Does Hospitality Count for 88 Days? (Northern & Remote Areas)

Short answer

Yes, but only in Northern Australia, Remote and Very Remote Australia, and four extra postcodes (4406, 4416, 4498 and 7215), for work done from 22 June 2021. Cafés, bars, hotels, hostels and tour jobs there count on both the 417 and 462 visa. Hospitality in most other places, including the big cities, doesn't.

Bartender making a cocktail behind a bar

Hospitality has counted towards the second and third year since 2021, but not everywhere. The rule is about where you work, and it’s one of the most misunderstood parts of the 88 days.

Where hospitality counts

“From 22 June 2021, tourism and hospitality work carried out within postcodes 4406, 4416, 4498 and 7215, Northern Australia or Remote and Very Remote Australia, is considered eligible specified work…”

Home Affairs, specified subclass 417 work

So there are three kinds of place:

Northern Australia: for example Cairns, Townsville, Darwin, Broome and the rest of the Top End.
Remote and Very Remote Australia: outback towns such as Alice Springs, Uluru, Coober Pedy and Exmouth.
Four extra postcodes: 4406, 4416, 4498 (Queensland) and 7215 (Tasmania).

Everywhere else, including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and most regional towns, hospitality doesn’t count, even if the same postcode counts for farm or construction work.

Which jobs count

Home Affairs lists three groups of services:

Accommodation: hotels, motels, B&Bs, backpacker hostels, caravan parks, camping grounds, housekeeping.
Food and beverage: cafés, restaurants, takeaways, catering, pubs, taverns, bars, hospitality clubs.
Services for tourists: tour guides and operators, outdoor and adventure instructors, tourist transport, galleries and museums, travel agencies, event and entertainment venues.

Its examples: “a chef in a restaurant”, “a guest service agent in a hotel”, “a dive instructor”, “a tour bus driver”.

417 or 462: both

Unlike mining (417 only), tourism and hospitality in these areas counts for both the 417 and the 462 visa.

The date: from 22 June 2021

Hospitality work done before 22 June 2021 doesn’t count under this rule. That only matters if your work goes back that far.

When to go

The north has a dry season, about May to October, which is peak tourist season, and a wet season, about November to April, when some remote tourism slows down. Most hospitality hiring up north happens just before and during the dry. See the best time to go.

Counting hospitality hours

Hospitality is usually casual with changing hours, so count from your payslips: 38 hours is a full week and counts as 7 days, and shorter weeks count in proportion. Read how casual work is counted.

Check the postcode first

The difference between “counts” and “doesn’t count” is often one postcode. Look up the exact postcode of the venue in the postcode checker. In the calculator, it’ll tell you straight away whether hospitality counts there on your visa.

Questions people also ask

Does working in a café in Cairns count?

Cairns (4870) is in Northern Australia, so tourism and hospitality work there counts for both 417 and 462 visas, for work done from 22 June 2021.

Does hospitality in Bundaberg or Byron Bay count?

Not as hospitality. Those postcodes are on the regional list for farm, construction and other work, but not on the Northern or remote lists that cover tourism and hospitality. Check the exact postcode.

Do I need to be on a 417 or a 462?

Either. Tourism and hospitality in Northern Australia and remote areas counts for both visas.

Does a bar job in Darwin count?

Darwin is in Northern Australia, so pubs, taverns and bars there are listed as tourism and hospitality work.

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.

Does hospitality count for the 88 days?