Short answer
Farm work (Home Affairs calls it plant and animal cultivation) counts on both visas: picking and packing fruit and vegetables, pruning for commercial crops, livestock, dairy, shearing and more. It counts in regional Australia on a 417, and in Northern Australia and specified regional areas on a 462. Winemaking, brewing, processed meats and general gardening don't count.
417 or 462: where it counts
| Visa | Where farm work counts |
|---|---|
| 417 Working Holiday | Counts in regional Australia (Table 4), which includes all of South Australia, Tasmania and the Northern Territory and most of the other states outside the big cities. |
| 462 Work and Holiday | Counts in Northern Australia and the specified regional areas listed for the 462 visa. |
What counts
“Plant and animal cultivation can be defined as the harvesting and/or packing of fruit and vegetable crops, as well as the immediate processing of animal products including shearing, butchery, packing, and tanning.”
Home Affairs, specified work
Examples Home Affairs gives:
- picking fruit on an orchard
- cultivating or propagating plants, fungi or their products or parts
- immediate processing of plant products, such as packing
- pruning and trimming vines and trees for commercial fruit and nut crops (as your main task)
- manufacturing dairy produce from raw material
- horse breeding and stud farming
- raising animals to sell them or their produce
- feeding and herding cattle on a farm
- conservation and environmental reforestation work
- zoo work involving plant or animal cultivation
What doesn't count
- secondary processing: winemaking, brewing and distillation, milling, making small goods such as processed meats
- retail of dairy or butchery products
- general garden maintenance
- unpaid farm stays and WWOOFing (work must be paid at the legal rate)
How the days count
- Piecework counts. Home Affairs' examples include pickers on piece rates working 5 to 8-hour days, which count as full days when that's normal for the job.
- Rain days you aren't paid for don't count. Plan a buffer for the wet season.
- Keep your piece rate agreement: Home Affairs says it must show the rate per piece and how it's measured.
- Harvests run at different times in each region, so there's picking somewhere all year. See the harvest calendar guide.
Well-known places where it counts
Each of these is on the official list for farm work on a 417 visa. Check the page for the 462 and any date conditions.
- 4670 Bundaberg, QLD
- 3500 Mildura, VIC
- 3630 Shepparton, VIC
- 2680 Griffith, NSW
- 4380 Stanthorpe, QLD
- 4854 Tully, QLD
- 4805 Bowen, QLD
- 6701 Carnarvon, WA
- 7109 Huonville, TAS
- 5253 Murray Bridge, SA
Listed postcodes by state
| State | 417 | 462 |
|---|---|---|
| Victoria | 440 | 440 |
| South Australia | 341 | 341 |
| Queensland | 295 | 295 |
| New South Wales | 291 | 291 |
| Western Australia | 275 | 275 |
| Tasmania | 115 | 115 |
| Northern Territory | 34 | 34 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 1 | 1 |
Number of postcodes with their own page where farm work is listed. PO-box-only postcodes aren't counted.
Questions people also ask
Does working in a packing shed count?
Yes. Packing fruit and vegetables is part of plant and animal cultivation, as long as the shed is in a listed postcode.
Does working at a winery count?
Work in the vineyard (picking, pruning, trimming vines) can count. Winemaking itself is secondary processing and doesn't count.
Does working in a meatworks count?
Immediate processing of animal products such as butchery and packing is listed. Making processed meats and small goods, and retail butchery, aren't.
Sources
General information, not immigration advice. Checked against Home Affairs on 21 October 2026.