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What evidence do you need for your 88 days?

Updated · 2 min read · Checked against Home Affairs on 21 October 2026

Short answer

Home Affairs lists payslips, Australian bank statements for the same period, piece rate agreements, payment summaries, tax returns and employer references. The proof must cover every period you worked. Payslips that match your bank deposits are the backbone; a letter naming the work site and postcode helps when payslips show a city office.

Hand picking ripe strawberries into a punnet

Counting your days is half the job. The other half is being able to show them. The good news is that Home Affairs publishes exactly what it accepts.

What Home Affairs lists

On the second Working Holiday visa page, under “Proof of specified subclass 417 work”, it says the proof “must cover all periods you worked” and that you can include any of:

  • pay slips
  • Australian bank statements covering the period of declared specified work
  • piece rate agreement with your employer, if you were paid piece rates (“must show the pay rate per piece and how it is measured”)
  • group certificates
  • payment summaries
  • tax returns
  • employer references
  • a written and signed agreement setting out any lawful deductions in pay

“Note: We might contact your employer(s) to check your work claims.”

Home Affairs, second Working Holiday visa

Collect it while you work

Home Affairs asks you to “provide proof that you have completed 3 months of specified subclass 417 work” (6 months for a third visa), covering every period you claim. Collect it as you go. Chasing an old employer for payslips a year later is hard, and some businesses close or change hands.

What a strong set of evidence looks like

  1. Every payslip, for every job, in date order. Check each one when you get it: your name, the dates, the hours, the employer’s ABN.
  2. Bank statements showing each pay going in. Matching deposits make the payslips believable.
  3. A letter from each employer on letterhead: your name, role, start and end dates, the address and postcode where you worked, and the normal hours for the role.
  4. Your contract or roster, if you’re on a roster or counting rest days.
  5. A piece rate agreement, if you were paid per bin or per kilo.

Common problems

  • The payslip shows a city address. Labour hire and mining companies often put the head office on payslips. The work location is what counts, so get a letter naming the site and postcode.
  • Cash work with no payslips. Work must be paid in line with Australian law and awards. Cash in hand without records is very hard to prove, and is often underpaid.
  • Payslips that don’t match the bank. If the numbers don’t line up, expect questions.
  • Gaps you can’t explain. Weeks with no work are fine. Just don’t claim them.

Volunteer disaster recovery

Volunteer bushfire or flood recovery work has no payslip. Home Affairs asks for a signed letter from your volunteer coordinator or host including your personal details (with passport number), your duties, the location including postcodes, and the number of days you helped.

Make the count match the evidence

If you count your days from the same payslips you’ll show Immigration, the two will agree. Add them to the 88-day calculator one by one, and keep the “Show the maths” breakdown with your records.

Questions people also ask

Do I have to provide evidence with my application?

Home Affairs asks you to provide proof that you completed your specified work, and says the proof must cover all periods you worked. It also says it might contact your employers to check. Keep everything from day one.

My payslips show the company's head office, not the farm. Is that a problem?

It can cause questions, because the work location is what counts. Ask your employer for a signed letter on letterhead with your name, role, dates and the address and postcode where you actually worked.

I was paid by piece rate. What do I need?

Keep your signed piece rate agreement. Home Affairs says it must show the pay rate per piece and how it's measured.

What do I need for volunteer disaster recovery work?

A signed letter from the volunteer coordinator or host with your personal details including passport number, a description of your duties, the location including postcode(s), and the number of days you helped.

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

Counting days

I work casual. How do my 88 days count?

Casual and part-time work counts for your 88 days, in proportion to a full-time week. How to count it from payslip hours, with the official Karla example.

 Types of work

Does mining count for 88 days? FIFO, shutdowns and 12-hour shifts

Mining counts for 88 days on a 417 visa (not 462), including mining support services and cleaning. How FIFO rosters, shutdowns and 12-hour shifts count.

 Visa rules

How 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.