British citizens are arriving in Australia in record numbers, but the traditional working holiday route through regional areas is becoming less common. More than 79,000 working holiday visas were granted to British citizens in 2024–25, an increase of almost 70 per cent from the previous year, according to figures cited by ABC News Australia.
Previously, travellers generally had to complete 88 days of specified work to qualify for a second working holiday visa. That requirement was removed for British citizens under the Australia-UK free trade agreement, which also raised the maximum age for the scheme from 30 to 35.
Dan McConnell, general manager of Mad Monkey Backpackers, said the change had reduced the incentive for British visitors to travel beyond Australia’s major cities. McConnell, who arrived on a working holiday visa in 2015 and later gained permanent residency, said his hostels had accommodated about 8,000 British guests during the post-COVID tourism boom. This year, the figure in Cairns was closer to 5,300.
He told ABC News Australia that British guests had previously spent heavily at hostel bars while working towards extending their visas. Demand was stronger at the company’s Sydney properties, he said, where working holiday makers could find jobs and accommodation without giving up established arrangements to travel north.
The shift is also affecting farms in North Queensland, where growers say British backpackers were once a familiar part of the seasonal workforce. Joe Moro said British workers had become increasingly difficult to find, increasing pressure on farmers to recruit. Workers from France, Italy and Taiwan have largely filled the gap, according to the report.
The working holiday scheme has become part of a wider debate over temporary migration. ABC News Australia reported that the federal government had considered whether regional work should again be required, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese ruled out restoring the 88-day condition, saying Australia would honour its agreement with Britain.
Alan Gamlen, director of the Australian National University Migration Hub, said the scheme had evolved from a way to travel and explore into what could resemble an international career break. He said some participants viewed successive visas as a route towards longer-term employment and potential permanent residence. Across all nationalities, 321,116 working holiday maker visas were granted in 2024–25, up from 234,556 the previous year.