Third Australian subclass 462 visa: Which six months of work can you count?

A third Work and Holiday visa requires at least six months of eligible specified subclass 462 work. Start with your second 462 grant notice and put your visa dates beside your work dates. If you stayed with the same employer across a change in visa status, divide the records at that change and check each period separately.

Split work records at the visa change

Record your second visa dates and any relevant bridging visa grant and commencement dates. Add the dates when you began work, changed duties or moved to another site. Some work on a bridging visa can qualify in circumstances specified by Home Affairs. Use the Department’s guidance and your own visa records to check those circumstances.

Suppose a payslip covers 17 to 30 June and your visa status changes on 24 June. Keep the full payslip as evidence, then use your roster to list the shifts from 17 to 23 June separately from the shifts from 24 to 30 June. This lets you assess each period without losing the link to the original pay record.

Check elapsed time and actual shifts

Home Affairs measures six months as the equivalent of the six shortest calendar months, with a minimum period of 179 calendar days. You also need to complete the number of workdays or shifts that a full-time employee in the same role and industry would normally complete in that period. Normal rest days can count in qualifying continuous full-time employment. Where hours vary or jobs overlap, track actual shifts and flag overlapping dates. For work at multiple sites, record the address and duties for each location and check them against the subclass 462 list.

Match each period to evidence

Create a row for each period with the visa held, employer, duties, worksite postcode, start and end dates, and shifts. Link that row to the grant notice, payslips, rosters, bank deposits and any employer statement. If a late bank deposit covers two pay periods, match it to both payslips. If your roster and payslip list different locations, get an employer statement that identifies the actual worksite.

Before lodging, check the age requirement of 18 to 30 inclusive, your previous second 462 visa record and the conditions that apply where you are lodging. If your current visa is about to expire or you intend to travel, review the Department’s lodgement guidance and your current visa details first. Premiervisa Group can review a timeline alongside your grant notices and work records.

Policy checked on 6 November 2026. See Home Affairs third subclass 462 visa and specified subclass 462 work. If you are preparing your second application, see the second subclass 462 guide.