88 Days, Less Stress: The Records to Keep From Day One

The easiest work record to organise is the one you start before the first shift. Reconstructing three months of duties, hours and locations after leaving a region is much harder, especially when an agency supplied the work or the crew moved between farms.

Begin with the rule you are actually trying to meet. Home Affairs describes three months of specified work as at least 88 calendar days, and six months as at least 179. The normal full-time-equivalent work pattern matters as well as the dates.

First check whether you need the work requirement

For second or third subclass 417 applications made on or after 1 July 2024 using a UK passport, the specified-work requirement does not apply. Other applicants should check the requirements for their subclass and next visa before accepting a placement primarily to collect days.

Do not treat a friend’s visa circumstances as your own. Subclass 417 and 462 share counting guidance, but their approved industry and location lists differ.

Write down the workplace, not just the business address

Record the employing legal entity and ABN, the host farm or business where relevant, the worksite address and postcode, and the actual duties. For labour hire, the agency can employ you while a separate business hosts the task. Keep those details distinct.

A head-office postcode does not establish where you performed the work. If the crew changes worksites, note the dates and location of each assignment and retain messages confirming the change.

Keep dates, hours and the normal roster together

A qualifying continuous full-time pattern can include equivalent rest days. A part-time or irregular pattern can take longer to satisfy the same requirement. You cannot compress three months into fewer calendar days simply by working unusually long shifts.

For each shift, record start and finish times, breaks and what you did. Also keep the written roster or normal work pattern. That gives context to the dates when you later compare your employment with Home Affairs’ examples.

Make the pay evidence easy to match

Store contracts, payslips and bank payments by employer and pay period. The employer must provide a payslip within one working day of payday. If it is missing, request it while the placement is current.

For piecework, keep the signed piecework record and both hours and output. A number of buckets may explain earnings; it does not explain the full employment period or turn a long day into multiple calendar days.

Use the tracker as a log, not a visa decision

A tracker can help you see what you have recorded and which dates need evidence. It cannot decide that every entered day qualifies. Check the duties, postcode, visa history and full-time-equivalent pattern before relying on a total.

Do not count overlapping placements as extra calendar days. Keep separate records for the jobs so that the work can be explained, then use the official guidance for how the periods meet the minimum.

Before leaving an employer

• Confirm that all payslips and bank payments are present.
• Save the contract, roster and any worksite changes.
• Record the legal employer and payroll contact.
• Ask for missing documents or corrected dates promptly.
• Back up your own records securely.

When applying, follow the document checklist in ImmiAccount for your particular application. The complete 88-day guide links the official counting rules and explains the questions to settle before moving to another season.