What is changing for the Australia Working Holiday visa in 2026?

Australia is introducing a ballot for second and third year Working Holiday Maker visas. Second-year places are capped at 45,000 and third-year places are limited to about 5,000, allocated by random selection. The existing regional work requirement remains, fees for second and third visas sit at AUD $1,000, and processing times are being stabilised at three months. British passport holders are not affected due to the UK free trade agreement.

Do I still need 88 days of specified work for a second year visa in 2026?

Yes. The 88 days (three months) of specified regional work requirement remains in place. Completing it is what makes you eligible to enter the ballot for a second year visa, and six months of specified work remains the requirement for the third year.

How do I count my 88 days correctly?

Count only full days of eligible specified work performed in an eligible regional postcode, for a legitimate employer with a valid ABN, and keep payslips as evidence. Piece-rate and part-time work must convert to a full day equivalent. The free 88 day calculator and AI payslip scanner verify postcode eligibility and count your days automatically.

How much does a second or third Working Holiday visa cost in 2026?

Second and third Working Holiday (subclass 417) and Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visas are priced at AUD $1,000 by the Department of Home Affairs, in addition to any ballot registration fee that applies.

Which postcodes count as regional work for the 88 days?

Eligible postcodes depend on the industry. Plant and animal cultivation counts in designated regional areas, while construction, mining, fishing, forestry, tourism and hospitality have their own postcode lists, including northern Australia and remote or very remote areas. Always verify the exact postcode of the workplace before starting.

WHV Australia 2026 Ballot: Everything About the Lottery for 2nd & 3rd Year Visas

The biggest change to the Working Holiday Maker program in years

In September 2026 the Australian Government announced a major overhaul of the Working Holiday Maker (WHM) program, which covers the Working Holiday visa (subclass 417) and the Work and Holiday visa (subclass 462).

Until now, if you completed your specified regional work you could simply apply for a second or third year visa. From the 2026 reforms onward, completing your 88 days only makes you eligible to enter a ballot — a random selection with a hard cap on places.

What the numbers actually say

| What | Before | Under the 2026 reforms | |---|---|---| | Second-year places | ~57,000 people qualified | capped at 45,000 | | Third-year places | uncapped | around 5,000, via ballot | | Regional work requirement | 88 days (2nd) / 6 months (3rd) | unchanged — still required | | Second & third visa fee | AUD $1,000 | AUD $1,000 (plus ballot registration fee) | | Processing time | variable | being stabilised at 3 months |

Read that middle row twice. The regional work requirement is not going away. It is now the entry ticket to a lottery instead of a guarantee.

Who is affected — and who is not

Affected: most 417 and 462 passport holders applying for a second or third year.
Not affected: British passport holders. Under the Australia–UK Free Trade Agreement, UK backpackers can stay two or three years without the 88 days of regional work, and the ballot changes do not apply to them.
First-year 462 applicants from ballot countries already deal with a separate pre-application ballot (registration in ImmiAccount, 18–30 inclusive, registration fee, 28 days to apply if selected).

How a ballot works in practice

Based on the existing 462 first-year ballot, expect a process along these lines:

Register an expression of interest online in ImmiAccount during a registration window.
Pay a registration fee — registrations without payment are not submitted.
Random selection. If you are selected you receive a notification letter.
Apply within the deadline (28 days in the current 462 ballot) using your registration ID, once only.
Miss the window and the registration expires — you may have to wait for the next program year.

Why your 88 days matter more than ever

When places were effectively unlimited, a sloppy day count was an annoyance: you worked a few more days and applied. With a capped ballot, the maths change completely.

If your evidence is short by even a few days, you cannot enter the ballot at all — and there may not be another chance this program year.
If a workplace postcode turns out to be ineligible, every day worked there can be struck out.
If an employer's ABN or payslip details do not hold up, those days are at risk too.
Fixing a shortfall takes weeks of regional work. Ballot windows do not wait for you.

Your 6-step readiness checklist

Verify the postcode before you start a job, not after. Eligibility depends on both the postcode and the industry.
Keep every payslip — digital copies, in one place, readable.
Confirm the ABN of each employer and that the work is genuinely specified work.
Log days as you go. Reconstructing six months of casual shifts from memory is where most claims fall apart.
Convert piece-rate and part-time work correctly into full-day equivalents.
Finish early. Aim to have your days banked well before the registration window opens, with a buffer.

Frequently asked questions

Does the ballot replace the 88 days? No. You still need 88 days (second year) or 6 months (third year) of specified work. The ballot decides who among eligible applicants gets a place.

Can I register more than once? In the existing 462 ballot, no — one registration per program year, and a withdrawn application cannot reuse the registration ID.

What if I turn 31 while waiting? In the current 462 ballot, you must lodge before your 31st birthday (AEST), but turning 31 after lodging does not stop a grant. Expect similar logic and check the official rules for your visa.

Are Brits really exempt? Yes — the UK free trade agreement means British backpackers are not subject to the regional work requirement or these ballot changes.

Official sources

Always confirm details on the Department of Home Affairs website — WHM program latest news and the subclass 417 / 462 visa pages. Rules and dates can change between announcement and implementation.

Next step: run your payslips through the scanner and see exactly how many verified days you actually have. Most backpackers are off by more than they expect.