Albanese Proposes Ending UK Regional Work Exemption

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has raised removing the regional work exemption for British working holiday visa holders with UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Australia and New Zealand

Albanese Proposes Ending UK Regional Work Exemption

Live Poll

Do you think changes to working holiday visa rules will help your region?

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese proposed removing the regional work exemption for British nationals on Australia-UK working holiday visas, raising the issue with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda in early November. The British prime minister has not yet decided on the proposal.

Why it matters

The proposal would alter the terms of the Australia-UK free trade deal working holiday visa, affecting how backpackers can access the country. Pressure from the federal government's wider migration changes has already been felt by farmers in regional Australia.

The UK has no cap on working holiday visa holders, and other nationalities need 88 days of regional work to enter a tightening ballot for second- and third-year visas. Under the August 2026 changes, working holiday maker visas now have a three-month processing timeframe, up from days or minutes previously.

The players

Anthony Albanese

Anthony Albanese is the Prime Minister of Australia, leading the federal government whose migration changes have placed pressure on regional farmers.

Andy Burnham

Andy Burnham is the British Prime Minister, whose government is yet to decide on the proposal to end the regional work exemption for UK nationals.

The details

Albanese raised the proposal with Burnham at the Commonwealth meeting, asking that British nationals no longer be exempt from regional work requirements. The Pastoralists and Graziers Association of WA president Digby Stretch said the original terms should not have been set, and the number of backpackers redirected to regional areas could be in the tens of thousands.

August 2026: Federal migration changes were announced, including a three-month processing timeframe for working holiday maker visas.
Early November 2026: Albanese proposed the change to Burnham at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda.

Travel Outlook

The proposal would modify the regional work conditions set under the Australia-UK free trade agreement working holiday visa, which currently allows British backpackers to avoid the 88-day regional work requirement that applies to other nationalities. Shifts in these rules can redirect backpacker flows toward regional areas, affecting seasonal travel patterns and labour availability in farming communities.

British backpackers planning a working holiday in Australia should check current visa conditions, as the regional work exemption could be removed following the proposal. Those planning to apply should also allow for the three-month processing timeframe now in place.

The takeaway

Travellers relying on working holiday visas should monitor any changes to regional work rules, as well as longer processing times that could affect travel dates. Early planning gives the best chance of securing a visa in time for seasonal travel.