Second year visa ballot: do you still need 88 days?
Yes. What the Government announced on 17 September 2026, what is still unknown, and what to do with your regional work now.
The short answer
Yes. On 17 September 2026 the Minister for Home Affairs announced that second and third year Working Holiday visas will move to a ballot, and that the regional work requirement stays as it is: 88 days for a second year, six months for a third.
What changes is what those days get you. Today, 88 valid days and a complete application lead to a second visa. Under the announced system, they get you a place in the ballot.
What was announced
The second year ballot will be limited to 45,000 places. For comparison, the Minister said about 57,000 people qualified for a second year last year.
The third year ballot will be limited to 5,000 places, against about 31,000 people in that group last year.
To enter either ballot you will still need the regional work: 88 days of specified work for the second year, six months for the third. The Minister said this will not change.
What is not decided yet
As of 19 October 2026 there is no start date, no registration process and no published legislation for the second and third year ballot. The Department of Home Affairs news page for the Working Holiday Maker program does not describe it yet.
So nobody can tell you today when the ballot opens, how you register, or whether applications lodged before a certain date will be treated differently. Be careful with any website that gives a date: it is not in the official sources.
Until new rules are published, the current process applies.
Why your 88 days matter even more now
With a ballot, a missing day is not just a delay. It can be the difference between being in the draw and not being in it.
A counting mistake that you once fixed with a few more days of work could cost you your chance. The safest position is to know your exact count, keep every payslip, and finish with a small margin.
What to do now
Keep working towards your 88 days as if nothing changed, because for eligibility nothing did.
Check the postcode of every workplace, and keep payslips that show your hours, the dates and the employer ABN.
If you are already eligible and wondering about timing, ask a registered migration agent before deciding anything. Do not plan around rumours about cut off dates.
Follow the Department of Home Affairs pages listed below: that is where the ballot rules will be published.
Check your 88 days for free
The free calculator shows in a minute which of your days count and how many you still need, so you know where you stand before the ballot opens. No account needed.
Check your 88 days for freeFAQ
Is the second year visa ballot already law?
No. It was announced on 17 September 2026, but as of 19 October 2026 no legislation, registration process or start date has been published.
Do I still need 88 days for my second year visa?
Yes. According to the announcement, you will need 88 days of specified regional work to qualify for the second year ballot, exactly as you need them today.
How many second year visas will there be?
The announcement sets the second year ballot at 45,000 places. About 57,000 people qualified last year.
What about the third year visa?
The third year ballot is set at 5,000 places, down from about 31,000 people last year. You will still need six months of specified work done on your second visa.
Does the ballot also apply to subclass 462 visas?
The announcement talks about the Working Holiday Maker program as a whole, but the detailed rules have not been published. Check the Department of Home Affairs pages before planning around it.