Does Hospitality Work Count for a Second Working Holiday Visa?

Yes, but only in some places. Since 22 June 2021, tourism and hospitality work counts as specified work for a second or third working holiday visa when it is done in Northern Australia or in Remote and Very Remote Australia. A hotel or bar job in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth city does not count, however many hours you work. This applies to both the Working Holiday visa, subclass 417 and the Work and Holiday visa, subclass 462.

Whether a job counts is decided by the postcode of the workplace, not by the employer's description of the job. Before you accept a job for this reason, check the postcode yourself.

Home Affairs lists tourism and hospitality work in three groups. Accommodation, such as hotels, motels, backpacker hostels, caravan parks, camping grounds and commercial housekeeping. Food and beverage, such as cafés, restaurants, bars and pubs. And tourism services that serve tourists directly, such as tour guiding and tourist transport. The full list of jobs is on the official specified work page.

Reception, waiting tables, bartending, housekeeping and kitchen work in these places can all qualify, as long as the workplace is in an eligible area.

The specified work pages for the 417 and 462 visas list the eligible postcodes for Northern Australia and for Remote and Very Remote Australia. Find the exact postcode of the place where you will work, not the employer's head office, and look for it in the tourism and hospitality lists.

Do not use the regional Australia list for this. That list is for other kinds of specified work, such as farm work, and is wider than the one that applies to hospitality. A job advert saying a role is "88-day eligible" is not proof; the official list is.

For a second visa you need at least 3 months of specified work. Home Affairs explains that this means the equivalent of the three shortest calendar months, a minimum of 88 calendar days, including weekends or rest days during your employment. For a third visa you need at least 6 months, done while you hold your second visa. You do not have to do it all in one go or with one employer. Source: Home Affairs

Part-time and casual work is counted by full-time equivalent days, not by the calendar dates between your first and last shift. Two short shifts a week for three months is not three months of specified work. The official page has worked examples of how to count.

All specified work must be paid in line with Australian workplace law. Unpaid trials, work in exchange for a bed, or pay below the legal minimum do not count, and can leave you without the visa you were working towards. Keep your payslips and your employment details: you may need them as evidence when you apply. Source: Home Affairs

For hotels and resorts, the legal minimum is usually set by the Hospitality Award. Our Australia career guide lists the current rates.

If you hold a United Kingdom passport, you do not need to do any specified work for a second or third Working Holiday visa, as long as you apply on or after 1 July 2024 using your UK passport. You can work in any job, anywhere in Australia, and still apply for the next visa. Source: Home Affairs

This is a separate rule that is often confused with specified work. Working holiday visas normally limit you to six months with the same employer. Since 1 January 2024, you can work longer than six months for one employer without asking permission if the work is in tourism and hospitality, anywhere in Australia. Home Affairs says this applies until the government makes further decisions. Source: Home Affairs

So a hotel job in Sydney can let you stay with the same employer for more than six months, but it still does not count towards a second visa.

Ask for the exact address and postcode of the workplace, and check it against the official list. Confirm your pay rate and whether you are casual or permanent. Make sure you will get payslips. If you will serve alcohol, ask which state's RSA you need and whether the employer arranges it.

Visa rules change, so read the official pages again before you apply. This article explains the rules; it is not migration advice, and only Home Affairs decides whether your work counts.

Good English helps in every hospitality job in Australia. Our Hospitality English course and its exam are free; the certificate costs €7.99 after passing. It is a knowledge assessment, not proof of English for your visa, and it replaces no legal requirement. For pay rates, RSA rules by state and seasonal work, see our Australia career guide.