'Three months' means three 'calendar' months or 88 days.

Work can be either:

* In one block with one business

* In separate blocks with one business or a number of businesses. Blocks of work may be in different kinds of specified work.

One full day of work is defined as having worked a minimum number of standard hours for a particular industry. Working Holiday visa holders cannot count a long day of work as more than one day of specified work. For example, if the industry’s standard day is six hours long, working a 12 hour day does not count as two days of specified work.

Full time workers may include weekends in calculating the number of days worked.

Applicants who work part time or on a casual basis can only count the full days actually worked. The shortest period that can be counted is one day of full time work (for any given industry).
Note: The hours the applicant work must be the industry standard. Generally, the Australian working week is 35 to 40 hours, consisting of 7 to 8 hours worked each day. Individual employers cannot set a smaller period of time than the industry standard to satisfy the specified work requirement.

Full time workers can count sick days only during periods where they were in paid employment and entitled to sick leave or covered by a workers compensation scheme. In these situations, supporting evidence must be provided by the employer.

Applicants who were prevented from obtaining employment because of injury or seasonal circumstances cannot count any time they were unable to work towards the three month period.
Example: Cyclones interrupting harvest activities.

Some possible examples to help clarify the definition of three months of specified work are outlined below.

Examples of three months

Examples that meet the three month requirement

* Working week
Working on a farm for three months for five days each week, where the industry standard is five days a week of full time work.

* Shift work
Employed as a miner for three months and under the employment contract are only required to work every second week, which is the standard full time contract for the industry.

* Blocks of work
Completing 60 days of harvest work, followed by a period of travel for two months. Then completing another 28 days in construction, bringing the total days worked to 88 days.

* Sick days
Employed for a three month period but take several days of sick leave during the period.

Examples that do not meet the three month requirement

* Working week
When five days of work a week is the industry standard on a farm, but the applicant only works four days a week for three months.

* Work done on another visa type
Completing three months of specified work during the summer break while on a Student visa.

* Seasonal circumstances
Picking bananas for 80 days on a casual basis, but the applicant cannot find more work as there is a cyclone and their first Working Holiday visa ceases.