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The go-to tool backpackers are using to count their 88 days

How to Count Your 88 Days to Extend Your Work and Holiday Visa in Australia

How the 88 Days Really Work in Australia

If you're in Australia on a Working Holiday visa (subclass 417 or 462) and want to extend your stay, one of the key requirements is completing 88 days of specified work.

In this article, we explain clearly and with up-to-date information how to meet this requirement, what counts as specified work, and how the days are calculated.

What Jobs Count and How to Track Your 88 Days

Only certain jobs and locations are eligible. Some examples include:

  • Fruit picking and farm work in rural areas
  • Civil construction in approved regional zones
  • Mining and FIFO/DIDO camp services
  • Fishing and pearling
  • Forestry and plantation work
  • Bushfire recovery jobs
  • Disaster recovery work in affected areas
  • Tourism and hospitality in northern or remote regions

Tip: FIFO work is eligible, but you must ensure your employer is located in an approved regional area.

How to Count the 88 Days

How to Complete the 88 Days of Work to Extend Your Working Holiday Visa in Australia

One of the most common misconceptions is thinking you just need to work 88 consecutive days. The truth is, it’s not that simple.


How Are the 88 Days Counted?

You can reach the 88 days in different ways, depending on your contract:

Full-Time Work

  • If you work 5 days per week over 3 consecutive calendar months (even with days off or bad weather), it counts as 88 days.

FIFO Roster Work (e.g. 2/2)

  • A common mistake is thinking that the week off doesn’t count toward the 88 days, but it does because it’s part of a regular paid roster.

If your contract follows a 2-weeks-on, 2-weeks-off schedule (common in mining and construction), and you’re paid for the full period, all 4 weeks count as 28 days — as long as this roster is standard for the industry.

Part-Time or Short-Term Work

  • You can also combine multiple jobs, part-time contracts, or piecework (paid by output), as long as the total is equivalent to working 5 days per week over a 3-month period (88 days).

Recommendation:

Don’t forget to keep all your payslips.

Approved Regional Areas for Specified Work

The work must be done in specific areas approved by the government. These regions are outside major cities and are usually located in:

Queensland rural

Northern Territory

Western Australia (Pilbara, Kimberley, Goldfields, etc.)

Some parts of South Australia, New South Wales (NSW), and Victoria

You can check if a location is eligible here

Avoid mistakes and secure your visa

Key Tips

Tips to Complete Your 88 Days

  • Don’t wait until the end of your visa to start your specified work. Weather, illness, or lack of jobs can stop you from completing it on time.
  • Keep your payslips, contracts, and timesheets. They’re essential proof for Immigration.
  • You can spread your 88 days across your entire visa period, working for one or several employers.
  • The days don’t need to be consecutive.

Common Mistakes When Counting Valid Work Days for Your Work and Holiday Visa

  • Counting days when you didn’t actually work
  • Not keeping proof of your employment (payslips, contracts, etc.)
  • Doing non-eligible work (e.g. domestic cleaning in cities)
  • Not working enough hours when paid by output or piecework

How to Keep Track of Your 88 Days

Manually adding up your days or writing them down in a notebook can lead to mistakes — and those mistakes could cost you your visa.

That’s why we created a free calculator to help you log your actual hours and know exactly how many days you still need.

Simple and Convenient

Calculate Your 88 Days Here

The perfect tool to track your progress

and extend your visa

Important 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.

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