Does my postcode count for the 88 days?
Your work only counts if the postcode where you physically worked is on the eligible list for your visa and your industry. Check it here.
By Borja Pérez · Updated October 2026
Quick answer: A postcode counts only if it is on the Home Affairs list for your visa and your industry, and what is checked is where you physically worked, not your employer's office. Farm work in a regional town often counts, but a bar job there usually does not, because tourism and hospitality need Northern, Remote or Very Remote Australia.
- Tourism and hospitality: Northern, Remote or Very Remote Australia, plus postcodes 4406, 4416, 4498 and 7215.
- All postcodes in South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are regional.
- Cairns (4870) and Darwin (0800) count for both farm work and hospitality; Adelaide (5000) and Dubbo (2830) count for farm work only.
- Melbourne (3000) and Sydney (2000) count for neither.
- Source: Home Affairs, specified work (417).
- Plant and animal cultivation (farm work)Counts
- ConstructionCounts
- Fishing and pearlingCounts
- Tree farming and fellingCounts
- MiningCounts
- Tourism and hospitalityCounts
- Bushfire recovery workCounts
- Natural disaster recovery workCounts
- Critical COVID-19 work in healthcareCounts
Based on the Home Affairs postcode tables last updated 24 September 2026. Bushfire and disaster recovery only count for work in declared areas within the dates set by Home Affairs. Always confirm on the official page before you apply.
How eligibility works
Home Affairs publishes six tables of postcodes. Which table applies depends on your industry, and for some industries on whether you hold a 417 or a 462:
| Area (table) | Industries that count there | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Regional Australia (Table 4) | 417: farm, fishing and pearling, tree farming, mining, construction. 462: farm and construction only | All of SA, Tasmania and the NT are regional |
| Northern Australia (Table 3) | 417: tourism and hospitality. 462: tourism and hospitality, farm, fishing and pearling, tree farming, construction | Parts of Queensland and WA, plus all of the NT |
| Remote and Very Remote (Tables 1–2) | Tourism and hospitality, both visas | Table 2 adds 4406, 4416, 4498 and 7215 |
| Bushfire declared areas (Table 5) | Bushfire recovery work after 31 July 2019, paid or volunteer | Both visas |
| Natural disaster declared areas (Table 6) | Flood, cyclone and other disaster recovery from 31 December 2021, paid or volunteer | Both visas |
| Anywhere in Australia | Critical COVID-19 work in healthcare after 31 January 2020 | No postcode list |
Source: specified work (417) and specified subclass 462 work, both last updated by Home Affairs on 24 September 2026; tables checked against the live pages on 7 October 2026.
Some well-known examples
| Place (postcode) | Farm work | Tourism and hospitality |
|---|---|---|
| Cairns (4870) | Counts | Counts |
| Darwin (0800) | Counts | Counts |
| Adelaide (5000) | Counts | Does not count |
| Dubbo (2830) | Counts | Does not count |
| Mildura (3500) | Counts | Does not count |
| Melbourne (3000) | Does not count | Does not count |
| Sydney (2000) | Does not count | Does not count |
The pattern that catches people out: a bar job in a small regional town usually doesn’t count, because hospitality needs Northern, Remote or Very Remote Australia, while farm work in the same town often does. And on a 462, fishing in Mildura does not count even though farm work there does.
Keep the postcode on your evidence
The case officer checks the postcode where you worked, so make sure your payslips or employer reference show the work site address. See what evidence to keep.
Frequently asked questions
Does hospitality work in a regional town count for the 88 days?
Not just because the town is regional. Tourism and hospitality only count in Northern, Remote or Very Remote Australia, plus four extra postcodes (4406, 4416, 4498 and 7215). Farm or construction work in the same town may count.
Is the postcode of my employer’s office what matters?
No. What is checked is the postcode where you physically did the work.
Are the eligible postcodes the same for 417 and 462 visas?
The postcode tables are identical, but which industries count in which area differs. For example, fishing and tree work count anywhere in regional Australia on a 417 but only in Northern Australia on a 462, and mining does not count on a 462.
Does all of South Australia and Tasmania count?
For plant and animal cultivation, construction and the other regional industries, all postcodes in South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory are regional. Tourism and hospitality follow a different, narrower list.
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.