How the 88 days are counted
Weekends, part-time work, overtime, second jobs, rain days and rosters — how Home Affairs turns your work into days, with worked examples.
By Borja Pérez · Updated October 2026
Quick answer: The 88 days (179 for a third visa) are calendar days, not shifts: weekends inside a period of full-time work count, part-time work counts as a proportion of full-time, and each calendar day counts once even with two jobs. Days you are stood down without pay, such as rain days, do not count.
- Full-time work from 1 January to 29 March counts as 88 days.
- Part-time example: 5 days a fortnight for 122 calendar days counts as 61 days.
- The requirement cannot be met in under three calendar months (six for the 179 days).
- Paid public holidays and paid leave count; unpaid stand-down days do not.
- Source: Home Affairs, specified work (417).
To get a second Working Holiday visa you need 88 days of specified work; for a third, 179 days. Those numbers are not “88 shifts”. They are calendar days, and the way Home Affairs counts them depends on whether you work full-time or part-time. Get this wrong and you can end up a few weeks short when you apply.
The basic rule: calendar days, not shifts
Home Affairs defines three months as the three shortest calendar months of the year — 88 days — and six months as the six shortest — 179 days. The days include weekends or equivalent rest days. So if you work full-time for 88 calendar days in a row, you’re done, even though you only worked about 63 of them.
Two limits stop you rushing it. You can never count more than one day per calendar day, and you can’t complete the requirement in a total period shorter than three calendar months (six for the 179 days).
What “full-time” means
Full-time is the normal number of hours for that job in that industry. It is not a fixed 7.5 or 8 hours. The official examples accept working days of 5 to 9 hours and 12-hour shifts, as long as that is the standard for the role. Overtime does not create extra days.
Part-time work counts as a proportion
If you work part-time, Home Affairs does not count only the days you worked. It counts the proportion of full-time work over the calendar period. In its own example, working 5 days a fortnight for 122 calendar days is half of full-time, so it counts as 61 days.
Home Affairs gives examples rather than a formula, so treat part-time totals as an estimate and keep a clear record of your rosters.
Worked examples
| Situation | How it counts | Days |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time on a farm, 1 January to 29 March | Every calendar day in the period | 88 |
| Part-time, 5 days a fortnight for 122 calendar days | Half of full-time over the period | 61 |
| Two jobs on the same 10 days | One day per calendar day, maximum | 10 |
| Full-time for 30 days, 5 of them stood down unpaid for rain | Unpaid days are left out | 25 |
| Roster of 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off, paid and usual in the industry | All 28 days of the cycle count | 28 per cycle |
| Volunteer flood recovery, 20 days worked in a declared area | One day for each day worked | 20 |
Based on the examples on the official subclass 417 and subclass 462 specified work pages (checked 7 October 2026).
Rain days, leave and public holidays
Paid public holidays and paid leave count. Days you are stood down without pay — the classic case is a picking job that stops for bad weather — do not.
Piece rates
Piecework counts, full-time or part-time, even when your hours change with the weather or how fast the crop ripens. The official example counts every day worked with 5 to 8 hours. Keep your piecework agreement: Home Affairs asks for one that shows the piece rate and how it is measured.
Splitting it up across jobs
The days don’t have to be continuous or with one employer. You can mix full-time and part-time periods across the life of your visa. What matters is that each job is in an eligible industry and eligible postcode for your visa, that it is paid properly, and that you can prove it.
Frequently asked questions
Do weekends count towards the 88 days?
Yes, if you work full-time. The 88 days are calendar days, so the weekends and normal rest days inside a period of full-time work count. Part-time work is counted as a proportion of full-time instead.
Can I finish my 88 days in less than three months?
No. You can never count more than one day per calendar day, and the requirement cannot be met in a total period shorter than three calendar months (six for the 179 days).
Do rain days count?
Days you are stood down without pay, for example because of bad weather, do not count. Paid public holidays and paid leave do.
Does working two jobs on the same day count as two days?
No. Even with several employers, each calendar day counts as one day at most.
This guide is general information, not migration, tax or legal advice. Only the Department of Home Affairs decides whether your work counts towards a visa. Rules change; always check the official pages before you apply. See our methodology and disclaimer.