Second-year visa: how to track your 88 days of specified work

The second-year (and third-year) working holiday visa is one of the best deals going — but it hinges on completing specified work and being able to prove it. Plenty of backpackers do the work and then can't document it, and the extension falls through. Don't be one of them.

What counts as specified work

• Plant and animal cultivation (farm work, fruit picking, fishing, tree farming)
• Construction, and some mining work
• Work in eligible regional postcodes — location matters as much as the job
• Check the current official list of eligible industries and postcodes before you commit to a job

The 88-day rule

You need 88 days of eligible work. Full-time, part-time and piece-rate days can count, but the rules on what makes a 'day' are specific — and cash-in-hand work that isn't properly paid and documented generally won't count toward your total.

Why documentation makes or breaks it

When you apply, you need evidence: payslips, your employer's ABN, dates, and the location of the work. Lost payslips, vague records, or being paid off the books are the classic ways a second-year application gets refused.

• Keep every payslip with the employer's ABN
• Record the dates and exact location of each block of work
• Make sure you're paid properly and on the books — it protects both your pay and your visa

How Tern helps

Tern stores your payslips with employer ABN and location and tracks your specified-work days as they add up — so when it's time to apply for your second year, your 88 days are documented and bulletproof.