The third visa and the 179 days
How to get a third Working Holiday visa, how much work it takes, and when that work has to happen.
The rule, briefly
A third Working Holiday visa takes 179 days of specified work, which is six months. Twice the 88 the second one took.
The counting works exactly as it did for the second: full time means calendar days, casual and part time are counted in hours.
Timing matters more than anything
The 179 days must be done while you hold the second visa. Work done during the first does not count a second time, and work done before the second visa is granted does not count at all.
This is the mistake that costs a whole year. People who work through the waiting months between applications find those days sit outside the count, and by then there is no time to redo them.
Which jobs and which areas
The rules are the same as for the second visa: agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining and construction anywhere regional, plus tourism and hospitality only in the north and remote areas.
Six months is long, so almost nobody does it with one employer. You can add separate periods together, and the only thing that matters is that each one stands up on its own evidence.
What to prepare while you work
The same evidence as the second visa, over twice the time: payslips with the ABN, contracts, form 1263 signed at the end of every job.
With six months and several employers the odds of one piece being missing double. Collecting as you go is the only approach that works.
Count your 179 days
The app follows the third visa the way it follows the second: it keeps the periods of the right visa separate and tells you how much is genuinely left.
Count your 179 daysFAQ
Do my second-visa days count toward the third?
No. The 88 days you used to get the second visa are spent. The 179 have to be done fresh, while you are on the second.
Can I do the 179 days across several employers?
Yes, and almost everyone does. Each period still needs its own complete evidence.
How long can I stay in total?
Three visas get you to three years, as long as each step is done in the right order and the right window.