A historic exodus of young British nationals is underway, with a record-breaking nearly 80,000 securing working holiday visas for Australia in the last year. This massive influx is fuelled by a combination of relaxed visa rules and a desire to escape the UK's challenging economic climate.
Unprecedented Visa Numbers and Driving Forces
Australia issued an astounding 321,000 working holiday visas in the 2024-25 period, a surge of more than a third compared to the previous year. Brits are leading this charge, accounting for a full quarter of all visas granted. This translates to nearly 80,000 young UK nationals heading Down Under, a dramatic increase from the 47,000 visas issued just a year prior in 2023-24.
Matthew Heyes, founder of the Backpacker Job Board, confirmed the clear surge, pointing to global economic conditions as a key driver. "We’re seeing issues like the cost of living and stagnant wages motivate young people to make the trip," he stated.
How New Visa Rules Opened the Floodgates
The seismic shift is largely attributed to policy changes initiated under former Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Two key amendments have made Australia far more accessible for British adventurers. Firstly, the maximum eligible age for British applicants was raised from 30 to 35. This change alone resulted in 9,100 visas being issued to that older age group in the last financial year.
Secondly, and perhaps more significantly, the Australian government removed the requirement for Brits to spend 88 days each year doing regional work to extend their stay. This has had an immediate and profound impact, leading to longer stays. The number of second-year visas granted to UK residents skyrocketed to 28,600, up from just 6,300 the year before. Third-year visas also saw a massive jump to 8,400 from 680.
A Strong Australian Labour Market Versus a Struggling UK
According to former Immigration Department deputy secretary Abul Rizvi, the working holidaymaker programme is "going from strength to strength." He explained that demand was inevitably going to be strong after the more generous terms were introduced. "It depends very much on our labour market – our labour market is certainly strong, and the UK’s is not as strong," Rizvi noted, highlighting the fundamental economic push-and-pull factors at play.
The UK's dominance in the programme is clear. The 79,000 visas issued to UK residents far outstrip those from other leading nations like France (42,000), Ireland (24,100), and Japan and Germany (16,000 each). It's important to note that while Brits enjoy the new freedoms, visa holders from these other nations must still complete regional work to stay in Australia longer.
This boom has pushed the total number of working holidaymaker visas to a new peak, surpassing the previous record of 258,000 set back in 2012-13.
