Does mining count for 88 days? FIFO, shutdowns and 12-hour shifts
Short answer
Yes, on a 417 visa, in a listed regional postcode. Mining includes mining support services and cleaning, not just operators. It doesn't count on a 462 visa. Counted from payslips, 84 hours (7 × 12-hour shifts) covers a full fortnight, and a month can count at most the days it has.
Mining is one of the best-paid ways to do your specified work, and a lot of Working Holiday makers do it: plant labouring, wash-down, scaffolding, rope access, site cleaning. It counts, with two big conditions: you need a 417 visa, and the work has to be in a listed postcode.
What counts as mining
“Mining for the purposes of specified work can be defined as coal mining, oil and gas extraction, metal ore mining, and mining for other construction materials.”
Home Affairs, specified subclass 417 work
The page then adds “non-metallic mineral mining and quarrying”, “exploration” and, importantly:
“mining support services (including cleaning services).”
So you don’t have to drive a haul truck. Support crews on a mine site count. Some websites say cleaning doesn’t count. The Home Affairs text says it does.
417 only
Mining is in the regional Australia list for the 417 Working Holiday visa. The 462 Work and Holiday visa lists don’t include mining at all. On a 462, a mine job won’t count, however long you work.
Where: the mine site’s postcode
Specified work counts by where you do the work. If you fly in and out of Perth, Perth’s postcode isn’t on the list, but the mine sites usually are. For example, Karratha (6714), Port Hedland (6721), Newman (6753), Tom Price (6751) and Kalgoorlie (6430) are all listed for mining on a 417. Check the exact postcode of your site.
If your payslips show the company’s city office, ask for a letter that names the site and its postcode.
How shutdowns and 12-hour shifts count
Shutdown work is usually casual, in bursts of long shifts. Two parts of the rule matter:
- A day is the normal shift for the job. Home Affairs’ nurse example works three 12-hour shifts a week and meets the requirement, because that’s normal in the industry.
- One calendar day is one day at most. A 12-hour shift isn’t two days on its own.
Counting from payslips at 38 hours = 7 days:
| Payslip | Hours | Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week, 7 × 12-hour shifts | 84 | a full fortnight of days |
| 1 fortnight, 7 × 12-hour shifts | 84 | the whole fortnight (14 days) |
| 1 month, 17 × 12-hour shifts | 204 | the whole month |
The limit is the calendar: a month can’t count more days than it has, and you still need at least 88 calendar days from first day to last.
Rosters: 7 on 7 off, 2 and 1, 14 and 14
If you’re on a full-time roster, Home Affairs says the rest days count too, provided the roster is standard in the industry and you’re paid for the whole period:
“…if your full time paid employment contract involves 2 weeks rostered on for every day and then 2 weeks rostered off as rest days, provided this is standard practice in the industry, and you are paid for this whole period, then all 4 weeks (28 days) can be counted…”
Keep a copy of your contract or roster.
Evidence for mine work
Payslips are the main proof. For mining, also keep:
- a letter from your employer naming the site and postcode, your role, and your dates;
- your roster or contract if you’re on a FIFO roster;
- bank statements that match the payslips.
More on what evidence to keep.
Count your shutdowns
In the 88-day calculator, add a job with the mine site’s postcode, pick Mining, choose 417, then enter each payslip’s dates and hours. Weeks with no work need no payslip.
Questions people also ask
Does mining count on a 462 visa?
No. Mining is listed for the 417 visa in regional Australia. The 462 lists don't include mining.
Does cleaning or labouring on a mine site count?
Yes. Home Affairs lists 'mining support services (including cleaning services)' as eligible mining work. Plant labourers, wash-down crews, scaffolders and rope access workers on a mine site are mining support work.
I'm casual on shutdowns. Do the weeks off count?
Counting from payslips, a week of 7 × 12-hour shifts is 84 hours, which covers a full fortnight. So a week off after a big week is covered, within the same month. Keep every payslip.
Does my Perth address count if I fly in to the mine?
What counts is where the work is done. Perth itself isn't on the list, but mine sites in the Pilbara and Goldfields are. Use the mine site's postcode, and ask your employer for a letter that names the site.
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
How many hours is 88 days? Is there a 30 or 35-hour rule?
There's no official hours rule for the 88 days, but 38 hours is a full week. That makes 88 days about 478 hours. What the 30 and 35-hour 'rules' really are.
Visa rules417 vs 462: what counts as specified work on each visa?
The 417 and 462 visas count different work in different places. Mining is 417 only. On a 462, fishing and tree farming count only up north. A clear comparison.
EvidenceWhat evidence do you need for your 88 days?
What proof Home Affairs lists for your 88 or 179 days: payslips, bank statements, payment summaries, employer references. What to keep and how to organise it.