# Australia weighs restoring regional work rules for British backpackers

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/why-does-australia-want-brits-to-swap-sydney-for-the-outback/
- Published: 2026-11-10T21:17:00+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T04:50:53+00:00
- Original publisher: BBC World (publisher lean: Centre)
- Original article: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm1j3jdp7w54o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
- Topics: UK, World

## Key points

- Australia may restore regional work rules for British backpackers.
- British working holiday visas rose to over 77,000.
- Regional employers say they need more workers.

## Summary

Australia is considering revising its deal with the UK so British backpackers may once again have to work in regional areas to extend their stays. Regional businesses say fewer British visitors are coming to places such as Cairns, adding to concerns about labour shortages, while many backpackers are settling in Sydney instead.

The 2023 trade deal exempted Britons from the regional-work requirement and raised the visa age limit from 30 to 35. British working holiday visas rose from 47,200 in 2023-24 to just over 77,000 in 2025-26; they accounted for almost a quarter of the 323,000 backpacker visas issued last year. Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, says he has discussed changes with UK counterpart Andy Burnham, while farmers note that worker shortages extend beyond the UK arrangement.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.