462 specified work evidence in 2026: payslips, Form 1464 and minimum wage checks

For a second Work and Holiday (subclass 462) visa, the work requirement is proved with documents rather than a statement: payslips, any written piece-rate agreement that governed the job, and Form 1464 (Employment verification), which policy treats as optional but recommended. All three have to point at the same facts — eligible work, in an eligible location and industry, for at least the required period, paid at or above Australian minimum rates including casual loading. Clause 462.218 of the Migration Regulations 1994 (Subclass 462) requires a second-visa applicant to have carried out specified Subclass 462 work of at least 3 months with remuneration that complies with Australian law and not performed for an excluded employer; the Department of Home Affairs' Procedures Advice Manual (PAM3) guidance for subclass 462 treats that 3 months as 88 calendar days. This article explains how the rules work in general terms and is not advice on any individual case, so confirm your own position against the official pages or with a registered migration professional.

What counts as specified Subclass 462 work?

The requirement bites on the second and third visas, not the first. A first subclass 462 visa carries no work requirement; the obligation appears once you have held one 462 visa and apply again.

• Second visa (clause 462.218): at least 3 months of specified Subclass 462 work, read in policy as 88 calendar days, done on or after that provision's commencement, paid in accordance with Australian law and industry standards, and not for an excluded employer.
• Third visa (clause 462.219): at least 6 months of specified Subclass 462 work, carried out while the holder held the second 462 visa (or a related bridging visa), with the same pay and excluded-employer conditions.
• COVID-19-affected visas are left out of the count of 462 visas held (clauses 462.218(2) and 462.219(2)), and a person generally cannot hold the visa in Australia more than twice (clause 462.224).

The work itself has to be "specified" — that is an industry and location test as well as a duration test, and both are decided against the evidence you lodge.

How is the three-month period calculated?

Policy counts calendar days, not hours or shifts. Several separate jobs can be added together, which is why record-keeping across employers matters more than any single contract.

• Periods with different employers and in different eligible industries can be combined.
• Each engagement must be at least one normal working day.
• Working for more than one employer on the same calendar day counts as one day only.
• Paid sick leave counts. So do days on which you were paid even though weather stopped the work.
• Unpaid rest days do not count.

Assume an applicant who picks fruit under a piece-rate agreement for six weeks, then takes a paid hospitality job in a listed postcode for another six weeks. Both periods can be added, provided the paid days, the industry and the location each stand up on the documents.

Does the work have to be in Northern Australia?

Yes. The work must be done in Northern Australia — the Northern Territory, and the parts of Queensland and Western Australia north of the Tropic of Capricorn — and the test is applied by postcode list. Where a job is performed across several postcodes, having the actual work site in one listed postcode is enough; the employer's registered office or head office location is not the point.

Which industries count, and which are excluded?

Two broad categories qualify: agriculture (plant and animal cultivation, fishing, tree planting and similar work) and tourism and hospitality, where the role must match the relevant ANZSCO code. The boundaries are drawn narrowly, and several jobs that people assume qualify do not.

General garden maintenance, agricultural administration, retail and cleaning are outside the definition — with one exception: cleaning in commercial accommodation can count. So the job title on a payslip is rarely decisive; the duties and, for tourism and hospitality roles, the classification are what the decision-maker looks at.

Which documents prove the work?

Document	What it establishes	Practical note
Payslips	The dates worked, hours and rate actually paid	The primary record; employer-issued
Piece-rate agreement	The basis of pay where the work is paid by volume, not by hour	Needed where pay is by piece; should be in writing
Form 1464 (Employment verification)	Employer confirmation of duties, dates and work location	Not mandatory, but recommended by policy
Evidence of the work location	That the site sits within the listed Northern Australia postcodes	The postcode test applies to where the work was actually done

The decision-maker may contact the employer directly to verify what has been lodged, so the documents should be consistent with what the employer would say.

How is pay checked, and where do casual loading and piece rates fit?

Pay compliance is a separate requirement from the 88 days, and it is the ground that catches applicants who counted their days correctly. The standard is remuneration that complies with Australian law and industry standards; in practice, policy expects the rate — including casual loading where the employment is casual — to be at or above the national minimum wage.

Where pay is by piece rate rather than by the hour, the written agreement is what makes the arrangement legible: it shows the unit rate and lets the effective hourly rate be worked out. Without it, a decision-maker has no way to test whether piece-rate earnings cleared the minimum.

Policy describes the pay check as light-touch. It becomes a deeper review where underpayment is obvious, and confirmed underpayment is recorded and referred to the Fair Work Ombudsman. Remuneration that does not meet Australian minimum wage standards is also a recognised refusal ground for second-visa applicants.

Can a granted 462 visa be cancelled over specified work?

Yes, and this is the risk that outlives the decision. Policy states that if, after grant, a report or allegation is received that the specified work was not genuine, the case is reassessed; where the requirement is no longer met, the cancellation process under section 116(1)(g) of the Migration Act can be started. The practical consequence is that records should be kept well beyond grant, not discarded once the visa is in hand.

The same logic applies before a decision: where a third party such as an employer provides adverse information, that information must be put to the applicant to comment on before the decision is made.

What happens if more evidence is requested?

A written request under section 56 of the Migration Act gives 28 days to respond, with a further 7 days available where there is a reasonable reason for needing it. The document checklist generated in an ImmiAccount application is not a formal section 56 request and does not replace one. If nothing is provided within the period, a decision can be made on the material already held.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Form 1464 compulsory for a second 462 visa?

No. Policy describes it as not mandatory but recommended, with payslips and any piece-rate agreement forming the core records. A decision-maker may still contact the employer to verify the work directly.

Do I need payslips if I was paid by piece rate?

Yes. Payslips remain the primary record of dates and amounts, and the written piece-rate agreement explains how the pay was calculated. Together they allow the effective hourly rate to be tested against the national minimum wage, including casual loading.

Does casual loading count toward the minimum wage check?

The requirement is that remuneration complies with Australian law and industry standards, and policy expects the rate paid — casual loading included where the work is casual — to be at or above the national minimum wage. Obvious underpayment triggers closer review and can be a ground for refusal.

Do rest days count toward the 88 days?

Unpaid rest days do not. Paid sick leave counts, as do days on which you were paid although weather prevented the work, and two employers in one calendar day count as a single day.

Can my visa be cancelled after grant if someone reports my work?

Yes. Policy directs a reassessment where a post-grant allegation says the specified work was not genuine, and section 116(1)(g) cancellation can follow if the requirement is not met. Holding the records after grant is as important as lodging them.

Can I combine work for several employers to reach 3 months?

Yes, including across different eligible industries, as long as each engagement is at least one normal working day. Work for more than one employer on the same calendar day is counted once only.

References

• Federal Register of Legislation — Migration Regulations 1994: Subclass 462