Why do 88-day calculators give different answers?

In October 2026 we took one simple, common job and ran it through the 88-day calculators people use most. The answers ranged from about 52 days to 91 days for exactly the same work. That’s the difference between “halfway” and “done”.

The test job

Casual hospitality in Cairns, 4 shifts of 9 hours a week (36 hours), for 13 weeks (91 calendar days).

What different methods give

Method used	How it works	Result
Hourly bands, 38-hour top band	Under 38 hours a week counts as 4 days	about 52 days
“Full-time = 38 hours, part-time ≈ 30 hours = 5 days”	36 hours treated as part-time	about 65 days
“1 day = 7 hours”	36 ÷ 7 ≈ 5.1 days a week	about 67 days
Shifts compared with a 5-day full-timer	4 of 5 normal days, weekends in proportion	about 73 days
Hours ÷ 38-hour week	36 ÷ 38 × 7 ≈ 6.6 days a week	about 86 days
“35 hours = a full week”	36 ≥ 35, so every week counts in full	91 days

None of these are wrong in the sense of being made up: each is someone’s honest reading. But only one rule is official.

What the official rule says

“…you must complete the same number of normal work days or shifts as a full-time employee in that role and industry would normally work in a 3 month (88 calendar day) or 6 month (179 calendar day) period.”

Home Affairs, specified subclass 417 work

There’s no 30, 35 or 38-hour figure in it. The test is days or shifts compared with a full-timer in that job. Home Affairs’ own casual example (Karla) compares her with “the usual full time work hours for this employer”.

Why the answers spread so much

1. The benchmark changes. 30, 35 or 38 hours is a big difference when you’re at 36.
2. Bands instead of proportions. A band rule jumps: 37 hours might count as 4 days and 38 as 7.
3. Days versus hours. Four 9-hour shifts are 4 days of work, but 36 hours is almost a full week of hours. Depending on what a full-timer in that job normally does, either view can be the right one.

How to count safely

• Use a full 38-hour week as the benchmark. If your result is over 88 with 38, it’s over 88 with any of the others.
• Know your job’s normal full-time pattern. If full-timers in your role work four 10-hour days, that’s the comparison Immigration uses. Ask your employer to put it in writing.
• Show your working. A count that lines up payslip by payslip with your evidence is far easier to defend than a single number.
• Leave a buffer. If you’re within a week or two of 88, keep working.

How Aussie Days counts

The Aussie Days calculator uses your payslips: 38 hours = 7 days, with each calendar month capped at the days it has, and only for jobs in a listed postcode doing work that’s listed for your visa. “Show the maths” lists every month, so you can check every number yourself.

Questions people also ask

Which 88-day calculator is the official one?

There isn't one. Home Affairs doesn't publish a calculator. It publishes the rule and worked examples. Any calculator is an estimate of how that rule applies to you.

Why does Aussie Days use 38 hours?

38 hours is the standard full-time week under Australia's National Employment Standards, so it's the benchmark least likely to overstate your days. Every number the calculator shows comes with its maths.

My calculator says I've done 88 days. Am I safe?

Only Immigration decides. Check the result against the official rule: at least 88 calendar days, in listed postcodes, doing listed work, with as much work as a full-timer would do in that time.

Sources

• Home Affairs: Specified subclass 417 work (how to count specified work)
• Fair Work Ombudsman: Maximum weekly hours

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.