Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese plans to discuss the U.K. working-holiday exemption with Prime Minister Andy Burnham; eligible British passport holders currently can qualify for later visas without specified work.
Albanese said he had discussed the issue with a group he met during the previous parliamentary sitting week, but was unsure whether it was the group referred to in the question. He said he had raised it informally with Burnham and planned to meet him, but gave no date for that meeting.
Albanese told lawmakers that more U.K. backpackers were arriving than before the arrangement took effect. He also said they were staying around Bondi Beach and Coogee and in capital cities, where they were working in hospitality. He argued that this pattern was distorting local labor markets.
The Department of Home Affairs says eligible U.K. passport holders can receive up to three Working Holiday (subclass 417) visas without completing specified work. The arrangement applies to applications lodged on or after July 1, 2024. The department lists an eligible age range of 18 to 35 and says the program can allow stays of up to three years.
Applicants from other countries generally need specified work to qualify for a second or third Working Holiday visa. The British exemption removes that work condition for eligible passport holders seeking later visas. The provision is part of the Australia-U.K. free trade agreement’s working-holiday rules.
Albanese did not outline a proposed amendment, say the exemption would end or narrow, or announce a new visa condition. The Hansard record gives no timetable or date for the planned meeting. The issue he said he would raise concerns the work requirement for repeat visas; no formal rule change was announced.
