How do you apply for a second or third year visa?
Short answer
You apply online in ImmiAccount once your specified work is done (88 days for a second visa, 179 for a third). As listed by Home Affairs in October 2026, the visa costs AUD 1,000 and takes about three months on average. You can apply in or outside Australia. If you apply in Australia, you usually get a bridging visa while you wait.
Once your days are done, the application itself is straightforward. Here’s the process as Home Affairs describes it, with the details people most often get wrong.
Before you apply: check you’re ready
- Your specified work is complete: 88 days for a second visa, 179 for a third (done on your second visa, from 1 July 2019). Count yours in the calculator.
- Your age: 18 to 30, or up to 35 for some countries. You must lodge before midnight AEST the day before your 31st (or 36th) birthday.
- Your evidence: payslips for every period you’re claiming, plus anything else that supports them. See how many payslips you need.
- Money: Home Affairs says you need enough to support yourself and leave Australia, “usually about AUD5,000” plus your fare out.
The steps
- Log in to ImmiAccount (or create an account) on the Home Affairs website.
- Start a new application for the second or third Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) visa.
- Fill in your specified work: each employer, the dates, the postcode where you worked and the type of work. Disaster recovery work has its own employment types (“flood recovery - paid” or “flood recovery - volunteer”).
- Attach your documents: passport pages, proof of specified work, and anything else the form asks for.
- Pay the fee: AUD 1,000, as listed by Home Affairs in October 2026.
- Wait for the decision. If you applied in Australia, you’ll usually get a bridging visa so you can stay while it’s processed.
Cost
| Visa | Cost (Home Affairs, October 2026) |
|---|---|
| Second Working Holiday (417) | AUD 1,000 |
| Third Working Holiday (417) | AUD 1,000 |
| Second or third Work and Holiday (462) | AUD 1,000 |
Fees change, so check the visa page on the day you apply.
How long it takes
“The average processing time is expected to be around three months. Do not book flights or make travel, work or study commitments until we grant your visa.”
Home Affairs, second Working Holiday visa
Home Affairs also has a processing time guide tool on each visa page.
In or outside Australia?
You can apply from either, but:
- you must be in the same place when it’s granted: in Australia if you applied in Australia, outside if you applied outside;
- a bridging visa is only possible if you were in Australia when you applied;
- if you apply outside Australia and then come in on another visa, you can’t get a bridging visa linked to that application.
When your 12 months start
- In Australia on your first visa (or its bridging visa): you can stay up to 12 months from the date your first visa expired, or would have expired.
- Outside Australia: your 12 months start when you enter Australia, and you must enter within 12 months of the grant. Home Affairs says it can’t extend or defer that.
- Time spent outside Australia after your visa starts doesn’t extend it.
Common mistakes
- Applying with days that don’t add up. Count from your payslips, not from memory.
- Wrong postcode. Use where you worked, not the employer’s office.
- Booking flights before the grant. Home Affairs warns against it.
- Leaving it too late. The age cut-off is the day before your birthday.
UK passport holders
If you apply on or after 1 July 2024 with a UK passport, you don’t need specified work at all. See UK passport holders.
Questions people also ask
How much does the second year visa cost?
Home Affairs lists AUD 1,000 for a second or third Working Holiday (417) or Work and Holiday (462) visa, as of October 2026. Check the visa page when you apply, as fees change.
How long does the second year visa take?
Home Affairs says the average processing time is expected to be around three months, and asks you not to book flights or make travel, work or study commitments until the visa is granted.
Can I apply for my second year visa while I'm still in Australia?
Yes. You can apply in or outside Australia, but you must be in the same place (in or outside Australia) when the visa is granted as when you applied.
When does my second year visa start?
If you're in Australia on your first visa (or the bridging visa after it), Home Affairs says you can stay up to 12 months from the date your first visa expired or would have expired. If you're outside Australia, your 12 months start when you enter, and you must enter within 12 months of the grant.
Is there an age limit?
Yes. You must be 18 to 30 (or up to 35 for some countries) when you apply, and lodge before midnight AEST the day before your 31st (or 36th) birthday.
Sources
General information, not immigration advice. Aussie Days is independent and not affiliated with the Australian Government. Always check the official Home Affairs pages before you rely on anything here.
Keep reading
How many payslips do you need for your 88 days?
There's no fixed number of payslips for your 88 or 179 days: the proof must cover every period you worked. Usually 13 weekly or 7 fortnightly for 88 days.
EvidenceWhat evidence do you need for your 88 days?
What proof Home Affairs lists for your 88 or 179 days: payslips, bank statements, payment summaries, employer references. What to keep and how to organise it.
Visa rulesHow do the 179 days for a third year visa work?
For a third Working Holiday visa you need 6 months (179 days) of specified work, done on your second visa, from 1 July 2019. Rules, bridging visas and examples.