Tips that help vs. mistakes that cost you your visa
Do this
- Start your specified work as early as you can — don't wait until your visa's about to run out.
- Keep every payslip, contract and timesheet.
- Spread your 88 days however you like, across one or several employers.
- Remember: the days don't need to be consecutive.
Avoid this
- Counting days you didn't actually work.
- Not keeping proof of your employment.
- Doing work that isn't eligible (e.g. domestic cleaning in the city).
- Not hitting the minimum hours when you're paid by output.
If you're on a 417 or 462 visa and want to extend it, you need to complete 88 days of "specified work." Sounds simple — but there's fine print most people miss, and that's exactly why we built this guide.
What jobs actually count?
Not every job counts toward your 88 days. It has to fall under one of these industries, in an approved area.
Every job on this list — including construction — only counts if it's in an approved regional area. If you're not sure about your own situation, always confirm before assuming it counts.
Your week offstill counts.
On a FIFO roster, the rest days built into your paid cycle count too — it's not just the days you're physically on site.
How are the 88 days actually counted?
Here's the biggest myth: thinking you need 88 consecutive days on the job. That's not how it works — tap a row to expand it.
If you work 5 days a week over 3 consecutive calendar months, it counts as your 88 days — even with days off here and there or lost shifts due to bad weather.
A lot of people assume their week off doesn't count. Wrong — it does, because it's part of a regular paid roster.
[Placeholder — waiting on the exact payslip/hours-to-days mechanism to rewrite this accurately. Currently still showing the simplified "4 weeks = 28 days" version, flagged as possibly wrong.]
You can also combine multiple jobs, short-term contracts, or piecework (paid by output), as long as the total is equivalent to working 5 days a week over 3 months (88 days).
Tip: keep every payslip. They're your proof if Immigration ever asks.
Approved regional areas
The work has to be done in specific areas approved by the government — basically, outside the major cities.
Regional Queensland
Farming and regional zones outside Brisbane.
Northern Territory
The whole territory is treated as a regional area.
Western Australia
Pilbara, Kimberley, Goldfields and other mining regions.
Select zones
Only specific zones — not the whole state counts.
Tips that help vs. mistakes that cost you your visa
Do this
- Start your specified work as early as you can — don't wait until your visa's about to run out.
- Keep every payslip, contract and timesheet.
- Spread your 88 days however you like, across one or several employers.
- Remember: the days don't need to be consecutive.
Avoid this
- Counting days you didn't actually work.
- Not keeping proof of your employment.
- Doing work that isn't eligible (e.g. domestic cleaning in the city).
- Not hitting the minimum hours when you're paid by output.
Stop counting on a notepad
Log your days worked below and know instantly how many you've got left. Free, no sign-up.
Can't see the calculator above? Open it in a new tab here.
Open the full calculator ↗Notice: this tool is an informational calculator based on public data and commonly accepted hour-to-day equivalence criteria for visa extensions. The FIFO Trainer is not responsible for calculation errors, misinterpretations, or changes in Australian immigration regulations. We recommend you always verify your situation or consult directly with the Department of Home Affairs.
Stop counting on a notepad
Log your days worked below and know instantly how many you've got left. Free, no sign-up.
Can't see the calculator above? Open it in a new tab here.
Open the full calculator ↗Notice: this tool is an informational calculator based on public data and commonly accepted hour-to-day equivalence criteria for visa extensions. The FIFO Trainer is not responsible for calculation errors, misinterpretations, or changes in Australian immigration regulations. We recommend you always verify your situation or consult directly with the Department of Home Affairs.